2021 Conditions Reports

[commonloon]

Route taken: Sierra High Route "Proper" including Frozen Lake and Snow Tongue

Difficult section encountered: Snow Tongue was particularly loose and had no snow tongue as it usually does.

Special equipment needed/used: None

Possible alternative routes: Consider Alpine Col or the Keyhole.

Water: many of the small feeder creeks were running low or sometimes even dry; like typical later season. Although I had no problems finding water, planning ahead, counting on only real creeks and lakes was required.

Bugs: when it wasn't breezy, meadows and anywhere w/ alpine grasses you wanted protection as they were BAD. I used clothing w/ permethrin and picaridin lotion. I should have probably brought my headnet as well.

Snow: virtually none. Be prepared to do more talus hopping.

[Hike Bonzer]

Quartz Mtn. July 1st to 4th trail head to middle Chain lake for about a mile from the trail head you had to navigate large fallen trees on the trail, once in Yosemite NP about a quarter mike the tree fall was cleared, the steep sections of the trails where a bit rough with loose rocks etc. due to the previous thundershowers.

[erutan]

2021-07-03 to 2021-07-10: McGee Creek TH > McGee Pass > Tully/Hortense Lakes etc > JMPCT (~10 min) > Brave Lake > Silver Pass > Mott Lake > Grinnel basin (via Bighorn Pass) > Hopkins Basin (via Grinnel Hopkins ridge) > Pioneer Basin (via Hopkins peak) > Golden Lake > Mono Pass > Mosquito Flats TH

No major obstacles or special equipment needed, boots and poles were sufficient.

Water sources were solid - most unmarked drainages that trails are built to handle etc were dry, but all the solid lines on USGS maps were still flowing. McGee was surprisingly wet, but that might have been ground seep from the recent storms. Most areas were pretty green and flowery aside from the Silver Divide area itself which was noticeably drier than the rest of the trip. Still lots of wildflowers out, most meadows still green but many going gold along the edges.

[Roger39]

Route taken:Sawmill Pass trailhead to Woods Lake - July 11-16
The stream north of the hogsback still has a good flow.
Upper Sawmill Creek is dry.
The only water at Sawmill Meadows is from the small spring whose stream crosses the trail a short distance above the meadow. The flow from this spring decreased dramatically in 4 days.
Sawmill Lake is very low and the water in the small lake a short distance above Sawmill Lake looks very unappealing.
The conditions on the west side of the pass are very different. The lakes remain high and there is a still a lot of water flowing out of the basin that contains Stocking Lake.
It was incredibly warm even at 11,000'. Essentially no mosquitos.

[erutan]

2021-07-15 to 2021-07-24: Pine Creek TH > Pine Creek Pass > Hutchinson Meadow > Pinnacles Basins > Lower Turret Lake (via Old Squaw to Middle Turret) > PCJMT a few minutes below Senger Creek > Seldon Pass > Rosemarie Meadow to Orchid & Apollo Lakes > Hilgard Fork of Bear Creek > Ursula Pass (lol) > Bear Lakes Basin > Dancing Bear Pass > Italy Pass > Pine Creek TH

Zero snow encountered, no obstacles - most water sources flowing well (solid lines on USGS), turret creek was weak. Isolated tarns/ponds are dry or low (the top of dancing bear pass was dry, but the inlet to Jumble was flowing). Zero snow to walk on between Dancing Bear & Italy Pass, and the lower permanent snowfield is almost gone.

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

Head's up! We've gotten another damaged trail report due to recent heavy rains. Up to 13 rockslide areas have been reported along the Gable Lakes Trail in its first 2 miles (up to the 9,000' level). All are passable with caution by hikers, however they are not passable by stock.
Thunderstorms will likely develop over the mountains again this afternoon and linger into the evening hours. In addition to dangerous cloud to ground lightning, a few thunderstorms may bring heavy rain, small hail and high winds.

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

We are happy to report that the Pine Creek Trail has reopened to hikers and to stock. Many thanks to the Inyo National Forest trail crew employees and to the Student Conservation Association crew for their very hard work to complete this work. Additionally, thanks to the Pine Creek Pack Station who helped out by packing in tools and equipment. What an excellent partnership!
Repairs are underway on the Gable Lakes Trail, but the trail is passable for hikers who should use caution. This trail had 13 separate washout sections in the first 1.75 miles of trail. This is a primitive use, non-stock trail and the crews will continue to work on this trail in the upcoming weeks.

[bobby49]

Wow. Those trail crews really earn their pay, don't they?

The area where the trail had been damaged... was that below or above the Brownstone Mine?

[erutan]

2021-08-11 to 2021-08-21: North to South Lake Loop
Lamarck Col > Evo Valley > Davis Lakes > Goddard Basin > Valor Pass to Blackcap Basin > Finger Col to Goddard Creek > Ionian Basin > Black Giant Pass to JMPCT > Bishop Pass

All fine with boots and poles, will contribute to XC passes subforum at some point. Smoke and micro TR in the smoke/fire conditions thread.

Note to climbers - there was regular rock fall in Ionian. At least four in the evening below Scylla & Three Sirens, with one or two in the morning, and then one or two near Black Giant. If anyone wants pics of peaks etc let me know, I have way too many photos of this trip heh.

Water wasn't an issue - maybe a third to half of little streams connecting lakes in a basin were dry, but all major marked creeks were running (including from 11818 to 10232). The only issue was Lamarck Col - the pond at the top was dry, and dropping from the camps ~10500 we were able to put a pot under a seep to collect water, but that is probably gone by now. Heading a little offtrail to get melt from the snowfield ~11600 should be reliable, as well as silty melt from the retreating snowfield under the col.

Boots were never near snow, even over Lamarck Col.

[tomba]

Water conditions:

Copper Creek Trail:
Lower Tent Meadow: Creek not flowing, some small pools of water.
Upper Tent Meadow: Creek flowing a little.
Copper Creek itself was flowing, but not at the outlet of Grouse Lake.

Granite Basin: Creeks not flowing, except Granite Creek flowing from Granite Pass near the junction with the side trail to Granite Lake. It was not flowing lower in Granite Basin.
Volcanic Lakes: No creeks flowing at all, water level in the lakes is noticeably below their outlet levels.
Dougherty Creek: Flowing near the junction with the trail to Kennedy Pass.

Glacier Lakes:
Western Lakes: A little flow in the creek, except outlet from the highest lake is dry.
Eastern Lakes: Creeks not flowing.

Kid Lakes: Creeks not flowing.