Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Kearsarge snow melt?

Can anyone give me a recent update on Kearsarge pass? Apparently it's passable to the pass and the Sequoia NP sign, but I am interested to know conditions past this, all the way to Charlotte lake. How much snow on the trail? Any obstacles? Thanks in advance.

june 26 pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/alexey.gaga...feat=directlink



I called lone pine ranger station yesterday and they told me west of kearsage pass and vidette meadows is a swamp.I dont know their accuracy of reporting.However it has dissuaded me from going for a bp there.
I think basically its just dayhikes to passes for now

South lake to bishop pass: from long lake is snow/ice/fallen trees-according to bishop Ranger.

South fork to willow lake -bridge is out and raging creek-according to me!

and his trip report/conditions-

http://skydizzy.blogspot.com/2011/06/hike-to-kearsarge-pass.html

Hitrel, many thanks! My husband called Lone Pine Ranger Station this afternnon and the woman answering said everything at Kearsarge was clear to the pass and thereafter "all hell breaks lose."

Wow, I've never heard of such conditions in July. Again, thank you for your update.

btw,how was your big pine lakes last week?any pics?lotsa snow?

tia

I did the Seven Lakes basin hike on Weds and did it again on Thurs. The trail to all 7 lakes is clear, though the semi-loop return via Black Lake is blocked with snow. There were drifts about 7 feet high which could be passable with patience and slipping, but I didn't feel like it. There were also several patches on the Black lake trail which were seriously flooded and really no way around them.

But the 7 lakes trail itself was great with only a few patches of snow.

Sorry, no photos, but thanks for asking. Rush Creek in June Lake is fine for the first 6 miles as well.

Did anyone attempt this hike this past weekend?
We are heading up 7/9-7/10 and current conditions would be wonderful!

Thank you again for the pictures. We summitted Whitney last year on July 5th and it was probably the most beautiful summit we have seen, snow and crisp air! Last October was less attractive, and we are heading up in September this year for our summit. So far, nothing has beat the view of the Sierras in July!

I too will be "wading" to hear about Kearsarge.......do I need my goggles and floaties for my trek or just the noodle? Any info is much appreciated!
Hu (a.k.a. Hu Nker "up")

I'mm doing Kearsarge next Wednesday and can report back then. I did Four Mile Trail in Yosemite today up to Sentinel Dome. Two hikers I talked to there said there is still way too much snow past Kearsarge with post holing and lots of impediments towards Charlotte lake. But snow is melting fast here in Mammoth. A ton less snow than last week!

Thanks Candice. Appreciate that.

I talked to a Ranger at the Inter-Agency and she mentioned that yes, the trail is rather stomped to the ridge, then she can assure you of crampons/micros to the bottom. They are looking at a bit of swamp, so find a high area for camping if you get down in. She said it's been done, and the rain they are having should help pelt it in. Temps are in the 60s, with low now only of 48 Saturday night, so will keep you posted on what we discover....

My sis and I camped at Flower Lake Saturday and Sunday night (acclimating before doing Whitney), and hiked up to Kearsarge Ridge on Sunday, July 3rd. There were groups going beyond the peaks . . . it was passable. A bit slushy would be the best description of the trail up. We did not need crampons on Sunday, however the hail and sleet from the thunderstorm that night, caused the trail down to be a bit icy in a couple places on Monday. There were many boot tracks to follow, and although some took different routes, they all ended up at the same place. The snow bridge crossing the creek failed to hold a couple people on the way up (it's probably gone completely by now), so we found some rocks to cross over. I don't know of the trail condition on the other side of the pass, but met groups traveling over and did not see them return. Have fun!

Kris! Thank you for the update. The rain has left the rain has left the forecast so we are prepared for slushy and 65! Thank you for the observations!

What a Weekend!

I don't have a real "trip report" to lay out, but wanted to update hikers on the Pass.

The Rangers were still recommending snow gear when we left Saturday morning, but we never touched the spikes. The hike to the top from the trailhead took us right at 3.5 hours. There is more snow on the east face than the west face, BY FAR. The trail was under snow just past Flower Lake, and we took a foot path up to the trail on our ascent, and located a higher "main trail" route in the snow face on our descent. The snow is rapidly melting, so be cautious.

The only other tricky area up was the chute to the Pass. Some were heading in a straight line up (we did this on the ascent) and then attempted to follow the hidden switchbacks on the descent.

