(TR): East Side Misc. 5/2/2021 - 5/6/2021

[michaelzim]

I’m not sure what the level of interest is for this kind of trip report so I will keep it fairly short and in point form. If members want more details or have questions I can add to it. I decided to share it as realize that a bunch of people may like to know what current conditions are like in the areas I visited.

The purpose of this trip was primarily to check out the east side trailheads south of McGee Creek down to Onion Valley/Kearsarge. For over 30 years I have only gone into the backcountry from the west side, so wanted to know the ropes before attempting to fight through the crush of mid-summer crowds and scarce permits. In addition I hoped to test some of my new ultralight gear doing some look-and-see hikes.

Overall after Sunday it was hot! And really, really dry. I generally feel the cold and am fine with heat but was hiking in just a long sleeved white shirt plus occasional use of a polar-fleece vest. At night where camped out in my car in the desert at around 5,000 ft. the nights were not cold at all.

There were already quite a few people in the open campgrounds and I met an average of 3 or 4 day hikers/small groups on each hike I did. Mostly retired folks (like myself). Very friendly and chatty, sharing information about my wide ranging queries. Some had been coming to these locations annually for decades so were great sources for tips and gems. They indeed warned that all these trailheads would be crammed with people in a few months.

The light was intense. A real challenge for photography (and trying to deflect facial sunburn even with mounds of sunblock!). Many photos had to be taken around midday or early afternoon because as that was when I was at my destinations. They are OK but show the limits of a small camera pointing almost into the sun with snow, rock, ice, stark shadow-light contrasts, etc. I will let the photos speak for themselves as I’m sure those who know these areas will be able to read into the conditions for snow levels, stream crossings, seasonal timing, etc. I’ve added some comments for each area if I think they may be helpful.
So, here’s a peek…

Trailheads I visited were:
- McGee Creek.
- Pine Creek.
- North Lake.
- Lake Sabrina.
- South Lake.
- Big Pine.
- A short hop towards Taboose, but left that to the Olympians like @Harlen .
- Onion Valley / Kearsarge.

Hikes in were to:
- [Pine Creek] = Pine Lake (9,942 ft.) & Upper Pine Lake (10,175 ft.)
- [Sabrina] = Blue Lake (10,415 ft.)
- [Big Pine] = Trail to Brainerd Lake but stalled out at about 9,200 ft.
- [Onion Valley] = To first Kearsarge “puddle lake” about 10,250 ft. as late in day.

McGee Creek TH – Late afternoon Sunday so just a look see. No snow and stream low. Talked to some hikers who said snow level was not that far up the valley. Coldish. Decided to find a camp in the desert between 395 and the Owens River. After 2 hours and every place I looked occupied headed south and eventually found an isolated place north of Bishop. By-passed Rock Creek until return.

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Pine Creek TH – Monday. First hiked to a spring at base of mountains where camped so late morning start on Pine Lakes trail. Very little snow with first covering of trail at approx. 9,000 ft. on north facing slopes. Two downhill ski hikers returning from 5:00 am start. Sigh…youth! Some traversing on snow. A few icy areas but mostly soft top layer. Watched a grey Coyote tooling around Upper Pine Lake.

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North Lake / Sabrina / South Lake – Tuesday.
1. North Lake road just open. Grader cleaning up hiker parking area. No snow anywhere and Piute Pass trail probably snow free for a long way up.

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2. Lake Sabrina looks really low to me. Word was that “they” will start filling it with snowmelt soon. Uhhhh…what snowmelt? Does not look like much up there and it’s already been melting. Confusing signs re parking. Trail to Blue Lake similar to yesterday’s snow conditions with bit more near lake. First backpacker = young woman with winter gear heading for Hungry Packer Lake.

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3. South Lake road in looks popular. Parking back at Parchers for Bishop Pass trail if TH parking full would be a drag.

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CONT'D NEXT POST!

[Harlen]

Thanks for this post. It is interesting to see the snow level comparisons in all of these areas. Speaking of comparisons, I have some shots from the same side of Blue Lake above Sabrina, only from February, 2020.

Feb., 2020 was also a low snow time; if it hadn't just snowed 6" the week before, it would have looked even more similar to the picture of current conditions seen in Michael's post three photos up.

[michaelzim]

@Harlen Indeed. The snow levels look just as you described - very similar if there had not been that 6" added you mention ref. 2020. I guess a season comparison could be made by checking out how much snow happened after that 6" in Feb. 2020 to see where we may be today v. early May then.
Here's another photo of Blue Lake similar to your second one to compare. I was on the other side of the lake though so not quite right angle.

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Ta much ~ Michaelzim