[pct-l] Mt. Whitney views 4/7/12

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Since Mountain Education is usually in the Crabtree area during the first 
few weeks of May every year, these pictures accurately show how little snow 
the Sierra actually received this winter! Considering these pix were taken 
the first week of April, fully a month earlier than when we go in, the snow 
level is so high right now and there is only a shallow pack above that!

Normally for us, Crabtree Meadow is completely covered with 3 to 5 feet of 
snow and the creek winding its way through it is just becoming "visible" 
with thick snow bridges over all creeks from Cottonwood to the Middle Fork 
of the Kings. Snow level is usually around 9500 or 10,000 feet in mid-May. 
Looks like right now Crabtree might only have 2 feet of snow and the creek 
would be totally open.

What this will mean to this year's thrus is that the creek crossings will be 
the main challenge while the snow/ice issue will only exist on the Passes 
(say the last mile or so on either side). Comparatively, if a hiker were to 
go through the Sierra "early," the snow bridges would facilitate the creek 
crossings most of the way to Tahoe to where the creeks become small enough 
to get through easily after the bridges are melted out. Going through the 
Sierra in this low-snow depth and high snow line thru hiking season will 
mean much more dry trail, higher creeks earlier, no snow bridges, crusty, 
slippery snow only near the passes, and an early mosquito hatch.



"Just remember, Be Careful out there!"

Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Len Glassner" <len5742 at gmail.com>
To: "pct-l" <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2012 11:41 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney views 4/7/12


> Some pictures of the west side of Mt. Whitney, from Trail Crest and above.
>
> http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/Whats-New-1/Mt-Whitney-April-7-2012/22334133_xd8JfK#!i=1784637809&k=hmbFVZC&lb=1&s=A
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