Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Conditions June 15?

I have a large group scheduled for a 3 day summit 6/15-17. It's Obvious that the trail is basically non-existent now, but does anyone have an educated guess as to what we're looking at in 5 weeks. I'm hoping enough people will hit the summit between now and then to create a food trail to the summit.

My guess is you're going to be slogging up a snow chute from Trail Camp to Trail Crest.

My first hike up Mount Whitney, 25 years ago, went up just such a snow chute and it was a great experience. It was much more interesting and faster than the 97 switchbacks. The main difficulty is stepping in and out of the numerous snow cups, but they really aren't so bad. I didn't use an ice axe and I don't think you'll need one but the terrible fall taken by R. Secor on Mt. Baldy gives everyone second thoughts. Good luck.

Hi The standard nag I have about boots and what the soles do when they are on snow/ice check and make sure the material is the same hot or cold sneak one into the freezer and see what the rubber does,
We are ask all the time of the steepness of certain areas when the trail is snow covered. Just as the trail is built with switchbacks to control the steepness one can travel up and down the snow slopes and travel at the steepnees you feel at ease with. When I go I never slide, I zig-zag at a very flat slope. Thanks Doug,

We climbed the peak in mid June 2003 starting from Cottonwood Lakes. There was plenty of snow on the ground especially from Guitar Lake to Trail Crest, but enough sections of the trail were visible to trace it. The trail was also visible in the switchback section but many areas were icy (by mid afternoon). You will have to look at the statistics of snowfall from that season vs. this current year to make an appropriate assessment.

I've never seen snow at Trail Camp near the lake, but that was a little later as we usually go the 4th of July weekend.This year will be twice as much snow as usual,I am thinking that there will still be snow even below Trail Camp.The melt has not really started at all so it is one month behind schedule at least.There is still significant snow and Ice at the portal
and the road wasn't open as of a few days ago the portal store is also opening 3 weeks later than normal.Comparisons to previus years are difficult as this year is 200% of normal.For the next few weeks at least you need crampons and snow shoes.RR

10 years ago I headed a trip up the mountain with a large group. It was July 30th and there was snow covering the last 50 switch backs.

Let me just say it's not going up that will be the hard part. It's coming down. By the time you hit that part of the trail on your way down, the sun will be long gone and on the west side of the mountain. That nice shoot you followed up will be freezing up and will be very slick. We had no special equipment.

I wouldn't do that ever again with an inexperienced group let alone by myself without training. Very scary to say the least.

The winter snows have been so deep I think I was wondering myself just how long they would last.
Looking at the snow water content graph, it is obvious that the melt is on.

Look at the bottom graph, the Kern area. Extending the slope down puts the snow at about 50% on June 15th.

<a href="http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/current/PLOT_SWC"> snow water graph</a>

It won't be gone by June 15th, but the warmer temperatures will make the path through the snow much deeper in the next month.

Earlier this week the weather forecast was predicting that the temperature in the Owens Valley would crack 100 degrees. If true, that should accelerate the snow melt.

I was surprised by how much snow had melted off of the lower portion of the Main Trail between the two hikes I did up there at the end of April and earlier this week.

I have been on the main trail 3 times in the last 5 years between the first of may and the middle of June. I have had snow to contend with each time, but have never gotten out my crampons. I do carry and use my ice axe though. I usually just climb straight up the chute out of trail camp to trail crest. To me that is an easier approach then the switchbacks covered in snow and ice. Just a personal preferance. I have climbed later in the summer as well, and the lack of snow generally means more people following through with using there permits which means more people on the trail. I like it a little less crowded so I prefer earlier in the season. Just be sure no matter what the conditions are you stay within your comfort and skill level. Getting to the top is optional, going home is not. Have fun.

Due to the rapid rise in temperatures, the snow is melting fast. Take a look at the current snow pack grid, bottom graph.

<a href="http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/current/PLOT_SWC">California Snow pack</a>

Extend the line down and you get to the bottom about June 21st, much earlier then we would have guessed a few weeks ago. It could cool back down so keep checking.

