High Sierra Topix

Even though its still early, I'm really dying to get out backpacking. Last March I did a mostly snow free solo trip in the western part of Domeland wilderness that kept me sane until May. Unfortunately, I'm well aware that 2006-07 was a drought year and my chances this year for (mostly) snow free backpacking in the Sierras are not good.
That said, does anyone have an idea what the snow level is like in the Southern Sierra? I had a great time in the domeland wilderness, and would also like to check out the eastern part (rockhouse basin area), but am open to anywhere in the southern sierra. I guess the most concise way to phrase my question is: Is there any possibility of (mostly) snow free camping in the southern sierra in mid-March, and if so, does anyone have any recommendations?

As a side note, I've always wanted to hike in the hills around the lower Kern River below lake Isabella- anyone been there?

Thanks in advance!

Tomcat has been hiking in that area. Check his profile for his Smugmug account. I think that area is under Southern Sierra.

You may be able to find some useful info on snow coverage from this site:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/
If you look at the "Latest Real-Time Snow Water Content Data", you're seeing info from remote sensors out in the mountains. the "Monthly Snow Course Report" at the top is info from manual surveys - more accurate, but only done once a month. I find it very useful in planning my ski trips.

I don't know for sure but I think it's highly likely that there would be snow in Rockhouse Basin until sometime later than March. Here is a link to my report about my trip there last May with pics.
Gary C.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1845

Here's a pretty good site that estimates snow cover anywhere in the lower 48.

http://www.nohrsc.nws.gov/interactive/h ... &js=1&uc=0

By adjusting the date you can compare the snow pack to previous years, etc.

Thanks a lot guys, these snow level websites are very helpful! I'm thinking I'll give it a few more weeks and head out the 2nd week of April. I'd love trip ideas for 2-3 nights if anyones got some!

I have been hiking recently with Tomcat in the Lake Isabella area. The hills are nice, but certainly not as remote as the wilderness areas. Lots of ticks to watch for, too. Some possibilities:
The Mill Creek trail goes from Kern Canyon Road up to the Breckenridge area. You will see orange Sierra Newts in and around the creek pretty soon. The Remington Ridge trail also goes from Kern Canyon Road up to Breckenridge and has some nice flat areas that would make good camping. In fact, you can go up one trail and down the other for a nice loop. On the north side of the river, the Lower Kern Canyon trail joins a network of trails heading up toward Greenhorn Summit. I think there are a number of nice camping sites in that area also. North of Kernville, the Rincon trail parallels the upper Kern River on its east side for quite a number of miles. We were on it at just over 5000 feet Saturday, and there were just a few small patches of snow. Be alert for bear and mountain lion on that trail. You could probably hike up to the Forks of the Kern with little problem. On any of these trails, you may hit some snow at the higher elevations, but you could always camp below that point. As Snow Nymph said, check Tomcat's Smugmug site for good photos of all of these areas.

Moondust

Hi trav,
Another great resource for snow levels is the stable of webcams on this site:
http://www.sierravisionsstock.com/sierr ... a-webcams/

In particular, if you go to the Sierra Wildland Firecams and check out the Sherman Peak cameras, they give you several views of the areas you mentioned. And, the views from some of the other cameras (Breckenridge; Buck Rock) are great for (daily) monitoring of snow levels. And, plenty of the other cameras offer helpful insights.
cameron

Thanks a lot for all the help! I'm headed out today for tonight and possibly Saturday night to the hobo camp area.

if you have not left already - enjoy the hiking.
yesterday one of the KRVHC members was hiking out near Mill Creek - keep an eye open around the creeks - red newts are out - a rare treat.

Re: The Newts have appeared


Take 178 east (let me know if you don't know how to find 178). You will
pass a Chevron Station at the junction with Hwy 184. From that point, it
is about 15 to 20 miles east on 178 to Kern Canyon Road, which will be on
the right. The turnoff is just before 178 turns into a 4 lane road. Take
Kern Canyon Road and go about 1.5 miles to the signed Mill Creek trailhead
on the right. There are no facilities.

You will hike for a little while before you come to the first creek
crossing. The trail crosses Mill Creek several times. You may have to
wade across, so you might want to leave dry socks and shoes in the car!
Look for the orange newts in still pools in the creek, and also on the
banks.