Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
SweetSierra
Topix Regular
Posts: 303
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 12:23 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Tucson, Arizona

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by SweetSierra »

The Lost Coast suggestion by Wandering Daisy is a great one. I did just the first section of that hike from the north and loved it. It's still one of my favorite backpacks. Just the sound of the surf on the rocks all day and beautiful clear pools of fresh water from the King Range to camp near at night. Point Reyes is also a great place to backpack in March. I wouldn't consider the Sierra in March. The Golden Trout from the east side becomes snow free earlier than the high Sierra but not until late April/May usually. From the west, the Golden Trout holds snow longer than the east, like most west side entries.
User avatar
natebottman
Topix Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:36 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by natebottman »

Thanks everyone for the info and suggestions! Based on the tenor of responses I think we will avoid the Sierra this March. We're proficient enough at winter backpacking when necessary, but this time we'd rather avoid anything hairy (lots of snow, lots of rain, ...). So we will find something to do in the desert, maybe some more exploring in Canyonlands.

The next time I venture into the Sierra I will come back to this board, it was great how helpful everyone was.
User avatar
Tom_H
Topix Expert
Posts: 795
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Camas, WA

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by Tom_H »

Wandering Daisy wrote:I find it hard to believe that you would not have snow in late March from Levitte meadows up the river, even in a low snow year.
And I agree it's highly unlikely it would be free of snow then. Yet I think the possibility (though very small) that there might be very little snow does exist for two reasons.

1.) The West Walker valley really does melt an awful lot sooner than the rest of Stanislaus/Toiyabe. (And due to the precipitation shadow, it snows less there to start with.) I remember during later spring of 1983 trying to get ready to lead my summer trips. Sonora Pass was closed with no opening date even projected. The snowpack was still very deep. We didn't have resources like HighSierraTopix back then for any beta. Though I directed the program, I did have a boss in the parent corporation who owned a Cessna Skyhawk. Near the end of May we spent a day doing aerial recon. of the entire Stan/Toiyabe area. From the west, there was deep snow starting around 5,000 feet which extended east all the way past Tower Peak. What was amazing, however, was that there was no snow at all up the West Walker, to Kirkwood Creek, then Up Kirkwood, over the summit, and down Buckeye Creek. We drove all the way around on Hwy. 88, did that route and saw no snow. We came back to our outfitting base near Pinecrest via just opened Sonora Pass, and there was still a lot of really deep snow there. The difference between our route and the rest of the area was stark.

2.) This winter has been so wacky already. I am starting to really worry that this high pressure area is not going to collapse. I read somewhere that an El Niño is building, but the high pressure cell keeps pushing all the systems through OR/WA and the stubborn thing doesn't show signs of collapsing. I so hope you're right and that valley is under dozens of feet of snow in late March, but this weather is being so weird that I am getting this bad feeling that it might actually not snow. God help us if it doesn't.

To the OP: Another alternate location besides the Lost Coast is Point Reyes. You could string together a week long loop in there, and it's doubtful there would be any problem pulling a permit at that time of year. You need to be ready for rain and cold, but you won't have to worry about snow.

Edit: I see you posted while I was typing. Good luck wherever you go. Even if it's outside the Sierra, I hope the mods would at least let you post a little blurb on the end of this thread to let us know how it went.
User avatar
natebottman
Topix Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:36 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by natebottman »

I thought I'd make a very short post about our trip. We ended up doing a 4-night trip in the Needles district of Canyonlands NP. We spent the first night in Cyclone Canyon, then 2 nights in Chesler Park, then a night in Lost Canyon. We visited Druid Arch on the Chesler Park layover day. The weather was perfect: blue skies and moderate temps, except one day when there was a dramatic storm with rain and 60+ mph gusts. I attached a couple pics, and there's more at my dad's flickr site (user name jeffbottman).
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by rlown »

nice TR.. thanks for following up! a very different landscape than the Sierra but appreciated!

I love that area.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Late march Sierra backpacking --- ideas??

Post by maverick »

Like Russ said, thanks for coming back with the TR!
Would love to see what folks who dislike ducks have to say about one of the pictures
in your dad's flickr photo stream. :eek:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffbottman/13616447854/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: DaveB, freestone, Google [Bot] and 125 guests