Olancha and Owens will be snow free until fall unless you go out right after any further spring storms. I was thankful to go on the heels of a storm for scenery purposes and because snow was the only water source besides an ugly trickle in Gomez Meadow (between Monache Meadow & Olancha Peak). Cardinal Mountain and Taboose Pass can probably be climbed mostly snow free if persistent about avoiding it, but there is patchy to continuous consolidated snowpack on horizontal, shaded, and north facing aspects above 10,000 feet. 3-24 inches (generally about a foot) of powdery snow made things interesting for me from the second creek crossing by the big waterfall upward, but the fresh snow has been melting very fast.
I enjoyed the flowers blooming down low on these hikes. They were most plentiful on the Owens Peak hike, but very nice along lower Taboose Creek.
Information on these hikes is not hard to come by so I'm leaving this brief. Let me know if there is anything specific you'd like me to post an image of from Taboose Pass area south of Big Pine to Walker Pass area. I may be able to help. George Creek and Williamson were certainly calling to me. Below are some of the highlights from Cardinal Mountain-Taboose Pass:
- Looking up toward the crest of the pass area after a few hours or so of hiking. I enjoyed speaking with a state hydrologist who was out spending the morning walking his dog to the top of the pass and back. He commented on normally donning skis down in the small forested area far behind and below by the first creek crossing. That, the warm day, and his recent challenges finding snow to measure for the big April 1st reports made it seem like June.
- The west ridge/county line route up Cardinal Mountain that I ascended can be gained on the left of the photo. The sloggy south chute I descended is on the right.
- Looking back after ascending most of the west ridge.
- Arrow Peak view from the west ridge of Cardinal Mountain.
- Taking in the Taboose Pass area and beyond from near the summit of Cardinal Mountain.
- Looking down the west ridge and at Cardinal Lake to the right on the north side of the ridge.
- Looking down the west ridge emphasizing its south side (Taboose Pass side) and Arrow Peak to the southwest.
- Looking toward the summit of Cardinal Mountain from the West Ridge as it nears the south chute route.
- Split Mountain from Cardinal Mountain with the Palisades region to the north. It was unbelievably calm, quiet, and warm on the summit. I heard a coyote howl in the distance.
- Split Mountain and Birch Mtn.
- Goodale is looking easy on the left with Striped on the right looming over Taboose Pass.
- Orange Ogre looming over Taboose Canyon on my way down to the TH.
