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Tushar snowpack (near Belnap and Baldy, Delano)

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 6:22 pm
by MoapaPk
Our local hiking club has scheduled a trip to Delano (and Signal Peak) for Memorial Day weekend. I'm considering joining them, but going up Belnap and Baldy instead.

My memories of the Tushars are from the last El Nino in 2005, when there was significant snow above 9500', even in July.

So... any guess about how the snowpack in the Tushars compares to 2005?

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 6:42 pm
by lcarreau
I just drove past along I-15, after eating lunch at the Chinese joint in Beaver.

Looks like about two additional feet of snow then what they had at this time last year.

I was really surprised to see so much snow (still) remaining on Charleston !!!

Best of luck ...

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:39 pm
by MoapaPk
That's the oddity -- there really isn't much snow on Charleston for this time of year. The Mummy scree slope was completely bare a week back; in 2005 at the same time of year, it was covered by at least 2' of snow.

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 9:31 pm
by TyeDyeTwins
My twin and I were down there 2 weeks ago and skied Mount Holly and Lake Peak for 3 days. There was 4 feet of snow in the deepest sections of the trail above Puffer Lake, however there were some bear spots every now and then. I'd imagine that those same bear spots have since grown larger. I was not there in 2005 but I'd imagine, since this has been an above average year down there, that there will be more than usual snow still on the ground.

P.S. the Big John Flat road was still covered in 2-4 feet of snow when we were there.

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 9:58 pm
by MoapaPk
Thanks all!

PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 11:23 pm
by lcarreau
In the entire year of 2005, I was stuck in Arizona working among the cacti and snakes.

Today, SLC got rained on, and a "winter" storm is settling in for (this) weekend.

Safe to say, come prepared for the worst and always hope for the best.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:10 am
by MoapaPk
Bump -- any news?

Is there a satellite photo of recent UT snowpack, analogous to the CA photo? Seems there must be through NOAA.

PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:48 am
by TyeDyeTwins
We could see the Tushars from Great Basin National Park over Memorial and through the binoculars there looked to be plenty of snow left in the heart of the Tushar Range. Also from GBNP we could see 6 ranges out in the California direction and they had tons of snow as well. As for the GBNP snowpack.....PHAT as could be.
Image

PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:00 pm
by MoapaPk
Bump. I'll call the Beaver USFS tomorrow, but they may not know all that much.

PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:29 pm
by MoapaPk
I called Beaver USFS office personnel, and they said the road to Big John Flats was still closed at the *lower gate*. They gave a "couple of weeks" for the opening date. I'm guessing that they are as much worried about the mud as the snow.