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Of course. But I am hoping that Doug offers a reward card. You know, buy five and get one free.
Paul
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Well, the birthday climb this year is doomed...
3+ feet up at Horseshow Meadows...
Prior to the storm, I saw it reported as about 9 inches (consolidated)...
More still falling, I hope...
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Richard, how low is the snow level? I am waiting for a clear view of Whitney on the cam and the surrounding area. Hopefully soon.
paul
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It's clear right now and there's a SL of spin coming off of the crest...
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I still enjoy lurking and reading your reports and seeing your photos Richard (and others). A big HELLO from the Carolinas. Would like to take my boys out soon and visit...show them what some non-green looking mountains look like.
Hope you are are well.
Chris / BeachAV8R
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Hiked and snowshoed up past the WPS to the North Fork... Crossed paths with a guy from Eastern Canada who had made it up to LBSL. He "called it" there as he had a failure of one of his snowshoes. There were ski tracks in the Old Trail area, but I decided to head back to the Main Trail because the snow was deep enough to make progress really difficult (and there was a known good track on the Main Trail). Here are a few photos:  Plan was to ride the E-Bike as far as I could up Horseshoe Meadow Road, but this view shows that riding up there would be futile...   There are already patches of pavement...      No tracks on the Main Trail beyond the NF Junction...
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Thanks Richard...I appreciate your postings, especially of the Portal or Horseshoe Meadows area. It looks like a good dusting of snow at the Portal.
Well, it won't be long before Spring is here. I already have my campground sites for Memorial Weekend. I also have so far, three wilderness permits starting at the end of June, continuing into August.
I will say this, getting a permit is difficult, they are usually gone within a minute or two....Cottonwood Pass or Kearsarge Pass,
The fall back is always, Trail Pass.
Paul
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I've started participating in the Yosemite Permits Lottery...looking to get a Happy Isle permit.
Hard to believe they're already doing August permits...
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Wow! Thanks for posting these pictures!
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I still enjoy lurking and reading your reports and seeing your photos Richard (and others). A big HELLO from the Carolinas. Would like to take my boys out soon and visit...show them what some non-green looking mountains look like.
Hope you are are well.
Chris / BeachAV8R
 Man, that's a big mountain... Sitting here (waiting on a delivery) staring at old photo albums... We've had some really good times... Sharing First's... Hard to believe that was almost 17 years ago... Get the whole family out here some time for another group climb of Whitney...or just a stroll up to Lone Pine Lake...and a Double Bacon Cheeseburger at the WPS...
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Lower Boy Scout Lake Attempt - 02.16.2024 ====================================== Based on what "Eastern Canada" said the other day, I headed back up past the Portal to the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek (MR)... The tracks were a little bit high approaching 9k, but I followed them anyway...I could see "Split Rock" maybe 75' downslope...Beyond this, I knew I probably would be wasting time staying high...way too much snow to use the North Side Shortcut...I followed the tracks to their highpoint a bit above 9100'...Like I thought, they ran out...I tried crossing over the creek to the south side, but was "playing Tarzan" when the snow dropped out from under me...! I retreated and did not feel like crossing over at the proper spot, but instead, headed down... When I exited the NF, I headed across the stream (still no tracks) and put in a track down the Old Trail... Crossed paths with a group of 3 heading for the MR...spent about 5 minutes warning them about the bogus track and advised them that they probably would have to break trail across the stream and then all to way up to LBSL... Crossed paths with a Lone Pine Resident who stated he hikes the road every day for exercise...surprised I've never run into him before... A group of 3 women stopped to ask about the conditions up higher...when I said they were still about 2 miles from the Portal, 2 had cringes on the faces...their Leader had lied about the distance from the Turnout...I told them that if they wanted it that short, they'd need to take Doug's Shortcut (they know Doug) straight up from the Turnout... After getting back to the car, I went for an e-bike ride down Hogback Road (about a mile of snow) and through the Alabama Hills... What's the Alabama Trail? Kept seeing signs, but somehow managed to lose the trail, so I headed for pavement back to my car... Here are some photos:  Plenty more pavement showing...  Tracks headed up towards the North Side Wall...  Dead End...I tried to cross over, but almost went into the creek...  Looking back at the North Fork crossing...  The JM Wilderness Boundary...   You could head past the gate to the first wide section of dirt on the right, but I'd only save you about 5 minutes of walking...  I expected to see quite a few more cars...this being a 4-day weekend for a lot of people... HS (Weatherman out of Bishop/Mammoth) said there might be 2' of snow down to 6500' by Tuesday... 
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OK so the short cut from the road closed sign , I guess you gain about 600' and save about 1 1/2-2 miles somewhat steep and a maze of large boulders and slabs start up where the locals sled and work slightly right as you go up ( if you miss the easy area you will cliff out to the south , still doable but will be much harder) .
Old days we had about a 45 minute walk to the store using this shortcut . now using the road it seems somewhat over 2 hours.
