[pct-l] April 1st Sierra Snow Conditions

[Stephen]

Yeah, I can just see the look on my N.Cal friends' faces...

But yes you are correct.  Rain in the mountains will only melt off snowpack, 
which is what causes stuff like the big floods in Yosemite and Reno etc... 
Wierd though that there is a lot of snow in  afew areas and very little in 
others.  A couple seasons ago I saw a couple lakes that last all season 
completely dry, yikes.  and this last season in June the big South Lake 
resoviour above Bishop looked like it had returned to its original creek run 
at the inlet.  Another yikes, but there was still snow to melt.  Still, 
pretty freakin low considering there wasn't very much snow to melt.  And 
this has been going on for about ten years with only a couple regular snow 
seasons, since the last El Nino.  That my friends would be a nice change, 
but not for hikers.  I remember the last one very well.  A few cars floated, 
but it certainly ended most talk of drought for quite a while.  I also 
remember the run off in the South Fork Kings drainage in June of that year. 
White rage !  By August the approaches to Muir Pass were still pretty much 
snow bound by deep sun cups, and I remember crossing Lamarck Col with an ice 
axe.  There was water flowing everywhere.  I hiked up to the JMT/PCT that 
June above Vidette Meadow, which was completely flooded, and lost the trail 
completely just past Bullfrog Lake. It wasn't much fun wallowing around in 
all that chunky snow and must have been a miserable year for a lot of folks 
who may have attempted to get thru.  The way I figured it, we were still 
hiking on a lot of that snow a year later...  But while a huge snow year 
wont solve long term issues, it would certainly bolster some of these low 
lakes and maybe put a little in the bank.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "AsABat" <AsABat at 4Jeffrey.Net>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 10:10 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] April 1st Sierra Snow Conditions


> You're right, of course. <TIC mode> I'm starting the initiative process
> to require the entire population of Los Angeles to move to northern
> California! Where should we send them - Crescent City or Mt. Shasta?
>
> And actually, we the state of California need snow, not rain. I know
> it's not good for early season hikers, but the Sierra snow pack is the
> largest "reservoir" we all have. The state is in bad shape financially,
> and businesses going under for lack of water is sure not going to help.
> </TIC mode>
>
> But back on topic:
>
> Certainly the low snow pack is good for the hikers. At least until the
> streams dry up. With Tyndall so low versus normal, the upper streams in
> the alpine country approaching the passes will go dry sooner than usual.
>
>
> AsABat
>
>
>> > For those that live in California this is very bad news indeed.
>>
>> It's good news for northbound thru-hikers which was the only point.
>>
>> Not in context of a thru-hike or this list, *southern* California is
> over
>> populated and over developed. It's not a question of climate or
> snowpack,
>> it's a matter of excessive demand on available resources.
> Self-inflicted
>> drought is a human problem not one of nature.
>
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