Three of my friends and I are looking to do a thru hike from Yosemite to Whitney next summer and I have a few questions I figured some of you might be able to help with. When is the best time to go if we want to encounter very minimal snow pack, the latest we could be in the mountains till is the 22nd of August because school will start back up. My next question would be what to expect in terms of weather?
Jd Bailey
Most northbounders on the PCT are done with the JMT & through Yosemite by late June to mid July. They have to go over almost every mtn pass on snow, but it’s not as bad as one might expect (except fording rivers which will be much better for you… hint: early morning fording is often easier due to less snowmelting). By late July to early Aug, trail-snow should be mostly melted out, except perhaps on the highest pass, Forester. I had sunshine from Mexico up thru Oregon on the PCT. On the other hand, I saw an episode of “I Survived” where 2 brothers got struck by lightning becuz they were the closest to an old stovepipe in the Whitney summit shelter ! Read as many PCT/JMT journals as you can on this site to find out what to expect.
inchworm plumber
Although a normal snow year would dictate August as the optimum time for JMT adventures, 2012 is not a normal snow year. You can start earlier.
Expect warm comfortable days and cool nights. Thunderstorms are a likely. Normal sierra thunderstorm cycle is an afternoon of storms, then spectacular weather the next few days as the clouds slowly build to another afternoon storm series a few days or a week or so later.
That said, nothing about Sierra weather is ever normal. Last year I was rained on 10 of 14 days.
Layering of clothing is key. I carry Capoline long johns, a couple Under ASrmor or Nike tees, a lightweight fleece jacket and a Marmot light weight rainproof shell. No long pants - just shorts. Long Johns and long socks keep the legs warm.
booger
Thanks for the speedy reply. I appreciate all the information, one last question though. Are there any deep stream crossings?
Jd Bailey
there are a few fairly bad crossings in heavy snow years.
Send a scout up river & one downriver to find the best spot. Some hints are: Cross where the river widens or splits into several shallow streamlets. In a narrow creek like Bear creek, we found a spot downstream side of a giant boulder where gravel collected in its eddy & it was below the knee… where the trail was, it was above the knee & about to wash us away ! Several creeks were bridged by logs. There are various techniques, but we held hands & faced upstream & after a while, got tired of taking our shoes/boots off & just kept em on !
inchworm plumber
Comparing the May snow levels with the year i did an August JMT hike, i think it’s safe to say the highest crossings you’ll have (Evolution Creek probably highest) will only me be mid-thigh at the very highest. Probably lower.
markv