Is there snow on Mono Pass ?

[Wandering Daisy]

I have a permit to go over Mono Pass Saturday. I have been over when it was totally snow covered, using crampons. There is one very icy steep section. Is there still snow on the pass now? I have micro-spikes but no longer crampons. The Google Earth image I have is from 2019. Do 2024 images show that it is still snow covered?

[FrankPS]

Based on this website, the snow is gone. I've compared the website last year to conditions on the ground and it was in the ballpark. Zoom and drag as needed.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 45012.html

[Wandering Daisy]

I also looked at that USFS map. The problem with it is that each pixel covers a relatively large area and may show no snow when some still lingers. Mono Pass has a steep part that is not large but gets icy above a very steep cliff with no safe runout. I was hoping someone who has the daily image app on their computer could relay that information.

[Gazelle]

does this help?

[Wandering Daisy]

Thanks, very helpful. Looks a lot like conditions 2017 July 10-15 (177% snowpack). I will still take micro-spikes. Thankfully there should be plenty of already kicked steps. I am headed to Pioneer Basin, this time to fish. Last trip the lakes were open even though there was quite a bit of snow on the ground.

However, 2017 had a lot of snow down at Ruby Lake, which was partially frozen (some great AM photos with a glaze of ice on the lake). Evidently that will not be the case now in a few days. Perhaps now fishing will be better.

[rjszanto]

The pictures from Gazelle are clearly most useful. In the past though I have found the Copernicus browser https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu ... ode=MOSAIC very useful (formerly Sentinel Hub).

You can browse multiple satellite sources and dates. I have found this very useful for remote or cross-country areas in addition to passes. You can also look very 2-3 days and project trends. I used the images last year (late snow melt) to change a trip planned along Italy Lake because the satellite pictures made it clear, even with poor resolution, that the trail that run south of the lake would be solid snow. Saved me time going up and over the pass and getting to a point where I would need to turn around.

Best,
Rick

[MitchellK]

Just adding here (though a bit late) - CalTopo lets you use Sentinel Weekly as a base layer either current or previous data if you have pro already (as many of us do). This is super helpful especially with the MapBuilder Overlay enabled to see where the trail goes relative to the snow!

Screenshot of 7/1 data for mono pass: