Does anyone have a recent update on the roads to the Portal and also Onion Valley? And has anyone been up the Meysen Lake Trail recently? We are trying to get out this weekend or next and are wondering how far up we can get.

I've been researching for potential trips next month.

Whitney Portal Road is officially listed as open as of March 20th by Inyo NF:http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5192379

I've seen the above confirmed on Highsierratopix.com and Supertopo. On those websites I've also seen Onion Valley Road confirmed as driveable/snow free and Kearsarge Pass (photographed from the top) described as walkable in trail runners if you don't mind damp feet from occasional post-holing. Shepard Pass is looking similar. If hoping to find a specific type of conditions on Meysan Lakes Trail, you might try Whitney Portal Store Message Board. Some areas of the High Sierra are in the midst of a minor storm/got a little snow overnight, but it will be very warm later this week so I doubt that is very noteworthy.

we went up to kearsarge pass this wekeend. extremely dry. golden trout lakes basin is basically snow free, only some snow on the southern side of the basin. there were some patches on the trail, but nothing that was not easily traversed. the road up to ov is completely dry, there is only light rockfall to work around.

I went up to Olancha peak this past weekend (20 miles south of Whitney). It is scary how little snow there was up to 12K, you could do it all in normal hiking shoes. Looking north Langley and Whitney region didn't have much snow either. I can't imagine either trailhead being closed due to snow

Of course Rock Creek Rd is open all the way to Mosquito Flats. Trail starts dry, then patchy snow and beat down.

Deb wrote:Of course Rock Creek Rd is open all the way to Mosquito Flats. Trail starts dry, then patchy snow and beat down.

how does the hourglass look?

bscott wrote:

Deb wrote:Of course Rock Creek Rd is open all the way to Mosquito Flats. Trail starts dry, then patchy snow and beat down.

how does the hourglass look?

Couldn't see it, too tired from skiing today to venture down the trail very far.

Where's the snow start now, after the foot last week? Going day-hiking mid week.

Snow conditions driving past Bridgeport on 4/12:

I went in over Piute Pass and south to climb Muriel and Keyhole Plateau on 4/10, and came out yesterday. On 4/10 the snow level was about 9600, and yesterday it was more like 10600, with the trail full of water from snowmelt in that 1000 vertical foot section. Snow above this was miserable postholing on the way in, starting around 4" deep and up to about a foot deep at 12000-13000 ft. On the way out, it was just starting to consolidate in areas around the Piute Pass elevation and lower, but it was still soft and miserable higher up. The gate is still closed 3 mi below the TH (just above Aspendell), despite the road being snow-free beyond. Must have been quite a storm last week.

i went over olancha pass saturday to climb olancha. it is dry, dry, dry.

Here's what I found buried on another site:

What we have found again this year, is that the minimal snowpack there is, is confined to higher elevations and often on horizontal and north facing aspects. Generally speaking, in the south (Kern River) there is (for all practical purposes) no snow below 9,500’. For the Kings and San Joaquin 9,000’ and the Tuolumne ~8,000’. I have also observed that most seasonal snow is gone on south facing aspects above treeline to the highest elevations. However, north aspects are still holding considerable winter and seasonally transitional snow. (snow is lacking on east and west aspects as well)

The above is unofficial opinion by one of the guys who ventures the backcountry to do the official measurements. Most places up high enough to have snowpack are at about half of the most severe drought measurements of the late '70s, with San Joaquin about equal (unlike back then, lower elevation measurements are at 0). I hiked Taboose Pass on Saturday at the same time as a guy who had done the measurements with him. Even after the storm last week, he described the snow cover as reminiscent of mid-June of most years.

The storm last week provided some short term change, but probably didn't change the overall picture for hikers much. You have to go really high to encounter consolidated snowpack. Southern-Eastern-Western facing hikes that lack much shaded and/or horizontal and northern facing sections will generally be dry or not have snow worth much mention. South facing slopes to reach summits will generally be dry. Far Southern Sierra is drier than Central Sierra and probably mostly back to pre-storm conditions south of Langley. Soft, fresh snow is melting fast elsewhere.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSNOWDP

Owens Peak via PCT at Walker Pass had some snow for eating Wednesday. It should be all dry again by now. Wildflowers were abundant. Fedak signed the register about a week before me. There were a few backpackers out.

Olancha Peak Thursday via Sage Flat/Olancha Pass and the PCT had some snow on the PCT, especially when venturing farther north on the trail along the shoulder of Olancha Peak than necessary. There were some wildflowers down low. Snow can probably be avoided if any is left. I enjoyed the 2-12 inches I found (higher, shadier, horizontal, and north facing had more). The Gomez Meadow stream beyond Monache Meadow area is a horrible looking trickle and that is the lone running water source. I ate snow to supplement what I carried. I found no register for any signs of Carbo, but maybe (if not all melted out) bscott saw my tracks or those from the FJ Cruiser occupants who showed up Friday morning.

On Taboose, post-holing in patches of 3-18 inches of soft powder became hard to totally avoid above the big waterfall/last creek crossing at around 10,000 feet. Consolidated snow existed up near the pass around 11,000 feet and higher, but not deep enough to cover all rocks and slopes. If determined, one could probably summit Cardinal this week/weekend without touching much snow, but I embraced the easy hydration and cooling method again Saturday. Aside from the hydrologist mentioned above, one backpacker headed out for a week Sunday. The wildflowers were great near the trailhead. Deb beat me to the register by six months to close out 2014, but I was the first for 2015. Skiers visit in March and April of good snow years, but during a nice weather window it is now early summer. The summit was calm enough to lazily bask, prop the register up, and take in the fine views.



I've got plenty of images, especially of Taboose and Independence area if anyone is interested in something specific.

SeanReedy wrote: Deb beat me to the register by six months to close out 2014, but I was the first for 2015.

tee hee!

Anybody know if you can get to the Duck Pass trailhead out Mammoth Lakes? Was thinking of going over the pass this weekend.

Snow survey story from this season by surveyor John Dittli:

http://sustainableplay.com/winter-of-his-disbelief/