High Sierra Topix

AlmostThere wrote:

cahikr wrote:Any other info on Kaiser Pk. would be appreciated. Will be attempting the summit this weekend and will post my report after the weekend.

It'll be snowy. And I do not know how much snow fell last night.

Thanks for the update! I think we have decided to head up to Boundary Pk. and then Olancha on the trip home. Both pks. seem to be fairly snow free.

Kibbie and Many Island are completely snow free. I imagine Boundary and others in proximity are the same. Kibbie Ridge always requires a bit of route finding even into midseason. It's simply not kept up anymore. If you've been up to the area enough times you'll have no problem navigating the trail. You'll find it in spots and lose it in sports. Keep heading up the Ridge towards Styx Pass and the flat granite section right before the pass will have ducks for you.

Got this info from the Devils Postpile Facebook page, dated today (7/2/11)

Trail updates: High Trail out of Agnew Meadows is melted to Clark Lakes/Agnew Pass areas. River Trail still has patchy snow, particularly in shaded areas. Horseshoe Lake/Mammoth Pass trail into Reds Meadow Valley: Snowcovered from Horseshoe Lake over the pass. Beyond the pass into the Rainbow Fire burn area is snow free.

I saw that Erin posted to her PCT Journal today, includes a picture from yeserday the 1st of 1000Isl still covered in snow.

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Update on Carr/Feeley lakes trailhead. You can now drive within 100 yards of the trailhead at Carr and Carr is now ice free and Feeley is half thawed. Brought the fishing poles up to island lake today but it still has no open water but close - probably be good by next week with warm temps forecast. 90 percent snow coverage on the trail from Feeley lake dam up to Island lake. Island Lake has about 4 feet of snow on the ground still but it's melting fast. Firm snow and easy to hike over with boots although saw lots of folks out in snow shoes. Island is around 6800 feet for snow line perspective. Pretty crazy for July. Common for Memorial day but not 4th of July. Lot's of snow skiing still going on at 4 of the nearby Tahoe resorts.

I'd sure like to know if anyone has gone over Kearsarge withing the last few days. I plan to take a newbie over on the 7th, but I don't want it to be too tough for a first trip. I was only planning to go to Kearsarge Lakes and maybe Charlotte too. Hopefully I'll catch an update from this weekend.

Route taken: Sunrise Trailhead/Tenaya Lk Outflet, Yosemite.

Difficult section encountered: 40 inches deep 7-2-11, not too cold.

Special equipment needed/used: Sandals & shorts, kayak sitting on the far side.

Possible alternative routes: Around the lake.

Green Lake- snow free but many wet spots. Had to wade across a few side creeks on the way- less than a foot deep. East Lake- about 2/3 thawed, 50% snow walking to get there from Green Lake, lots of swamps. Dry camp spots if you look for them. Up to Summit Lake- 60% snow but good solid walking-crossed creeks on snow bridges. Melted out on rocky parts- trail clear- patchy but deep drifts to cross which make loosing the trail easy. Summit Lake- half thawed. Very wet. But amazingly, a nice dry camp spot right at the pass on west end of Summit Lake. West Lake trail- mostly dry- snow patches at top. Lake was about half open. Dry campsites if you look for them.

Cottonwood Pass to Lower Soldier Lake to Miter Basin June 30 - July 3

No need to get your feet wet at all - every stream can be jumped across. The New Army Pass branch of Rock Creek is the biggest (maybe 12-18 inches deep) but there is a convenient pair of large rocks to leap between about 30 yards upstream of the ford
Only very patchy snow from Cottonwood Pass to Lower Soldier Lake - plenty of dry campsites and very little snow on the trail. Occasional muddy patches but really not bad at all.
Miter Basin melting fast but Sky Blue Lake still frozen - just enough snow to be interesting in the basin without being tedious or excessively wet.

Donahue Pass 7/2

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