Memorial day Minarets best trailhead in?

[commonloon]

I'm planning a Banner/Ritter trip. Thinking the mammoth shuttle won't be running and the road may be closed. I'm concerned about river/creek crossings thus we can use the bridges to cross the San Joaquin near Reds obviously. Not sure about June Lake area.

Level4 backpackers w/ snow travel experience.

I'm looking for advice on what trailhead would be best to use? Should we just walk down the Reds Meadow road?

Also, has anyone been out there during a similar snow year in late may?

Thanks!!

[oldranger]

I posted a TR of a trip starting memorial day weekend in 2014. About as close to this years snow as possible comparing records of Mammoth Ski Area. The TR was posted in Feb. 2015. Memorial day was earlier that year and the road opened on Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

[Wandering Daisy]

I have gone in from Silver Lake early season. There used to be a bridge across the Agnew Lake outlet. Snow lingers on the steep slopel up from Agnew Lake. I did not find that a problem, but you may need to take microspikes and have some snow experience. The snow is quite deep and you have to avoid afternoons because of post-hole conditions. They have been working on the dams so check to make sure the bridges are still there and there are not areas closed due to construction. If you go all the way to Waugh Lake and intersect the JMT, you will have to cross side streams - none too bad. There now is a bridge over Rush Creek above Waugh Lake- that used to be a really hard crossing. There likely will be snow on the north side of Isand Pass- best to do early AM before it gets soft. A loop from Silver Lake, using these two routes is quite nice.

There are not any bad crossings if you go in from Agnew Meadows, assuming the road is open. There are several big bridges across any stream of significance.

[commonloon]

Thanks much OldRanger! I'll look for the TR...

Thanks for info on the streams Wandering Daisy. Super!

[maverick]

http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... day#p92863

[commonloon]

Thanks Mav. Nice TR. It gives some good perspective.