High Sierra Topix

For me that was a September Puppet Lk year and about 8 other lakes in the area. We were getting hit by a bit of snow and decided to stay at Lower Desolation on the hike in.
View looking back at the Glacier divide from Mesa the next day.
This was the Star col trip and wasn't that fun.

May 1-2, 2011, Eldorado NF, Silver Fork, Bassi Falls, and beyond. Camped at about 6,200 feet. FS roads still had lots of snow. Lots of water everywhere.






June 26-28, 2011, Point Reyes, Wildcat & Coast camps. Lots of beach walking.




August 20-23, 2011, Desolation Wilderness, Velmas, Rubicon, Fontanillis, etc.







Sept. 10-11, 2011, Desolation Wilderness, Twin & Island Lakes, xcountry to Clyde and back.

I'm loving this thread.

On June 18-24, 2011, I backpacked into Iva Bell Hot Springs via the west side from McCreary Trailhead >> Cassidy Bridge >> Heitz Meadow >> Silver Creek >> Fish Creek.

I posted a trip report here:
http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... iva#p44609

Went up Goddard Canyon with my Son and pal the 1st week of August. Was a driving rain storm on the drive into Florence Lake. Barely made the ferry as it cleared up just in time. Side cascades coming down all along the hike in, really beautiful. The San Joaquin was roaring with all the falls excellent (Pig Chute, etc.). About a quarter of the open ground was covered with snow at the Martha Lake level (~11,000 feet). Other hikers said there was about 4 mi of snow walking to cross over Muir Pass. McClure Meadow was largely flooded. Piute Canyon was roaring too. Lots of great wildflowers in bloom. Seems like the 1st week of August in the Sierra Nevada never dissapoints.

Daisey: have you ever been to Kid Lakes out of Kings Canyon? If so, what did you think? There are 3 forks.

I went 6-7 times (never in August) and never saw anyone except us there.

Trip 1. Hetch Hetchy May 18,19,20 Trip 2. One night In Redwood Mt. Grove, May 22. Trip 3. Three nights at Nellie Lake, met up with giant brookie 1st day, Tehipite Tom showed up for nights 2 and 3 July 14-17 Trip 4. Hoffman Mt. to Tunemah and return (trip remembered as sun cup hell) July 18-29. Trip 5. Levitt Meadow to Hetch Hetchy (the only trip I came out early because I was in a funk!) September 11-20. Also did skiing day trips in N. Sierra before Hetch Hetchy trip, Two trips to Holden Village in North Cascades-June and October, a bunch of day hikes in the Cascades, one 2 night trip in the Cascades, and a quick trip to Alaska.

It was a busy year!

Two of my 2011 trips are relevant to this snow discussion.

TRIP #1 June 18 @ Miter Basin -- The hike from Horseshoe Meadow over Cottonwood Pass and within 1 to 1.5 mi of lower Soldier Lake had patches or long sections of snow, but the travel wasn't difficult. A little beyond where the trail to Soldier Lakes breaks off from the PCT there was solid snow all the way to Miter Basin. Miter Basin itself was deep in snow. Although Big Whitney Meadow, down below the PCT in the Golden Trout Wilderness, was snow free ...
... nearby Siberian Outpost, about 1K feet higher, was snowbound.
TRIP #2 Sept 4 @ Seven Gables -- This trip was late in the year but snow still provided an obstacle at the highest elevations. For example, Seven Gables Pass had a large cornice and the pass itself was snow blocked. It wasn't too difficult, with some scouting around, to find a circuitous way down. The chute to climb Seven Gables was covered with snow.

That was my South Lake to North Lake complete loop year.

I did the same Deso loop that you did, but was exactly one day ahead of you. I'm sure you used the steps I kicked in the 55°slope traversing Susie. I had just taken a big tumble on a steep slope upstream of there and had to self arrest with fingernails, stopping right in front of a boulder. I had 2 newbies with me (daughter & niece) and stomped out a fairly flat trail ferrying their packs across. The slope was covered and the lake surface frozen except for the perimeter. Momentum would have carried anyone out under the ice. That was dicey. I was really wishing I had another experienced person with me, especially having just taken that spill.