Advice requested for Deadman Canyon and Elizabeth Pass

[Captain Slappy]

Experienced backpacker here with some off-trail experience --

I'm looking to head over Silliman Pass or JO Pass from the Lodgepole area in about a week. I've been watching the trail conditions on the SEKI web site (including creek crossings) and satellite photos for snow cover. I was also considering traveling up Deadman Canyon and over Elizabeth Pass once I make it over JO or Silliman Pass. However, the last mile up Deadman towards the pass still appears to be snow-covered:

https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/sentinel- ... ates=false

Is this too steep and too much to consider attempting with microspikes? I have some experience with crampons and ice axe, but it would be a lot to haul along for this route.

[cgundersen]

Slappy,

On two separate occasions, I've gone from Lonely Lake across the entire upper reaches of Deadman canyon (Northeast side of Elizabeth pass) and then over to Cloud canyon. The pitch of that whole upper area should not be problematic. Coming from the North, it's a pretty gradual ascent and the key will be to time it so the snow is not too mushy. If you can swing it, getting up to Big Bird Lake is worth the detour, and there are several places where its outflow creek cascades over smooth granite and is quite easy to hop even in high flow periods. Cameron

[Captain Slappy]

Thank you for the details, Cameron. Big Bird looks like it would be a great side trip. I just took a look at the topo map and I see the drainage creek, which is probably the way to access from Deadman Canyon. It doesn't look like too far of a climb.

[Lenier]

I ran into a group lead by a Skurka guide this weekend while on my way to Tamarack. They had gone over Silliman, into the tablelands, and back over Elizabeth to go back to Lodgepole.

If you're going in the next week, anticipate hard snow in mornings with slushy conditions later in the day. Snow is rapidly melting, bridges are collapsing, etc. Your bigger issue will be creek crossings but nothing they crossed was too difficult.

[BardoPond]

I ran into a group lead by a Skurka guide this weekend while on my way to Tamarack. They had gone over Silliman, into the tablelands, and back over Elizabeth to go back to Lodgepole.

If you're going in the next week, anticipate hard snow in mornings with slushy conditions later in the day. Snow is rapidly melting, bridges are collapsing, etc. Your bigger issue will be creek crossings but nothing they crossed was too difficult.

Was this mostly referring to Elizabeth?
I'm a Sentinel newbie but here Silliman Pass looks snow-free to me.

[Lenier]

Correct, they said a week ago that Silliman Pass was clear. It was coming over Elizabeth from the north that they encountered snow.