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north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 8:29 am
by Beantown
I am wanting to get out next weekend and wondering if it is a good time to go? Anyone know current conditions for north lake south lake loop? Piute pass, muir pass and bishop pass? Is it going to be post hole hell, or is there a trail blazed thru? I would think muir pass would have a path due to pct hikers. i am not thinking ax and crampons are needed but I can bring them, maybe just kahtoola micro spikes? i am fine with traveling over snowy passes just wondering what to expect. I have not been on piute or bishop pass before, just the jmt. any concerns for water crossings? i know evolution can cross in the meadow, i recall reading about a crossing on the puite trail and bishop pass trail.

thanks!

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 11:18 am
by maverick
Only recent TR to Bishop Pass, including some info on Dusy Basin; viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12796

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:03 pm
by jessegooddog
Per a report yesterday of the Inyo National Forest Service facebook page, the Bishop Pass trail is clear to Long Lake and the junction to Ruwau Lake, but quite a bit of the Chocolate Lakes loop trail is under snow and/or water and difficult to follow. There is also plenty of snow on the trail to Bishop Pass. 3 pictures on the FB page.

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 1:12 pm
by Beantown
Thanks for the info, maybee I will wait a bit but this loop is on my to do list. I was gonna do it in 4 days but the snow may slow me down to much I don't know about getting the miles in.

I would still like to get out next fri to mon, any suggestions for a 4 day 3 night loop. 15 to 20 miles per day max.

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 4:28 pm
by Beantown
Found this, don't think those yaxtrax were much help....seems like quite a bit of snow. I think if I can make it up and over the pass i should be good. Still debating.

http://youtu.be/eEr-IF3vCLU

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:00 am
by Beantown
I saw a post on the JMT FB page some dayhikers made it up bishop pass, doesn't look so bad. I went ahead and reserved my permit for south lake bishop pass to north lake piute pass.

Stoke level is 110%!

So i know this questions is probably asked all the time, I was thinking about how to get back to my jeep after the hike, and i could hitch a ride, but how likely would i get a ride on a monday? I was thinking of locking up my road bike and riding my bike either before or after the trip. Are all the roads paved, it looks like the road to north lake might be a dirt road?

thanks

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:22 pm
by paul
The road to North Lake is paved. It's usually pretty easy to hitch a ride around there since there are a lot of folks who come up from bishop to fish the lakes.
If you go Piute Pass, be prepared to do some wading to cross the creek at Hutchinson Meadow. That will probably be a bigger deal than the postholing, especially if you get a nice early start while the snow is still firm. I'd keep that in mind for all the passes on that route - get up there early - But also be prepared for icy snow - microspikes may be a good plan. Later in the day things will soften up, but then the postholing begins and you'll slow way down.

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:09 pm
by Beantown
hey paul,

thanks for the info. is the creek at hutchinson meadow fast moving water?

Re: north lake south lake conditions

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:07 pm
by kpeter
I do not know the conditions for the North Lake South Lake loop this year. I did it late July in a heavy snow year, and there was a lot of water, so I think I know the potentially dangerous stream crossings on the loop. I waded 30+ streams to complete the loop that year, and about seven of them were in Hutchinson meadow (none challenging there). I found there to be three particularly tricky crossings when the stream flows were high.
1) Where West Pinnacles Creek crosses the Piute Canyon Trail
2) Crossing Evolution Creek in Evolution Meadow (two alternate crossings.)
3) Crossing the Dusy Branch as you come up out of LeConte Canyon. (The second crossing of the Dusy Branch in on a footbridge.)
You can find threads and pictures of each of these if you search around a little. In a dry year I doubt they will be too challenging unless you hit the melt exactly wrong. I got to Evolution Creek in a rainstorm, for example, and had to wait.