Intel hilton lakes

[overheadx2]

headed up to Hilton lakes out of Rock Creek next weekend. Trying to figure out if I will need snow shoes or not. Any one have any Intel regarding trail conditions to lower Hilton Lakes. Thanks for any help, Phil

[SSSdave]

Rather obvious looking at the EOSDIS WV June 13 image.

[c9h13no3]

Rather obvious looking at the EOSDIS WV June 13 image.

Least you could do is put in a link. :P

Go to caltopo.com, find Hilton Lakes. Then click "+Add New Layer" and then select "Archived MODIS". White spots that move are clouds, white spots that don't are snow.

There's probably 100% snow coverage, but you won't need snow shoes. Just walk on the snow.

[SSSdave]

Naw, they can go to our Conditions Reports and Information sub forum that apparently some do not look at, or just use Google search. Providing condition links that are already set up for use elsewhere on the board tends to encourage...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19541

[overheadx2]

Thanks for the info. Dave, I have tried to use the websites offered on this site for images, but I really have a lot of trouble getting any kind of quality image that can help me determine levels. My imagination and topography skills are probably a little lacking. Ive seen image overlays with lots of snow but then see current posts from Rock Creek lake or South Lake showing bare mountainsides where the images show snow. Just checking to see if any one had been up there with boots on the ground.

[SSSdave]

Most of the EOSDIS WV daily images are not going to be useful as they are either clouded, blurry, or smoky. Thus one needs to go backwards from the current date until the Sierra Nevada zone of interest is reasonably visible that at this time of year might be 10% to 20% of dates. Sometimes clouds may look just like snow. But clouds usually cause an adjacent dark shadow on the landscape that looks like a lake as lakes look dark. Then in another window open up an online calphoto dot com USGS 7.5m topo and move to the area of interest. To get one's bearing zoom out so Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Lake Crowley, and other large scale features are obvious. Then use the pattern of melted out lower elevation canyons and higher elevation ridges and peaks that mirrors the topo elevations of such to further understand what one is looking at.

Currently June 13 is the best image with Rock Creek, Hilton Creek, and McGee Creek lower canyon's obvious as well as the trail section zone between the Rock Creek trailhead and Hilton. Rock creek Lake is actually visible now so has recently melted out. Since Rock Creek Lake at 9.7k is near the snow line and trail areas between the two canyons are all higher with the top 10350 one can understand why it shows white between the two. And that is why Davis Lake at 9.8k of the Hilton Lakes is also visible now with lake 9852 still white. A bit more to the south one can also make out the 3 Bishop Creek canyons and even rusty hued Piute Crags shows itself as a blurry brownish red. Although any of such features are blurry at the satellite camera resolutions, they are more than enough to provide better information than anything we had available decades ago.

[freestone]

Go to caltopo.com, find Hilton Lakes. Then click "+Add New Layer" and then select "Archived MODIS". White spots that move are clouds, white spots that don't are snow.

There's probably 100% snow coverage, but you won't need snow shoes. Just walk on the snow.

I tried the Caltopo method you suggested and its very easy to do. Just had to remind myself that you have to zoom way out before the image becomes clear. I added a marker object to my proposed destination for next week then re added the MODIS layer. This makes it very easy to dial in the location and see exactly what the snow coverage is. Again, thanks for suggesting the Caltopo method.

[Mike M.]

overheadx2,

Also note that this time of year, when you do encounter snow, snowshoes are not much help. Boots, gaiters, trekking poles,and some form of traction devices (for steep areas) are your best bet.

Mike M.

[overheadx2]

Thanks for all the help and advice. Freestone, the placed markers made a big difference in allowing me to visualize where I was on the map as I zoomed out. Ill post a TR in a week.

[gbrown09]

Rather obvious looking at the EOSDIS WV June 13 image.

No satellite image can help you determine whether you need snowshoes or not.