Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board New camera , snow stuff

Installed a new camera yesterday image is clear and on the zoom you can again pickup the details on the mountain. You can see Thor is clearing on the northern area and rock showing in the chute in the north fork. Still deep snow in the Portal and above.

After the snow cycle the past 6 weeks looks like we are flat lined again , snow at the Portal elevation , more than the 2016-17 winter and might be above normal (for the Portal) Doug and Cayden cleared the roof last week , but check out the photos of Parchers and north they have more snow.

Where will the melt off go when it starts ! Flooding in the Valley could happen this spring and high stream crossings, snow should stay in the higher elevations till late June ON THE NORTH FACING areas. So the Baldy pattern will move into the Sierra.

Lower section of the Portal road still snow covered but the mid section is melting out. Road still closed at lower gate.

Many ask about the snow and when it will clear , several factors that change the when , first the shift to when we start getting sun into the canyon, second any cloudy day or storm system slows or stops the melt , new snow from a system on the upper elevation and all north facing portions of the area. We use as a guide from late May on a melt rate of 500'elevation a week , this works till 12-13000 then the melt is over, moves into evaporation more than melt.

This season will bring back the rock fall and trail wash outs , first stream crossing problems and miles of no trail .

Guide trips should beat a path in the north fork soon and Hey if everyone stays on a track this turns into a trail for the next group to use.

Recall from past years it is not if it is when ! the accidents start and the first recovery . Winter conditions make travel very slow ,more gear , food and a water source option , high wind condition and late season storms all add to the adventure. A whole different world above 12,000'!

Doug,

The new camera image is sensational! In addition to documenting the superb beauty of the Mountain, the information it provides will be very helpful to the hiking/climbing community.

Thanks,

Jim

I'm thinking this new camera is so good...

that you'd be able to see the snowshoe track I'm tempted to put in up to the summit of Thor Peak...

Hey that made Earlene tear up ,we got to see Bill Monroe a few times ,in another life motor cycles guitar playing and bluegrass and two kinds of music country and western!

Aw, that made my day. Hi, Earlene! I was picturing Richard's footprints in the snow on Thor and it just came to me. I was going to say we could follow his progress on the new camera, but only if he bled enough. I'm glad I changed my mind.

What happened? I don't see that cool, detailed image any more...

It was very nice while it lasted.

And that's how it goes with these electric things . Support staff did the normal re boot, Mike at Sebec tec working on the FTP transfer but could be the old Inyo wind got a tower!

The elves came !!!

Another winter blast this afternoon whiteout conditions above Lone Pine Campground ,this new system will put more snow on a very deep base for this time of the year , So the end result for the last 5-7 days of weather, additional snow and cold nights and days we have lost about 2 weeks of melt.
we should see a normal opening lateAprol or Early May but the upper elevations will be packed in later in the season, First creek crossing will also be an issue for the dry feet folks. And above 12'000 could require winter skills into early July.

2017 melt was about all the valley could handle, water was spread every where and we had some cold days that slowed the melt down . This year we have more snow in the mountains and should get the late season storms (April-May- June) So 395 could be washed out or flooded, campgrounds with streams some sites closed closed . This summer should a record breaker on many fronts!

Now when we can see the mountain again the cam will be back up!

Should I start rebranding everything "The Cleaver Portal," or did the executives settle on "Gambler's Special Portal Message Board?"

It kinda looks like Whitner from back side with a zoom reflection off the recent storms
Which reminds me all the snow talk the average 600+inches and a heavy snow year is 1140 inches for Mount Baker ( isn't in the picture either)

Maura is on the 12,000 th trip to the crows nest to reboot the camera fire stix. I do miss the camcorder on dial up!

They can make the "LP" out of snow this year.

I heard there was a snow leopard sighting on Haystack.

Nah, that snow leopard didn't see anything.

Dale B. Dalrymple

Dale will be appearing every Tuesday night in March at the Lakanuki Bar & Grill in Mammoth Lakes.

Don't forget to tip!

Dale

Doug just got some photos from a guide trip showing a slide that ended about 200' from the store , I think following the same path as the 1969 slide. CORRECTION slide came from the north not from the 69 area. Also the north fork slid so stay clear , this coming system coukd bring more down. Snow at the Portal looks very near the same level as last Monday but rain could have brought this slide . I would say stay clear until these storms move out.

Look at the web cam and zoom onto the North Fork and southerly these walls are loaded and with more storms/ warmer temperatures things could move. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5879622812073990&set=pcb.5879623205407284 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5879623018740636&set=pcb.5879623205407284



Well now that we are talking snow and slides the NRT trail is ripe for slides and rock fall . the area as you enter the canyon is steep and a mixture of DG fire scar , then as you near Meysan creek to the Cabin area also steep side slope and rock fall and just say 500 feet from the first cabin very steep and breaking trail is very hard. I advise avoid the NRT during the winter for these reasons.