Which of these trips/passes require ice axe late into season
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:36 pm
Hi,
We are going to do several eastside x-country trips this summer. Timeframe around July 20 to mid-September.
As my hiking partner and I tend to dislike steep snow or having to carry an ice axe, we are wondering, how would you order these trips to minimize snow travel? (We want to leave for last the ones that are likely to melt out last.)
Listed south-to-north:
1. Whitney/Miter Basin. (Trek #20 in Trekking California book.) Passes: Whitney-Russell Col; Discovery Pinnacle; Crabtree Pass; New Army or Cottonwood Pass.
2. Kearsarge to Shepherd Pass. Center Basin; Junction Pass; visit upper Wrights Lakes and Williamson Bowl. May also have time to go explore one of the streams just west/southwest of Lake South America (prob the one below Thunder Mtn, but open). The only actual x-country pass here may be Junction Pass, but wondering if Williamson Bowl might also have very late-season snow given lots of north/east exposure.
2a. In and out Shepherd variation. Skip Kearsarge/Center Basin/Junction Pass and focus on visiting Picket Creek/Kaweah Basin. Little visits to the other spots (Milestone Bowl/Wrights/Williamson) if time allows.
3. Dumbbell Lakes. More or less identical to a route Larry Conn took in his Sept 2012 report. Taboose Pass, Mather Pass, Ampitheater Lake, pass to Dumbbell Lakes, pass to Lake Basin, Cartridge Pass (or maybe Frozen Lake Pass), out Taboose.
4. Roper route, section from Piute Pass to Mono or McGee Creek. Passes: Puppet; Feather; White Bear; Gabbot. If we continue to McGee we'd probably do Bighorn/Shout of Relief; I'd like to do Pace Col from Grinnel Lake, but not sure partner would go for that.
5. Northernmost Roper: Tioga Pass to Twin Lakes. Passes of concern are Sky Pilot and Stanton.
We realize that we won't know for a while what kind of snow year/melt pattern we'll have this summer. Nevertheless, have to start snagging permits right now!
Can't do *all* of these routes in 2013; will have to save some for future years.
- Elizabeth
We are going to do several eastside x-country trips this summer. Timeframe around July 20 to mid-September.
As my hiking partner and I tend to dislike steep snow or having to carry an ice axe, we are wondering, how would you order these trips to minimize snow travel? (We want to leave for last the ones that are likely to melt out last.)
Listed south-to-north:
1. Whitney/Miter Basin. (Trek #20 in Trekking California book.) Passes: Whitney-Russell Col; Discovery Pinnacle; Crabtree Pass; New Army or Cottonwood Pass.
2. Kearsarge to Shepherd Pass. Center Basin; Junction Pass; visit upper Wrights Lakes and Williamson Bowl. May also have time to go explore one of the streams just west/southwest of Lake South America (prob the one below Thunder Mtn, but open). The only actual x-country pass here may be Junction Pass, but wondering if Williamson Bowl might also have very late-season snow given lots of north/east exposure.
2a. In and out Shepherd variation. Skip Kearsarge/Center Basin/Junction Pass and focus on visiting Picket Creek/Kaweah Basin. Little visits to the other spots (Milestone Bowl/Wrights/Williamson) if time allows.
3. Dumbbell Lakes. More or less identical to a route Larry Conn took in his Sept 2012 report. Taboose Pass, Mather Pass, Ampitheater Lake, pass to Dumbbell Lakes, pass to Lake Basin, Cartridge Pass (or maybe Frozen Lake Pass), out Taboose.
4. Roper route, section from Piute Pass to Mono or McGee Creek. Passes: Puppet; Feather; White Bear; Gabbot. If we continue to McGee we'd probably do Bighorn/Shout of Relief; I'd like to do Pace Col from Grinnel Lake, but not sure partner would go for that.
5. Northernmost Roper: Tioga Pass to Twin Lakes. Passes of concern are Sky Pilot and Stanton.
We realize that we won't know for a while what kind of snow year/melt pattern we'll have this summer. Nevertheless, have to start snagging permits right now!
Can't do *all* of these routes in 2013; will have to save some for future years.
- Elizabeth