[pct-l] To be early or not at Kennedy Meadows?

[Bighummel@aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

Tom is full of it as usual.  The southern Sierra snow survey sites show NO 
snow below about 9,000 feet of elevation including:

Chagoopa Plateau / 10,300' = 0" 
Tunnel Guard Station / 8,900' = 0"
Casa Vieja Mdws / 8,300' = 0"

Upper Tyndall Creek at 11,400' shows 8.5" with a steep decline.  As a matter 
of fact all sites south of Yosemite that show any snow content exhibit such a 
steep decline that within two weeks there shouldn't be any registered 
anywhere, provided that a late storm doesn't reverse things.

North of Yosemite snow levels appear to be deeper as you go north.

What does this mean? 

If you are comfortable and equiped to handle a little bit of snow and some 
ice at passes you could enter the Sierra today!  By the time that you get to 
Yosemite, the snow levels there will have melted down to what the Southern 
Sierra is showing now, i.e. no snow below 9,000'.  Equipped with an ice axe 
and in-step crampons I would enter the Sierras today (if I were hiking).  The 
risk of leaving Kennedy Mdws now is that you could encounter a late Spring 
storm at high elevation.  These storms are not typically very cold and as 
such melt off quickly.

If you are not as comfortable or confident in your abilities, capabilities 
and/or tolerance for such conditions, then wait two weeks, i.e. approximately 
June 1st to leave Kennedy Mdws.  

If you wait until the middle of June to enter the Sierra you will likely find 
horrendous mosquitos, bears becoming active and extremely light snow and ice 
conditions.

In My Hummel Opinion,

Greg "Strider" Hummel