Another Person Concerned about SNOW!

imported
#1

Hi all,

I know it has been a record year for snow this year and am a little concerned about it. I am headed out to do the JMT on July 24 starting at Bishop Pass and ending at horsemeadow on August 2. I am doing this solo. I am 23 years old and in good shape.

Does anyone have any idea what the snow will be like then, or any recent reports. This is my first time doing the JMT. I am a moderately experienced backpacker but have not done any camping in the snow. Will I need an axe, a gps? Will I be ok doing on my own? Any suggestions and info would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Ryan S

#2

I’m fairly certain you’ll be just fine with no need for axe or gps. Things melt fast this time of year, and many people will have gone through and made a trail across the parts that still have snow.

I’ll be out there in that area next week, and i’ll try to post a quick conditions report when i get back to the city around the 16th or 17th.

markv

#3

The photos area bout 2 weeks old, but gives you some idea of snow base:

http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=544600

By the way, anybody have a site where I can check prior year snowfalls? I remember in 1992 on the JMT the snow base in August still had some lingering large swaths on the north sides of some passes.

Teddie

#4

This data isn’t always complete but it will give you some idea:

http://postholer.com/postholer/

markv

#5

Look at the California Snow Survey site. Sorry don’t have the exact web site, but you should be able to find it googling. They have snow info, graphs, previous years snow, etc.

It is supposed to be 100-110 degrees in the valleys of southern and central california over the next few days. That should melt a whole bunch of the snow.

Robocop

#6

Last time I was up on the JMT was August 2006. There was snow walls on a few passes. Muir Pass’s south side had much snow still. What kind of snow year was 2006?

Teddie

#7

From what I have been seeing, 2006 was very similar to this year.

chadrack

#8

I just got out of the High Sierra yesterday, and as usual the snow cover concerns are a bit overblown. Forrester Pass had some snow on each side, but only once or twice was the patch of snow so big that one couldn’t clearly see where the dry trail resumed on the other side of it. The snow in the infamous chute was about 15 paces across and deeply-tracked. In another couple weeks there will be no snow to speak of. Further north there may be a little bit more, but really things melt very fast this time of year. If you see pictures or get reports from people in late June, by early July those pics and reports are obsolete.

I’d be more concerned with the mosquitos. I saw some above 12,000’ even, which was a first. Below 11,000’ they were ferocious.

markv