Thanks evryone for the beta. My guess is that conditions should be like the last time I summited during an "El Nino" year. (Think it was 95) By mid June although everything from Trail Camp up was under snow, so many people had already been up that a nice foot trail guided us nicely to the top. A 2-3 foot trench had been nicely developed by all of the foot traffic providing a very safe passage to Trail Crest. No other obstructions to the summit came after that.

TomC,

What a remarkable drop in this chart, that's about 35% in one week. I have not heard of any reports of high water and flooding other than the Yosemite incident last week. We have a lot of rapid water incidents here in Colorado with the heat the past week.

Has anyone heard of any reports of high water and flooding from Sierra melt off?

Hi all, not sure how accurate this is, but I got this info from a news report on a local channel in Los Angeles.

They sent a reporter up to Mammoth Mtn to the ski resort. She was trying to learn how to snowboard. She claimed there was 20 feet of snow below her, that was a couple of days ago. They were estimating that there might still be skiing at Mammoth as late as July 4th this year, maybe even have snow as late as August.

Mammoth is not that far from Whitney.

It's not a normal snow level year in the Sierra.

Past year June trip reports will definitely not apply to this year.

Expect winter conditions past trail camp even into late June.

Luv that unpredictable California weather....

If you have visited Mammoth Lakes, you learn that they get more snow then any other place in the Eastern Sierra. It has something to do with the direction the mountain faces and the area around it. That is why the ski resort was built there, many years ago, after studying snow paterns in the Eastern Sierra.

I saw the news reporter speaking of the 18-20 feet of snow where she was standing. It was toward the bottom of the ski resort, which would be around 9500 feet.

The Whitney area doesn't currently have that kind of snow at 10000 feet, but one report said 12000 foot Trail Camp had 18 feet of snow about 1 week ago.

Certainly the next month is going to be quite interesting, watching the snow melt away.

Sierras did get a lot of snow this year, no denying it. Mammoth Mountain received over 600 inches over the season. However, this total does not apply to the entire range and using the ski resort which has predominantly East and North facing slopes should only be used as a guide to current conditions. Remember, ski slopes are machine groomed and do not melt off nearly as quickly as areas subjected to more natural conditions.......compare the Mammoth Mountain Lodge web-cams to the Yosemite Assoc. web-cams and you can see quite a difference in the snow levels. In Colorado, A Basin is typcially open into July but conditions are abysmal at best at that time of year. It's like water skiing without the rope and boat.

I think we may still be surprised with backcountry conditions this year with plenty of snow fields to cross, streams to navigate and mosquitos to eliminate....they should be horrid this year well into September.

Speaking of A Basin. They had a large in bounds avalanche that killed a skier yesterday. Current warm temps are priming may areas for wet slides. Remember to be careful out there is the night time temps are not getting cold enough to refreeze the snow.

Thinking of your post, I took this photo from the summit of Thor peak yesterday (Saturday May 28th) It includes the area of the 97 switchbacks/ snow chute above trail camp. This picture is loaded in full size so it can be enlarged.

<a href="http://client.webshots.com/photo/355990090/356299639NOSvLw"> Photo of the 97 Switchbacks</a>

If you follow the link "view entire album" you can see other pictures taken from the summit of Thor Peak looking toward Arc's pass, Mt Whitney and the like. The snow is deep but melting fast, with mostly full coverage in the valleys above 10,000 feet.

Temps have yes been in the low 90's this weekend. In Bishop. I live here. But this weekend we drove up to North Lake - gate closed, temp about 65. Snow visible on the road - about 8900 feet - from below on the road to South Lake. South Lake road open, parking lot plowed with 6 foot berm at the trailhead, and 60 degrees at 9200 feet. Onion Valley - road open, campground closed, ski tracks down to the parking lot, a few ski mountaineers camped in the parking lot and 60 degrees. Trail up Kearsarge Pass open at 9200, but the "trail" is under three feet of snow a mile before you reach Gilbert Lake.
Latest local forecast from "Howard Sheckter" (go to 395.com)the Mammoth Lakes Weatherman is for a short cooling trend this week with nighttime temps at 8500 feet in the Mammoth area in the low 30's and in the low 40's in Bishop at 4300 feet. The weather is still unsettled. Thunderstorms up on the Sherwin Grade but no convection cells in the high country to the south to bring showers and a faster melt-off.