Palisades trail conditions? (big pine north fork)

by **tb00957** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:13 pm

Where did you camp? Do you have to melt snow for water?

by **The Chief** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:31 pm

tb00957 wrote:Where did you camp? Do you have to melt snow for water?

Camp here and you don't have to worry about crossing any snow bridges or log jams. Got plenty of open running water as well. Straight forward and far safer IMO.

by **tb00957** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:34 pm

Sorry for my ignorance, cant' tell where it is. Is this on the south side over bishop pass and thunderbolt pass? Never been up there.

by **The Chief** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:08 am

Nope. Well above Sam Mack Meadows actually. Kind of a secret spot and never will you find any other folks around.

Most will camp in this area...

by **Hyadventure** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:38 am

I camped in about the same spot as Chief’s second pic. It’s about 300’ below Gayley Camp. While passing through Gaylay Camp I did see at least one tent pad free of snow. We mostly melted for water, but there were many melt off streams on the more vertical rock. They just weren’t that close to camp and were too lazy.

by **Kaweah69** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:11 am

Chief, nice pic. Is that an old North Face Dandelion tent I see there (the teepee style one)? I own one -- it is the sturdiest tent I've ever run across. My kids won't use it -- it stinks of dad's old farts and and many a burned spliff.

Mike

by **rhyang** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:32 am

The Chief wrote:Nope. Well above Sam Mack Meadows actually. Kind of a secret spot and never will you find any other folks around.

Hmm, could it be just to the right of center in this pic ?

(original sized pic here)

by **The Chief** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:48 am

Nope.... more like in the lower left corner outta the pic.

Here is another shot from the same spot, with my SD Origami 2, on a solo trip three weeks after the above posted shot.

Kaweah69
That is a Megamid. One of two that I own and use regularly year round in all conditions. One of em is an original <C> that I have had since 1988.

Here it is on one of my many trips to Whitney...

by **hamik** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:21 am

Chief, is that just the lake above Sam Mack Meadows? I've only stayed in the little valley above the meadows and N of the principal glacial moraine, where there is running water in summer, but the lake sounds like a better option for now.

by **rhyang** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:20 pm

The Chief wrote:Nope.... more like in the lower left corner outta the pic.

Here is another shot from the same spot, with my SD Origami 2, on a solo trip three weeks after the above posted shot.

Heheh, that lake looks very familiar -

Pretty good clues

by **The Chief** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:03 pm

That's it Rob....

Keep it clean if ya'll use it, please.

PS: Ran into what the local BIO confirmed from my photos as potenial Wolverine tracks in the snow just below there on my last trip last July.

Yup... more evidence of the illusive Wolverine in the Sierra. Tracks were indeed confirmed by the USFS Wolverine Bio folks in Idaho.

by **tb00957** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:43 pm

When are the pcitures taken?

Are there running water there now?

My friend's picture from this past weekend shows that lake frozen.

by **The Chief** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:49 pm

tb00957 wrote:When are the pcitures taken?

Are there running water there now?

My friend's picture from this past weekend shows that lake frozen.

Been there many a times when the lake is indeed frozen but the creek which flows from it down to Sam Mack Mdw will have enough open flow in order to get water from.

by **connollyck** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:10 am

Hyadventure wrote:I was up there June 4-6 to climb N. Pal. The trail was mostly snow free up to Third Lake. We crossed a large snow bridge (200’ long) at the mouth Third Lake and climbed the couloir behind Temple Crag. By the time we descended the snow bridge was 50% gone and what was left was 80% collapsed. I sure it’s gone now.

Travel on the glacier and the U-notch couloir was a little soft but not too bad. The U-notch firmed-up near the top, but I was still comfortable climbing without rope. Snow bridges over the bergshrund are thin. My partner postholed through (didn’t fall in) but I got a report of another climber (roped) falling in.

I’ll be back up July 4 to attempt Starlight

thanks for the info. see you up there on the 4th

by **TheNobleSunfish** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:54 am

Back from a great trip! The trail is snow-free up the stream crossing heading up to Sam Mack (right after the trail junction for Sam Mack / 4th Lake) . The standard traverse on the North face of Sill is free of ice and snow except for a couple of easily skirted patches. Thanks again for all the beta!

Palisades trail conditions? (big pine north fork)

Who is online