Conditions for snow survey crews

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oldranger
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Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by oldranger »

Looks like the weather is likely to improve in a couple of days. Hope things will be stabilized for snow survey crews! Ditli are you still doing that? Will crews delay a bit if necessary for safer travel conditions?
Mike

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maverick
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by maverick »

Looks like the weather is likely to improve in a couple of days. Hope things will be stabilized for snow survey crews! Ditli are you still doing that? Will crews delay a bit if necessary for safer travel conditions?
Have contacted John, requesting him to give us an update on the current conditions, including his opinion on what conditions can be expected for May, Jun, and July. This is something we request him to do each year Mike. :)
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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ERIC
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by ERIC »

Stabilizing weather and fresh snow beginning to consolidate a bit making travel/mobility easier. I'm headed up tomorrow doing Bench Lake, State Lakes, Mitchell Meadow, Scenic Meadow, Rowell Meadow, and Horse Corral Meadow via helicopter. Will report back with some photos.
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by zacjust32 »

@ERIC Who does these snow surveys and how did you get the privilege of doing them?
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by ERIC »

The attachment is a little dated but still provides good background. I work for one of the cooperating agencies listed in Table 1. For the courses in our watershed who gets to go depends on a combination of politics, seniority, physical ability, interest, availability...and a bit of luck. Most commonly employees or board members of the cooperating agencies, but there have been some exceptions. I've been fortunate enough to have gone on nearly a dozen or surveys over the years. People like Dittli are in a class of their own.
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by maverick »

Wow, that is quite a list of cooperating agencies.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by ERIC »

Weather conditions were nearly ideal for us. So much snow... In the Kings we're over 200% of normal for the year and with just average precip going forward it'll be a 150% Water Year. Just beginning to go through video and photos. Will try to post more in the next day or two.
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by oldranger »

Thanks Eric, I think it would be great if you labeled the pics so we could know the sites.
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by ERIC »

I'll do my best. The first two are now labeled.

By the way, just found out another survey crew that went up this morning, in the same helicopter with the same pilot, had to emergency land following mechanical issues. Don't know yet exactly where they crashed but it was a high remote location and the landing was in powder. Nobody was injured. Now they just have to dig in and wait until morning for rescue.
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Re: Conditions for snow survey crews

Post by maverick »

By the way, just found out another survey crew that went up this morning, in the same helicopter with the same pilot, crash landed following mechanical issues. Don't know yet exactly where they crashed but it was a high remote location and the landing was in powder. Nobody was injured. Now they just have to dig in and wait until morning for rescue.
That must have been scary, glad to read that they are okay.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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