This is not a place to post trip reports but for members to post current conditions experienced in the backcountry on recent trips. This will give other members considering visiting or traveling through that location a heads-up on difficult sections so they can plan accordingly.
Please do not request information about particular sections of interest you are about to visit; also, do not post anything besides backcountry condition reports. Otherwise, your post will be deleted. Thank you.
Please include your trip's location and dates in the "Subject” tab!
Copy and Paste this outline below and fill out the info.
Route taken:
Elevations:
Difficult section encountered:
Special equipment needed/used:
Possible alternative routes:
Example:
Subject: Roads End>Rae Lakes>East Lake>Longley Pass>Sphinx Lakes 7/4-7/12
Route: Roads End-Upper Paradise Valley-Rae Lakes-Glen Pass-Junction Meadow-Lake Reflection-Longley Pass-Cinder Col-Sphinx Col-Sphinx Lakes-Roads End
Elevations: 5036 - 11926 feet
Difficult sections encountered on this trip:
There is a lot of snow on the northern side of Glen Pass, and it is icy in the morning.
- Bubbs Creek crossing was difficult; I found the best crossing point 400 yards west of the usual low water crossing section.
- Big cornice encountered on Longley Pass, bypassed by climbing a rocky section north of the pass (class 3).
Special equipment needed/used:
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Trekking Poles
Possible alternative routes:
- When crossing Bubb's, I noticed a section about 100 yards further west that looked much easier.
- Should have bypassed the cornice on the southern side; the route looked barely class 2.
2024 Backcountry Current Conditions Reports
- maverick
- Forums Moderator
- Posts: 11852
- Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
- Experience: Level 4 Explorer
2024 Backcountry Current Conditions Reports
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
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
- c9h13no3
- Topix Fanatic
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:19 pm
- Experience: Level 1 Hiker
- Location: San Mateo, CA
Kennedy Meadows: a useless conditions report
It snowed 4” at Kennedy Meadows last night. It melted by the afternoon.
It was cold.
We did some bushwhacking after losing the trail in the snow. You won’t have that problem.
The high country probably won’t look like this in a few days.
The Kennedy Meadows staff were running the sprinklers, watering the snow. That was odd.
One useful detail: Kennedy Lake is on the left edge of the photo.
It was cold.
We did some bushwhacking after losing the trail in the snow. You won’t have that problem.
The high country probably won’t look like this in a few days.
The Kennedy Meadows staff were running the sprinklers, watering the snow. That was odd.
One useful detail: Kennedy Lake is on the left edge of the photo.
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"Adventure is just bad planning." - Roald Amundsen
Also, I have a blog no one reads. Please do not click here.
Also, I have a blog no one reads. Please do not click here.
- paul
- Topix Expert
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:35 pm
- Experience: N/A
5/1 to 5/5 Emigrant westside
Route taken: Dodge ridge (Gooseberry xc trailhead) to whitesides meadow & surrounding area and back.
Elevations: 6500 to 9400
Difficult section encountered:
Snow cover on the way in was patchy at the start and solid on north facing slopes from about 7200 fert, solid everywhere from 8000. About six feet of snow at Whitesides before the storm on Saturday the 4th, which dropped a foot to a foot and a half of new snow. On the way out after the storm, about six inches new at the trailhead.
Special equipment needed/used: skis
Possible alternative routes: none
Elevations: 6500 to 9400
Difficult section encountered:
Snow cover on the way in was patchy at the start and solid on north facing slopes from about 7200 fert, solid everywhere from 8000. About six feet of snow at Whitesides before the storm on Saturday the 4th, which dropped a foot to a foot and a half of new snow. On the way out after the storm, about six inches new at the trailhead.
Special equipment needed/used: skis
Possible alternative routes: none
- Sabbat
- Topix Newbie
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:57 am
- Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
5/10-5/11 Cottonwood Lakes
Route taken: South Fork Cottonwood Creek>South Fork Lakes>High Lake>Halfway up Cirque North Face>Cottonwood Lakes in order>Exit Cottonwood Lakes Trail
Elevations: 10000-12000
Difficult section encountered: New Army Pass has a nice cornice and Old Army Pass is covered.
Special equipment needed/used: Carried axes and spikes but did not need them
Possible alternative routes: Winter Pass if trying to get to Langley
Decent snow coverage at trailhead and below the main climbs, I'd say roughly 50% trail 50% snow, maybe a little more on the south Fork Side. Most of everything above 11k is still covered, with some south aspects entirely melted out. Lakes 4 and 5 were actually starting to show some rock whereas 1,2 and 3 were buried. Every lake is still solid, but the outlets were flowing and we got our water via filtering rather than boiling.
Some potential avalanche indicators, mostly in the realm of developing wet loose or wet slab events.
Elevations: 10000-12000
Difficult section encountered: New Army Pass has a nice cornice and Old Army Pass is covered.
Special equipment needed/used: Carried axes and spikes but did not need them
Possible alternative routes: Winter Pass if trying to get to Langley
Decent snow coverage at trailhead and below the main climbs, I'd say roughly 50% trail 50% snow, maybe a little more on the south Fork Side. Most of everything above 11k is still covered, with some south aspects entirely melted out. Lakes 4 and 5 were actually starting to show some rock whereas 1,2 and 3 were buried. Every lake is still solid, but the outlets were flowing and we got our water via filtering rather than boiling.
Some potential avalanche indicators, mostly in the realm of developing wet loose or wet slab events.
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- oddtiger
- Topix Regular
- Posts: 135
- Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:45 pm
- Experience: Level 4 Explorer
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
5/10-5/12 Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon
Easy crossing over Frog Creek comparing to last year if you pick the north-east trial to Laurel Lake. Trail is wet but there is no real hazard to both lakes. The snow level seems to be lower than 18-19 even with the new snow from last weekend.
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