Miter, Langley and Lots of Snow -- TR

[windknot]

Great trip! I love the pictures, especially the one of the Siberian Outpost looking like, well, Siberia.

And I can't speak for everyone else, but I haven't been visiting HST as frequently due to the high snow winter. I do try to make it a point to leave a comment when I do read a report though, even if I'm a little late in the game.

[bluefintu]

Hi Quentinc,

Thank you for your trail report !!! I'm trying to plan a trip at the end of July or August to the Mitre Basin with my son. I'm planning on buying a raft to take, but I may have to take an ice drill instead. The snow should be gone by the time I go and the skeeters will be out inforce. Thanks again for you trail report.
Don

[slade]

Quentinc - Much respect and many thanks. Your pic of the Kaweahs from atop Langley is especially awesome. slade

[papercup]

Very useful info. Thanks much.

[KevinKlein]

Nice TR, much appreciated. I'll be getting up to the Sierra on June 20th myself, hopefully I can make it to some lakes up at 9,000ft... I'm a newcomer here but I plan on doing a TR on the backpacking trip into the John Muir from Wishon Reservoir once I'm back next week.

[Ska-T]

I wish I would have seen your report before our group of 3 hiked into the Miter this weekend (June 17-19). Trip reports trump snow data.

In preparation for this trip I compared the current snow depth at the Chagoopa Plateau and Crabtree Meadow weather stations to the last time I visited the Miter on June 15-16, 2006. In that year our timing was fantastic for our sight seeing purposes. Sky Blue Lake was about 60-70% iced out, but the Miter below contained just patches of snow, albeit some large patches of a hundred yards or more. The melt this year at those CHP and CBT stations is running about 10 to 14 days later than 2006. However, after seeing the Miter yesterday, still blanketed in substantial snow, I suspect that the melt in the Miter is behind the comparable CHP and CBT data.

[gary c.]

I wanted to thank you for the trip report also and pictures. I have friends headed up that way over the 4th and they have been very curious as what to expect so I sent them the link to your report.

[giantbrookie]

Very nice. Great trip, adventure, and scenery. Given my fishing obsession I don't try it this early anymore, whereas I did frequently during my peak bagging years (70's to early 80's). Of interest, of course, to the fisherfolks are the state of those lakes which are still, as one would predict, frozen. That snowy scenery looks mighty good as Fresno faces its first triple digit weather of the year (yes, we've been pampered by mild weather this year).

[quentinc]

Thanks again, everyone!

Because I'm beyond compulsive, I was up there again this weekend. This time I substituted the Boreal Plateau for Langley. The snow is melting FAST! I was amazed how much easier some sections of trail were. Soldier Lake went from 100% ice to no ice. The bad news is that the mosquitoes are poised to explode in time for July 4th.
Miter Basin, melting fast:







Siberian Basin still resembles its namesake (it's melting too -- I actually had to wade across one of its streams):

[richlong8]

quentinc- you inspire us all!