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To all experienced Sierra SPers:

I've been looking forward to climbing in Lee Vining since moving to the Bay Area from Texas this summer and have had plans to leave SF tomorrow (Thur) afternoon around 1pm. There is a lot of snow dumping tomorrow evening and throughout Friday when we plan to climb.

How will the snow impact the drive and climb? Should I reschedule or go for it?

thanks!

I don't know the weather report for the area, but Lee Vining is avalanche prone after a significant snow fall. It's essentially a narrow canyon with little place for all that accumulated snow to go other than down canyon where you're hiking up. Also, the ice will be covered with snow anyways, which is a pain. If they get some snow up there, you may want to make other plans.

Yeah, I'm thinking that way. Thanks for the response. So my partner won't be available again for a while. How late can the ice still be in good condition there? Late March/ Early April?

By late March / early April there is usually still climbable ice in the canyon, typically on Chouinard Falls. The sun's angle is higher in the sky though and a lot of stuff gets direct sun, which tends to make things soft & slushy. But I've also had some good times there that time of year.

he's a report from SMG from the 19th February (Sat last) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=yo ... P6_QoP8REM

p.s. thx, Jed!

4' predicted in tahoe thurs/fri/sat, not sure what yosemite'll be like

Recommend you reschedule. Storm coming in tomorrow through Sunday. QPF at 2-2.5". The local forecasters are talking about a potential Pacific Hoser connection that if happens, would increase the QPF to 4-5".


Good luck getting to the Poole Plant during this event regardless if the Hoser connection occurs or not. Jeff, the County dude that plows the road in to the PP, will not plow unless Cal-Trans plows 120 to the road. Which in most cases, won't happen till the storm is over. He didn't plow the road till Monday morning after last weekends small storm.

Just spent the last two days on the Bard. Very airated and platey due to the very cold temps. Main Wall is ok and I don't know about the C-Wall.

PS Yesterday:


The Bard Today...



If the temps remain below normal for the next couple of weeks, should be ok. The Sun is starting to hit the Main and C-Wall by 2PM and the top of B/H by 1ish. I say ya got till the 3rd week of March for the Bard, 4th for both the Main and C-Wall. Pretty much has been the given for the past ten years.