6/21 hike: mosquito flat to north lake: possible condition?

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Lambec
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6/21 hike: mosquito flat to north lake: possible condition?

Post by Lambec »

Hi there. New lurker and new poster (so strange... I literally have a place above Bishop, but I've only recently discovered this message board and its resources).

It' has really helped me out with some route planning for deliberately going over various cols.

Anyway, I have a question and I'm hoping I'm asking it in the right section, if not then please moderate it into the proper area. I have solid skill sets in a great many things outdoors, but one area I lack in is forecasting snow melt? If that's a thing?

So, on Memorial Weekend I went up to Mosquito Flat and hiked back to Lookout Peak and Ruby Lake. I was kind of shocked at the amount of snow back there. My wife easily went waste deep on some of the drifts as we were goofing around. I loved it and it was beautiful, but my challenge is this:

I'm doing a back country trek from 6/21 to 6/25 and my original route was Mosquito Flat to North Lake (going over cox col, down to lake italy, then over italy pass, down to chalfont lakes, then granite park pass, down royce lakes to steelhead lake to steelhead pass. from there just wander through humphreys basin and down piute to north lake).

My goal was cross country that didn't involve snow skills meaning ice axe, crampons, snow shoes. Crossing patches of snow is fine, but I don't want to spend hours in snow gear working over cox col.

Do any weather veterans, or sierra nevada veterans, have any input on if this route might get a nice enough melting before end of june? Or is my question just not capable of being speculated because it's an unrealistic questions with far too many variables involved. Understand that I don't lack snow skills, my goal was not to make the majority of the trip about exercising snow skills. I've seen some great pictures and reports from various folk already and even some nice humphreys basin and piute pass photos. It's looking quite do'able by june 21. I have zero experience with cox col to steelhead pass so I don't know how much snow can remain back there.

Seeking some experienced advice. Mostly so I can abandon this plan if it's unrealistic and adjust for a new, non-snow, plan.

Thanks!
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