Early season ideas for (potential) low snow year
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:38 am
Although we won't know for sure for another couple of months, it looks increasingly like it could be a low snow year in 2012. For example, the Mammoth Weather site (http://mammothweather.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) states "if we do not get any more snowfall up until New Years Day, there is only a 1 and 10 chance for a normal winters worth or greater amount of snowfall for the season based upon 42 years of data".
So with the Inyo permits now online (and available 6 months out), it looks like this is the week to think about what to do in the week of July 4. Last year we had a great trip to (a somewhat snowy) Miter Basin, so that wouldn't be a problem, but I'd appreciate some thoughts on experiences in previous below average years around July 4 (this year its a Wednesday so we could go starting the weekend before or running into the weekend after). We're looking for mostly on trail, 4-5 days, preferably high altitude (where possible this early) for me and my two 11 year olds (we've been backpacking together for 4 years, trips of up to 5 days and 30+ miles, we can manage 6-8 miles per day). I'm happy to book something now and then see whether it looks feasible later (in fact there is less penalty than in previous years for making multiple Inyo reservations).
A few musings of my own: JMT Tuolumne to Mammoth (the plan we abandoned last summer in favor of Cottonwood Pass/Miter Basin - though this is not an Inyo reservation so we can think about it for longer), Kearsage Pass to Charlotte Lake, North Lake to Humphreys Basin (is crossing over and exiting at Pine Creek feasible), Mono Pass to Pioneer Basin.
So with the Inyo permits now online (and available 6 months out), it looks like this is the week to think about what to do in the week of July 4. Last year we had a great trip to (a somewhat snowy) Miter Basin, so that wouldn't be a problem, but I'd appreciate some thoughts on experiences in previous below average years around July 4 (this year its a Wednesday so we could go starting the weekend before or running into the weekend after). We're looking for mostly on trail, 4-5 days, preferably high altitude (where possible this early) for me and my two 11 year olds (we've been backpacking together for 4 years, trips of up to 5 days and 30+ miles, we can manage 6-8 miles per day). I'm happy to book something now and then see whether it looks feasible later (in fact there is less penalty than in previous years for making multiple Inyo reservations).
A few musings of my own: JMT Tuolumne to Mammoth (the plan we abandoned last summer in favor of Cottonwood Pass/Miter Basin - though this is not an Inyo reservation so we can think about it for longer), Kearsage Pass to Charlotte Lake, North Lake to Humphreys Basin (is crossing over and exiting at Pine Creek feasible), Mono Pass to Pioneer Basin.