High Sierra Topix

Hi all --

A friend and I are planning on 4/5 days I/O Copper Creek trail (Road's End) next week (July 15-19). No exact itinerary as yet - we figure we're dealing with "whatever conditions make reasonable" - but hoping that at minimum Granite Lake/Basin is open enough to provide a reasonable base-camp location, and on the more ambitious side, looking at pushing as far as State/Horseshoe/Glacier/Grouse Lakes on some form of semi-loop or out-and back.

We're both experienced (15+ years), use to x-country, have axe/crampons if necessary (although I'd love to hear someone tell me they just did this trip yesterday and I can leave the dead-weight at home!).

SEKI's condition report from a week or two ago says snow-level 9500+, but isn't particularly detailed beyond that. I wondered if anyone has been up in this direction in the past week or two (however far) and has a recent first-hand synopsis of trail/basin conditions?

Thanks!

Check out this trip report.

http://www.climber.org/reports/2011/1787.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks - hadn't seen that one.

Yeah -- that's about what I figured given the SEKI reports. Still, I was up there about 10 years ago for 2 nights and watched the last foot or so of snow in the basin essentially vanish during my lay-around day. So -- I'm hoping (wishing?) someone can confirm that the past two weeks have made a similar, significant contribution! (I gather that after a relatively mild early summer, the past couple of weeks have finally warmed-up and gotten quite hot, in the central valley at least).