Rae Lakes current conditions

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markorr
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Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by markorr »

Has anyone been to Rae Lakes in the last month? What were conditions like? snowline, getting over Glen Pass, which lakes are thawed, etc? We're going over Memorial day (if we can get day of permits) and would like to know what to expect
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hikerduane
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by hikerduane »

Seriously now. I live at 4000' and my neighbor who has her parking lot plowed for her store, still has a little snow left here in northern CA.
Piece of cake.
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SPeacock
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by SPeacock »

Here is link to similar post in another forum -

http://www.backpacker.com/cgi-bin/forum ... 9991104562

For current snow conditions at other localities and altitudes

The Mammoth Times is reporting that...

Tioga Pass should be open Memorial Day weekend...

Red's Meadow road will not be open for Memorial Day weekend...

They started to plow Lake Mary road May 12.
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gdurkee
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by gdurkee »

A friend of mine skied through there about 2 weeks ago. My guess is that it'll be 90% snow cover above about 10,000 ft. Likely solid snow from a little below Rae all the way over to below Vidette Meadow. With luck, you've been over Glan Pass before. Pretty darned steep the last part of it. You definitely want ski poles, at least. It would be one of the few places I'd consider an ice ax this time of year.

Also, the stream coming out of 60 Lakes Basin where it crosses the JMT could be a little gnarly.

Which is all to say if you're heading above about 7,000 feet, you want to be really careful and experienced.

Have a great trip.

George
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paul
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by paul »

Didn't go to Rae Lakes, but I was up in Humphreys Basin, French Canyon, and Bear Creek a couple weeks ago. Similar altitudes and such. By Memorial Day there will be less snow, but still quite a bit. The pass could be icy, but if you are comfortable on steep snow then poles would be fine. I went over a couple of fairly steep high passes ( Ruskie Pass, Steelhead Col) without using my ice axe, and Steelhead Col was pretty icy when I went over. Coverage is definitely uneven, and I would expect you'd find plenty of dry spots to camp on. If you get up early and start walking early, the snow will be fim and make for pretty good walking. Be prepared for some serious stream crossings, and some wet trails where the snow is melted off.
Where I was, I would say the solid snow was above 10,000 feet, and below 9,000 feet it would have been pretty spotty. I'd guess that those numbers have gone up by at least 500 feet since then, maybe by 1,000.
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by tory8411 »

Best of luck to you markorr. I hope you have a great trip. I can't wait to hear your report, we're planning a trip 3rd weekend in June. Are you taking the east side route or looping out of Kings Canyon?
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markorr
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by markorr »

we're planning on coming from Kings Canyon, looping via Woods Creek and Bubbs Creek, if we can get last minute permits. I'll post a conditions report next week if we make it
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markorr
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by markorr »

due to the snowstorm over the holiday weekend we postponed our trip until the 6th of June. I'll post conditions when we get back
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by asabat »

A PCT thruhiker has made it to Kearsarge - report is here
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermai ... 17867.html

and the journal is at
http://www.pcrexp.com/
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markorr
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Re: Rae Lakes current conditions

Post by markorr »

We completed the loop on the 6th - 9th. The snow is melting quite fast. Very little snow from Dollar Lake to Rae Lakes, no problems following the trail. One stream crossing of note at ~9,500 where it was running about 3 feet deep. The campsites around Rae Lakes are all melted out. On the 7th we camped at Rae Lakes and hiked over to 60 Lake Basin. the trail up to the basin is about 1/2 melted out, with one significant snowy area at ~10900 ft where we did a level traverse for several hundred yards until we found the summer trail again. 60 Lakes basin looked to be frozen yet (we didn't descent from the 11,200 saddle). On the 8th we ascended Glen Pass. the trail is about 1/2 melted and is easy to follow in the lower section. In the upper section we stayed to the left edge of the main snow field and found bits and pieces of the summer trail. There are 2 options from about 11,600, either traverse up and to the right towards the pass. This is how most PCT'ers are descending from Glen, some using ice axes, some with just trekking poles. We thought this was a bit exposed and instead headed straight up for a couple hundred feet until we rediscovered the summer trail which we hiked until almost level w/ the pass and made a slightly rising traverse. It was reassuring to have an ice axe, but crampons weren't necessary. though they make great ballast :( Descending the south side of the pass it was mostly melted out at the top and patchy snow lower down. We must have lost the PCT in patchy snow at ~10,800 and found a use trail that descended nicely to Charlotte Lake. From there we went back up and took a quick visit to Bullfrog Lake. I was surprised at how picturesque this lake is and wished we could camp there but its closed for camping, so we descended to Vidette Meadows. We finally ran out of patchy snow at ~9,800. The only people we saw were thru-hikers until we got near the Kings River on the 9th

Overall no routefinding issues (other than accidentally descending to Charlotte Lake). Glen Pass should be melted out in 2 more weeks or so, until the an ice axe makes a nice security blanket. The repairs along the Woods Creek Tr are looking good and posed no problems. However we did come across 4 rattlesnakes, 3 along Woods Creek Trail near Mist Falls and one on the Bubbs Cr trail between Sphinx and Charlotte creeks. The latter appeared to have set up a nest under a rock next to the trail. there was a descent boot track going off trail to avoid her so I assume it was a nest.

Also, where are some good places to eat (pizza or burgers or the like) between Roads End and Fresno along 180? or between Mineral King and Visalia?
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