2017 River/Stream Crossing Reports

[rlown]

Welcome to the HST, Quinning! Where is the link to the graph you reference?

[maverick]

Russ wrote:

Welcome to the HST, Quinning! Where is the link to the graph you reference?

Quinning wrote:

Graphs were from nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov

[rlown]

Quinning wrote:

Graphs were from nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov

I kind of knew that, but I like links to appear "clickable."

https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis

[Teresa Gergen]

Hiked from Florence Lake to the cutoff trail that leads north to join the northbound PCT just past Muir Trail Ranch. Got to the upper crossing of Senger Creek on the PCT at about 9750 ft and couldn't find a way across. Camped there, then returned the next day.

There are many, many more creek crossings right now than what shows on the topo. Water is spouting out of holes in the ground (i.e. there are springs all over the place) and creeks are forming below them. There is sometimes water running down the trail with the force of what would be a narrow stream in a drier year. Meadows are sometimes under water. Creeks that do show on topo maps often consist of 2 or 3 or 4 separate creeks next to each other, often with each branch running swiftly, such that where there might have been a log crossing across the usual branch, there is now no crossing across the other branches. Some of the log crossings I did on the first day were under water one day later when I came out.

Section of trail:

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The creek that is before/west of the bridged South Fork San Joaquin was running wide and deep. There was a log crossing a bit to the north.

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Senger Creek looked every bit as bad as pictures posted here of the Bear Creek crossing a week or more ago. I found a good log at the lower crossing.

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I spent 2 hours searching for a way across the upper crossing of Senger Creek. Nothing - logs, rocks, snow bridges - went across all of the branches. I imagine a stronger person could have waded it somewhere. In the photo, the water reaches from the upper left by a patch of snow, to past the right side of the image. This is where the trail is, and appeared to be the easiest place to cross after looking up and down for 2 hours.

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I must have seen close to 50 people coming out to Florence Lake as I was going in. Two others came out as I came out the next day. There were footprints heading NB on the PCT, but they didn't look fresh. I didn't see anyone actually on the PCT section of what I hiked.

The ferry was not running and the chain was across the road that leads into the store and the ferry area, as of 6/20 evening; it was apparently still closed.

Kaiser Pass Road had sections of water running across it and minor spots where the asphalt was visibly undergoing erosion from flowing water.

The High Sierra Ranger Station had just opened, but the lower station on the way up didn't know that. The HS RS was unable to get a phone to work to call Prather to verify that there was a quota space available, so they assumed there probably was (hah). They had no information whatsoever about conditions other than that they assumed there was snow and water around.

[rlown]

This is the year for September regardless of our human induced plans. A nice report and pics though.. Thank you!

[SSSdave]

Well written report Teresa. It takes an intelligence and good self control to turn around like you did, instead of stubbornly unwisely attempting the dangerous. In any case if you would have reached the 9500 Bear Creek crossing, it would have had a considerably larger flow so you saved yourself some pain. What you reported was what I saw last week hiking Kibbie Ridge to Styx Pass however all the streams on the ridge are small. But the same water water and snow everywhere higher up above 7.5k, especially running down trails. Wearing Asolo 520 GTX boots versus trying to walk on rocks and wood, I tend to walk right through water, mud, and streams as long as the depth is shallow less than boot top height.

David

[Teresa Gergen]

.....

[Jimr]

I don't know how to figure that out right now.

I don't think anyone does.

[rlown]

[youtube_vid]<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hzdIIxEC0Ns" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube_vid]

just saying...

[Shawn]

Today I noticed a report on Facebook about hikers being "stranded" behind Bubbs Creek when attempting to exit out to Roads End. The posting was not clear as to the specific location. In any event, the NPS has been making air drops of MRE's to the dozen or more hikers (via helicopter) because they have been there for two or more days.

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