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June trip
Apr 6, 2016 16:44:47 GMT -8
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Apr 6, 2016 16:44:47 GMT -8
Once you settle on an airport routes will shake out a bit easier. It's a big state.
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speacock
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I'm here for the food...
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Post by speacock on Apr 7, 2016 5:14:14 GMT -8
LAX to Lone Pine is 4+ hours and about another hour up 23 miles to Cottonwood Lakes trail head. You can make a 9am+ trail head and first Lakes by 1p(ish). All roads to trail head should be dry. If there is snow it will probably be well consolidated (looking like snow cone shaved ice) and lives up to its name of 'Sierra Cement'. Altitude affects sometimes are noticeable from 8,000' up.
San Francisco is similar in time to west Sierra (Yosemite/Sequoia/Mineral King, Kings Canyon NPs) trail heads. Fresno Airport cuts off the time you spend from SFO but you probably loose time in the connections. West side from Los Angeles is a LONG drive and fraught with ground fog at times.
In your time frame:
- All of Sierra will have 11,000' about snow level at Southern Sierra east side. Trail heads start around 10k' +- 500' - West side might have more snow and perhaps a lower snow level. The trails are a mile lower and longer to get to altitude, however. - NW will have snow at 4-5,000'. September minimum snow on Wonderland Trail around Rainier. - Colorado Rockies snow at 10,000 certainly and maybe lower. August, some years, still has snow on passes.
But then I've been wrong most of the time.
Zion NP (and surrounds)is amazing that time of year and so is Grand Canyon.
In 'normal' wet years, the snow levels dictate last part of July thru Sept the prime backpacking times in the western mountains. The El Nino pundits say this was supposed to be a 'wet' year. Snow pack is less than 'normal' but not by a lot. Farther north on Sierra the deeper it is.
We are getting 4 days of rain in Southern Calif this weekend. But then again a 'down pour' is anything over 1/2". :D
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378
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Post by speacock on Apr 8, 2016 16:17:52 GMT -8
Hiker 1 at tahoetowhitney sez, and I quote:
"Strange high temps combined with the still ample stock of tropical moisture in the Equatorial Pacific threatens the Sierra with early rains scouring the snowpack right off the range.
Today we are facing the first of a series of very warm Spring storms out of the tropics. These storms and their associated high temps threaten to remove the snowpack quite quickly and very early during Spring.
What This Means
An early and dangerous Spring Thaw. Early opening of trails. Early drying out of the mountains, early death of the mosquitoes, and an early and fierce fire season."
From another quarter anyway.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 9, 2016 15:26:11 GMT -8
Yeah, a little hard to say what the snowpack may be doing in June and July this year. Last year we went in via Mineral King on the 1st of July and there was no snow anywhere. More has fallen down there this year than last, but still far below average. As implied in the post above, a lot will depend on what the spring looks like, and right now it looks warm.
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378
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Post by speacock on Apr 20, 2016 22:39:13 GMT -8
It is looking more and more favorable for early season trips. End of June in the worst snow pack years will still have consolidated* snow over New Army Pass. If you go over the pass I'd suggest returning via Cottonwood Pass. It is easier, thousands of feet lower and less snow. A trip up from Soldier Lakes to The Miter is a nice side jaunt.
* The snow will have morphed into relatively large crystals (think snow cone) and compacted to a complete mass that you can usually walk upon. In afternoon it warms up and could end up giving way under your weight on a single foot and cause 'post holing' up to your crotch. It is then not an easy way to make a living. The upside is that you have unlimited snow cones if you bring your favorite flavor. It is, however, easy to kick very large and expansive foot steps up snow covered passes. Then depending upon your paranoia, equipment and training you can drag ice ax, crampons and rope along. I've gone up it in day hiker shoes. Cold, wet feet resulted and would have been better if stiff soled boots.
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