Tom D

I pulled up some old winter lists and based on what I know about you and your gear, I am going to make some suggestions. These are gonna be kinda hard for you but I know you are ready as long as you head in after the storm and watch out for avos. I hope Steve brimsf chips in his own $.02 here also. I know you are pretty good now, having gone every year for quite a while. You are not a begginer, you have spent quite a few nights camped in snow and understand the basic procedures for such things as melting snow and personal hygene in a blizzard.

You ar not heading into unfamiliar country and you will be in a national park.

I know exactly where you are going and I am VERY familiar with camping in the exact Sierra conditions that you will see. I would not make any such post to anyone else.

I think you should carry what ever clothes you think you will need during the day, and it will most likely be warm and sunny and you will most likely ski in long underwear, a fleece? jacket, and gaitors, maybe shorts. If it gets cold, windy, rains, snows, simply pull your rain over and you will be fine and also dry when you get to camp. Your big jacket is Dryloft I believe - take it, take your booties, take some insulated pants with at least 3/4 inch of loft and take rain pants that will go over them.

Next I want you to leave your tent at home and since you use a bivy anyway - take a tarp. Yes Tom D its time for you to tarp in Yosemite, but go after the storm.

Rent a zero degree sleeping bag.

Tom - survival and five days of food, spare stove and excess fuel - dump it Tom. Take the Xtreme and 2 fuel bottles, you will probably come home with a full one, if you use a proper windscreen.

First aid? Don't take over half a pound maximum.

Food - having seen you, or rather not eat, I certainly would not take more than a pound of food per day for you, maybe an extra quarter pound per day of choclate.

Finally - leave the sled - its an anchor especially in deep snow, carry a pack. Without the tent your stuff will fit in or on. The tarp goes on the outside.

You know I can take my bibler, big sleeping bag, down bibs, Down Airmattress, rain shells etc and its still 18 pounds in my big Kelty pack. And yes this happens to be $3,000 worth of gear, but it weighs less than half what yours does. Without the sled you don't need ski skins.

Do you really need the shovel? Or the spare stove? Yer not being a kid "with a new toy" are you? You can leave some of your toys at home and take them another time. They have already their reliability to you- your gear will not fail. Try some thing new - ski with pack not sled and tarp after storm.

Jim