I am planning to do some snowshoeing in the Kyle Canyon area tomorrow (11/27). From the reports I've looked at, seems to bet 10"+ on the mountain. Can anyone who has been up there this week provide a conditions report??
Thanks...

jmatthys wrote:I am planning to do some snowshoeing in the Kyle Canyon area tomorrow (11/27). From the reports I've looked at, seems to bet 10"+ on the mountain. Can anyone who has been up there this week provide a conditions report??
Thanks...

Not I, but friends have. A few made it to Griffith last weekend, so the "trail" should be packed. I believe they went through the avalanche chute at one point.

Well, no need for snowshoes in Kyle Canyon, not yet at least (I guess that was wishful thinking). Pretty much as reported by MoapaPk, SLT was packed, seemed to be about 8 - 10" on the ground above the cave.

Plenty of snow up at Charleston. Snowshoed up the North Loop trail to Mummy Springs. Snow seemed to be about 3.5 - 4ft in depth and the trail had been pretty well packed by a few xcountry ski tracs. As of this morning their was no parking in Kyle Canyon (Echo, Big Falls and Trail Canyon lots had yet to be plowed).

Claims today were over 7' snow at the top of Harris Peak.

Skied Off the Mt. Charleston summit ridge on Sunday (1/9).....Started climbing at 5am....up thru Big Falls and then the Airplane gully direct.....gained the ridge by the airplane crash site by 11am and skied a line to the (skier's) right of the true airplane gully......there's an awful lot of snow on the mountain and evidence of some large avalanches which took place earlier in the storm cycle......... altho things do feel stable now, there are pockets of wind loaded slopes, mainly NE facing, and some concern over large wind slabs on the upper mountain ridges......saw someone's ski tracks in the lower gully but nothing higher than 10,000.....has anyone been up this winter season?? skiing was excellent and I left many pretty tracks......

Other folks snowshoed up Mummy this weekend, via the scree slope.

Hey nvskier1, where did you park went up Charleston last week? I was up at Kyle Canyon this weekend and the Echo TH lot and the MJ Falls TH lot have not yet been plowed except for a single lane in both. I was looking to snowshoe in the area but couldn't find a place to park.
I did head up the north loop and the snow was melting fast, temp was 55deg on Monday at the trailhead.

hey jmatthys..........I've been parking by the pumping station at the turnoff to the maryjane falls parking area.......they have to plow the entrance for access to the equipment and as long as you don't block the gate I haven't had a problem... also getting there in the very early a.m. before the checkpoints go up makes life much simpler.......would urge some caution in the backcountry this week, mate, as you mentioned temps are soaring and there is still a weak layer buried in the snowpack back from the thanksgiving storms, if something cuts loose on the steeper slopes it could be quite large.........cheers

Thanks for the parking info nvskier1, glad to hear their have been no problems as long as you've parked out of the way. I'll give that a try.

Looking at doing the N/S loop trails in mid March-wondering how the snow conditions might be? is it typically packed down and would i be able to just use some Yaktrax? What's it like up there right now? Any info would be helpful-never been up there before! Thanks.

When I've done climbs up there in spring, I've typically brought crampons. I can't predict what will happen between now and March, but here some views of Charleston from March 19 2009, a normal year:



and May 29, 2010 (a mild El Nino year; I used crampons to go by NLT, and climbed the Devil's Thumb shortcut to avoid steep hard snow):



This was March 31 2007, the driest year we've had for a while:

I have been to Charleston Peak on Jan.29-30 this year. (only a week ago)
Couple of us hiked up SLT to the Charleston Peak.
The snow was hard packed and easy to go up with snowshoes with heal lifter or crampons.
On the way down, I switched my snowshoes to yaktrax. Because we got little bit of new fresh snow over the hard packed snow that makes no grip on snowshoes.
But, I rather use crampons if I brought it. Yaktrax was almost usuless at that condition.
http://www.vegashikers.com/pic/20110129/p1.html

Anyway, there are another over month until Mid March and snow condition will be changed....or not....
But, If you are taking North Loop, I recommend to bring crampons. You better take Devil's Thumb shortcut to avoid steep hillside traverse.
I've been to Lee Peak on May 4th, last year.
http://www.vegashikers.com/pic/20100504/p2.html
I made it to the Lee Peak without crampons, but I won't be able to make it farther without it.

hey.......been up north skiing but was last on summit two weeks ago (1/24).....lots of snow and even without any new...... (don't even want to think of that happening)....will last at least that long....if you have any intentions of using north loop you should almost certainly bring crampons and snowshoes just to be safe......btw, when I was last up there a helicopter flew around a few times and landed on the summit, a search and rescue guy got out and asked if I was by myself (I was...)....he said they were looking for two lost snowshoers.....I ended up skiing the NE face and looking around above maryjane falls for them.......helicopter was still looking when I got back to car....has anyone heard anything about them....just wondered??

Hey-thanks for all the info guys. Not sure what to do yet-flying in from NY and I'd like to book a flight soon!!