Where did you go 2011?

[RiseToADry]

Fished Cottonwood Lakes July 13-15th... Massive Snow bridge between lakes 3 and 4.

download/file.php?id=2406&mode=view

Went over Mono Pass to Pioneer Basin July 19-22... Mono Pass was brutal. 0.5mile of snow on either side of the pass with massive sun cups. The 3rd lake in Pioneer basin was half iced over. Note the snow on the mountains at the end of LLV.

download/file.php?id=2414&mode=view

download/file.php?id=2411&mode=view

Walked through Golden Trout Wilderness to the Kern River 3rd week of August... Golden Trout creek was flowing beautifully (early summer form) as was the Kern River.

One thing to note about 2011... Mammoth Mountain got 208 inches of Snow in March-May. This year March-May, Mammoth only got 97 Inches. I think the late snow caused a late melt/thaw. Hopefully this year the hiking in Mid July will be a little easier!

[Barn Animal]

I went up to Pear Lake/Alta Peak/Tablelands in mid July (don't have the exact dates sorry) and snow was insignificant.

[robertseeburger]

The photos of Tunemah Lake frozen mid July and
Wanda lake 7-31-11...are very sobering in terms of trip planning.

[flyfisher8]

Mid June 2011 hiked into Clear Lake in the southwestern part of the Marble Mountain Wilderness. Encountered 'feet' of snow at the 6400 foot level. Lake free of ice. What I can only describe as 'black flies' feasted upon me. I am wondering about Harrison Pass into Sequoia NP in late Sept/Oct this year 2017? Anyone with any experience with that pass late season 2011?

[robertseeburger]

I thought I would add another thread here to this post. I just got back from several day hikes in Yosemite. I was there 6/19,6/20 , and 6/21.

I was also there 6/28/11 and 6/29/11 and did some of the same hikes and can provide at least some qualitative comparisons. I was told in 2011 when I was there that 6/29/11 was the peak Merced River flow.

In 2011, I hiked to Taft Point. The trail was covered in snow and we lost it several times. Two days ago all the snow was gone...more snow in 2011!

All the rest point to more this year. Tioga road was open 6/19/11, but as of 6/22/17 was still closed. I read an article suggesting it would open Monday 6/20, but it was not open. The rangers said it was due to avalanche danger.

Vernal falls on 6/29/11 had the most water I had ever seen in 50 years of going to Yosemite. This was shortly after several people went over the falls.
I went up Vernal Falls on 6/20/17 and it surpassed 2011 to me. I got soaking wet, front and back, going up the mist trail. I have done this perhaps 100 times ( including working there for the summer washing dishes in 1976) and I have never gotten completely soaked like this. Plus the water at the top was going underneath the guard rails. It was incredible.

Qualitatively looking at the snowpack from Sentinel Dome, it looks to me that the snowpack is higher this year. I wish I had a side by side but I don't...

One more interesting Yosemite generic point. With Mariposa Grove closed, and with the Tioga road closed, and with school out..it seemed like there was a concentration of day hikers going up the mist trail the likes I have never seen before. Of course it is the most popular trail in Yosemite, and it is always busy, but the parade of hikers was essentially continuous.