I would never suggest coming down this shortcut until you know the route , easy to cliff out or need to down climd large boulders. I call the down route 3 big steps and hope I stop .Without snow the area is very soft sand /dg and one can ski down most of the slope.
As Richard mentioned the North side during the winter only takes you into the trees and tall brush area .The stream is directly below you and if covered a death trap. South side will narrow down and force a stream crossing just above the EB ledges then travel up on the north side to Lower Boyscout lake area , the normal crossing takes you into the boulder field or leg breaker trap. Early season the boulders may be covered but not enough to fill the void around the edges .
I like the north side of the lake till just below the waterfall and then cross over , still boulders and some brush but if you hit the area early and can stay on the crust it works.
Best option is to wait till the guide groups have walked in a path and follow that, The climbers now most often don't know the route and will have tracks all over , the area above LBSL is very often a maze of tracks to nowhere or to the ice climbing area on Thor.
Many will do the route to ski down and some are very seasoned crosscountry types and will skin up a pick a good line , but often steeper than most can hike up .
The lower section works as a filter many will not make it much above LBSL and that is good hike for many without years of winter travel. Getting back down from this area is still another challange and has had fatal accidents on the way down.
The Alabama Hills trail I recall years of walking with different BLM staff and locating different loops and a direct trail from town to the Portal, then I guess we all got tired , the mapping is done but the finishing touches still missing linking several of section unless you know the area. One trail we did going down hill gained 1000' so it was re routed, best option is google earth and you can link all the trails , these are existing trails/old roads and we found the early !900's trail just out of town heading to the Portal, that section if you start at the Kiosk just out of town is easy to follow and link to the arch taril then the single track up to just before Lone Pine Campground then the NRT. I call these the link north to Canada south to Mexico.
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On the Lone Pine local we meet him last year he was up every day
Talked with him this summer and he had shifted for walking to riding and going to Horseshoe Meadow. Interesting guy took a 80 foot falls several years ago,bouncing back now... Very strong hiker quite ,on our third meeting near the Portal he suggested I use the shortcut just above the group site he thought I may be able to save some time. I said I would try it,later he sees us shoveling snow off the roof so would stop and chat for a few minutes.
A hint the short cut after the group campground is the old portal road and part of the old campground.Most return climbers use this path during the winter several steep sections but short walks through the Ravine campground and exists to the lower(overflow parking lot)
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I mentioned to him that I take photos of the Store so that you guys can see the snow load without having the come up...He mentioned that he had seen you shoveling the roof last winter...
I looked at both OnX Off Road and Google Maps...The both show Upper Alabama Hills Trail that ends at Movie Road near the Arch Trail...
In the lower portion of the AH, they both show a "The Horse Trail" that leads up from the Visitor's area...
Also, the Arch Trail is off-limits to "vehicles," so I'd interpret that to mean no bikes, etc...
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At the arch trail head the hiking trail drops into a wash,you will see 2-3 trails the faint right trail heads to the arch the rock lined center trail is the hiking trail to the arch just left of center trail is the single tract that heads north joining a series of roads/ more single track and can get you to Bishop and beyond by linking these trails roads together. Taking the single track west you loop around the hills and can come out on the Portal Road just above The last house check if the bridge is still there .
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Headed up the road again today...
Lots of pavement showing, but the snow that hasn't melted is pretty deep.
It took about 2 hours to get to the Portal...
Then about 4 to get to the Log Crossing...
9+ hours for the round trip.
I put tracks in up the Old Trail...
Looked at the NF...No tracks, so I headed up the Main Trail...
Drifts were pretty constant...3 1/2 - 4 feet...It would be impossible without snowshoes or skis...
I followed the trail until I got up near Thor and then took a few really direct lines up to the Cascade below the Logs. .
In the morning, road crews were working Lubken...Talked to the Flagman...No word on when WP Rd will be finished...He said they are working drainage for the canyon right now...
Staying near LP to walk HM Rd tomorrow...I'll post photos tomorrow night or Friday.
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Look for the report on Horseshoe Meadows Road...it was a very interesting day...though really tough because of the soreness from the WP Rd snowshoe/hike... Here are some photos from the 21st:  My guess is 2 weeks without a really cold storm and we'll be able to drive up to the Rockfall Gate...  See what I mean...?  Rockfall Gate...     Log Crossing...  Straight-Lined a lot of the climb...Hopefully, people trust it and just pack it in...I'll probably be up Monday to continue on...feet need a little recovery from 2 days of really hard work...
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Tire tracks almost to Meysan this afternoon as I was coming down.
A Lexus parked at the first switchback...
I parked way down the road...booted it all the way to the JM Wilderness sign...snowshoed from there to just above Outpost Camp...like the sunshine for my lunch break...Spring conditions on the way down...(with no snowshoes it would be pure hell...)
Wind is howling...was going to try the "Diect From Lone Pine Lake"...snow on Candlelight and Irvine seems stable...
I'm going home...it's supposed to blow even harder tomorrow.
Oh, the Lexus driver must be on the north side...
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