[pct-l] Crabtree/Whitney area

["Tom Reynolds" <Tom.Reynolds@ilan.com>]

The Mount Whitney store [www.395.com] has posted several interesting
pictures of Mt. Whitney and the surrounding area as of 7/15. They post
status weekly. This is the best info for Mt. Whitney Trail conditions. I
intend to bring these guys[gals] a six pack of Pacifico from all of us to
show our thanks.

On the John Muir Trail, the Guitar lake [11,500]/Hitchcock Lakes [11,650]
elevation shows 60-70% snow covered. Guirar Lake is partially frozen and
hitchcock appears completely frozen. The Timberline Lake [11,082] area
shows snow on the north facing slopes but relatively snow free on the south
facing slopes.

The PCT leaves the JMT at Crabtree Meadows at 10,600 and continues
continues south towards Kennedy Meadows. North of this junction is Bighorn
Plateau and the Upper Tyndall area as the trail approachs Forrester Pass.
Earlier pictures of Forrester from a PCT through hiker show snow throughout
this area. The Guitar Lake area is probably typical of the Upper Kern basin
at 11,500 as of 7/15.

My current model is that the snow is retreating at the rate of 500'
[vertical] per week. Hopefully the 11,500' area now looks like Timberline
and the 12,000' area [most JMT passes but NOT Forrester [13,200]] like
Guitar/Hitchcock

I ahve anotated the pictures with place labels if you need them. I can
direct e-mail with .jpg, .bmp attachments


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