rajeshkh wrote:Hi Laura,
Thanks a lot for the detailed reply. We are entering via Piute Pass on June 29th and exiting via Bishop Pass on July 5th, at least that is the plan for now
. Looks like the weather is warming up nicely and we are really hoping for some serious melt. I am wondering if there is a way to avoid using crampons an dice axe, by avoiding the passes. Anyway we can get to EVO without going through the pass?
Your pictures and trip reports are amazing, truly the best back yard
Thanks
Rajesh
I'm not sure what you mean by "without going over the Pass". By starting at North Lake, you probably won't have to deal with gear, since Piute Pass is perhaps one of the lowest angle passes I've gone over in the Sierra. It's 5 miles from the trailhead at North Lake (6 or so from the parking area/pack station), and it gains a shade over 2000 vertical feet, the largest gain (in steepness) coming just before Loch Leven. From there it's an easy drop through Humphreys Basin to Hutchinson Meadow. Now: I haven't hiked the drop from there to the JMT along Piute Creek, so someone else should give the lowdown on that, but I'm assuming that it will be mostly melted out trail by the time you get there, especially if the weather continues as it is (read: warming trend, massive meltoff, flooding home in Bishop, yada yada yada). The climb up to EVO Basin from the canyon might also be interesting, and I couldn't tell the exact snow level when I was there (mainly because it was, well, snowing). There are a few traverses on the south side of Muir Pass where axe/crampons/knowledge of how to use them would increase safety, although the runouts are pretty benign. As you can see from the photos of both 2009 and 2011, there is a good deal of snow for a good long way on either side of the pass around your time frame.
The climb up from LeConte Canyon to Dusy Basin could also be quite challenging with the snow, especially if you hit it in afternoon. An exercise in postholing is always a great way to burn a few more calories.
Bottom line, at least for me, is that crampons/ice axe/knowledge of how to use them would be included in your gear for the trip. Hell, with the pack going through a rapid melt, snowshoes might be warranted to avoid above-mentioned postholing (although I posthole with them on, too... hurm...).
Glad you like the pics/reports! And happy to help.
Oh, and BIADH:
A roller just above Echo Lake. There wasn't an avy there, but almost every north-facing chute below the Clyde Spires had let something go (mostly slough):
Believe me, I had my head screwed on tight for this trip. It was amazing how mentally tired I was, as much as physical, from constantly being on the alert for shifts in conditions.