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Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:20 pm
by climb395
Any info on Tbolt to Sill traverse via Bishop Pass? Snow in SW chutes?

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:37 pm
by Kahuna
Absolutely void of any snow.... all of the above locations.

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:08 pm
by schaffner
Are you attempting it this weekend? We were also thinking about it, but I don't like the thunderstorms in the forecast.

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:01 pm
by climb395
schaffner wrote:Are you attempting it this weekend? We were also thinking about it, but I don't like the thunderstorms in the forecast.

Not this weekend. Couple weeks away. Was up last year at same time and it nothing but snow.

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:59 pm
by Kahuna
The Boss left this morning with a crew of 8 to the west side (Palisades Basin) to do the entire Pal traverse.

I am looking up at the Bishop Pass area as I type and it's not as bad as it was this morning was when I rode in from house located north of Bishop.

The forecast for tomorrow is clear. The rest of the weekend will be a hit and mess.

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:41 am
by graham
We did the T-Bolt to Sill traverse on July 7th and there were no snow issues to worry about (we didn’t take any micro-spikes or crampons).
If you get up there soon, you might enjoy some pretty cool penitentes snow at the top of the Polemonium Glacier
Image

Some more photos and beta:
http://grahamcracker.smugmug.com/Catego ... &k=dNwHmnk

Re: Thunderbolt to Sill Conditions

PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:18 pm
by graham
butitsadryheat wrote:Was that a fire behind you ? Looks like smoke
Great pic BTW. Love those penitentes.

Yep, there was a brush fire along the west side of 395 near Big Pine on Sat July 7. Crews were still mopping up little hot spots on Sunday morning.
It seems that the upper Polemonium snow field has a passion for penitentes, as I've seen them on that upper snow field in previous years.