Once you reach the Pass, it's clear hiking. No lakes are iced over on the west face. We hit Charlotte Lake via the high trail in three hours (passing no hikers from the Pass to camp). We should have been quicker, but the trail is under water just past the Rae Lakes/Charlotte Lake sign (the area where the trails make a triangle). This was our first time to Charlotte Lake, and thus we couldn't quite figure out the huge drainage basin where the trails had been washed out. We would see the trail to Rae Lakes and to the JMT...but not sure where the trail branched DOWN to the Lake. We arrived after a little adventure!

The Lake was gorgeous. Our campsite, breathtaking. We saw no other hikers in camp. We had brought a tent for snow, but didn't even use the fly, only zipping up the sides to keep the mosquitoes out. The night was gorgeous, right around 50 degrees. The only disturbance was when hikers arriving just after midnight dispersed to find a site, talking in normal tones, walking straight through our site, which was about 50 feet off trail, uphill. Thank you for the courtesy! (No bear activity to be seen)

The hike out we took the south JMT trail down to Bullfrog Lake, around to Kearsarge Lakes, and up the Pass. It was cool, gorgeous, and we passed 2 total hikers. The trail is littered in debris from the snow, and you need to keep a keen eye out for footprints in snow and mud. There were times we were "following" off trail for a couple hundred feet before the trail re-emerged from under the brush. I do recommend this trail, and am glad we choose to do both. It was tough at the end, with the sun overhead, but we took a longer trail and made it to the top faster. We booked it down and overall, we knocked about an hour off Day #1 time. WE WERE BEAT!

I have to say, I loved this hike, and plan to hit Whitney from this side in the future. My friend and I had to agree, in full packs, this trip in to Charlotte Lake (we ended up doing about 19 miles with all of our roaming) gives a Whitney one-day summit a run for her money. And the view? Just like the first time I stood at Trail Crest in July snow.

Good luck!
A few quick photos:
http://mcbb-headscarolinatailscalifornia...ake-july-9.html

Wow! Thanks for the update and the beautiful photos. I am incredulous that there is still this much snow leading up the pass. I've never seen it like this at this time of the year. These are early June conditions!

I guess I will have to scrap the hike to Charlotte Lake on Wednesday and do McGee Creek instead, up by Crowley Lake. I have no patience for post holing or bad footing leading up to the pass. At least there's much less snow past the pass, leading to the Rae Lakes fork and lake Charlotte.

Many thanks for your update!

Sure!
Apparently the snow melt in one week was tremendous. We met locals who said two weeks ago they could not even safely venture over the pass due to snow. We were shocked how clear and dry the west face was. We had limited snow pockets on the high trail, and only in the first mile. After that, hot and dry! There was no snow on the lower trail, except on a few 10-15 ft places. The downed trees gave us more of a pain. I would come back just to help clean up, as this would be an amazing place to get some trail work in!

From just past Flower to about the top switchback to the Pass, that is where the most snow will be seen.

Hi,

I just returned from an Onion Valley to Mt Whitney hike (July 10 to July 12). Going over Kearsarge Pass on July 10 I encountered a few patches of snow on the trail which were easily crossed. I went down to Bullfrog Lake (before heading south) on the "lower trail". Trace amounts of mud and snow were encountered on the descent to Bullfrog Lake. As others have noted, the "lower trail" passes through terrain which is ravaged by fallen trees and evidence of recent flooding. A few campers were encountered. IN CONLUSION, IT APPEARS THAT ESSENTIALLY SUMMER CONDITIONS NOW EXIST AT THE KEARSARGE PASS AREA.

I look forward to returning to this gorgeous area soon.

Jim

PS I topped off this classic High Sierra hike yesterday at the Whitney Portal Store with a nice chat with Earlene and Doug Sr, a great double cheeseburger and enjoyed watching the finishers of Badwater to Whitney as a bear prowled on the other side of the pond. Another typical day at the Portal!

Jim, thank you for this update. I guess "better late than ever" is an appropriate expression for Kearsarge this year. Thanks again.

I and my family were up there Thursday, and it's definitely do-able with just boots and poles. Maybe a dozen snowfields of varying lengths between Heart Lake and the pass, but nothing really troublesome. The longest may be 80 yards. My 11 YO daughter negotiated them just fine. Still plenty of the white stuff on the other side, but melting very fast.