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It was a rough winter without the WPSMB, but it was so nice knowing the the Mountain and the Board (and the Burgers) would be there come spring time.
I am heading up the MR on Sunday, May 30th and hoping for some current info:
Any chance of driving to 10,000 (Horseshoe Meadows) on Friday the 28th?
Are hikers encountering mostly consolidated snow conditions without too much postholing?
Do any of you use Bivy sacks at this point in the season? Laura (AKA Moosey), I know you were very happy with the one you got (a year ago?), do you still love it? Do you use it in snow?
Any possibility of my son fishing in Upper Boy Scout Lake, or too much ice still?
Thanks in advance for any info. It's great to be up and around and I will finally be fully awake for the season when I get to the Owens Valley!
climbSTRONG
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -Helen Keller
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Welcome back, Gary! You might want to call the IAVC (760)876-6222 to see about the road up to HM. I'm swingin' into LP on Thursday and can run by if you like. Are hikers encountering mostly consolidated snow conditions without too much postholing? Do you seriously want me to answer that?   Sorry, but I live to posthole... I actually haven't been out on too many overnights recently, but yes, I've used my bivy this winter in the snow and yes, I still love it. This weekend I think I'll be taking my EV2, since there is weather and I simply want more weight on my back. Have a great time!! Be safe! -L 
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...and I simply want more weight on my back.
HA HA HA HA HA - Only YOU would say that!!!!! 
Moved to Bishop in 2012 and haven't looked back since...
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That is funny. But I think she's right. Laura has really changed my thinking on this subject and I've gone a whole different direction on my training.
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Hey Climbstrong I switch from my tent to a bivy sack once temps get above 30"s and if I don't have a lot of gear I want to protect. My favorite is outdoor research advanced bivy Outdoor Research
It's just better in the mountains
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Thanks for the tips Moosey and Lori.
Lori - are you still planning on Rainier this summer?
climbSTRONG
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -Helen Keller
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Yes I am planning a second attempt on Rainer. I have already mailed my permits and am awaiting the date. Depending on what date I may have an extra permit.
My next trip to the Sierra's is the East Buttress June 10 (if conditions are favorable).
Then my big mountain plans are Shasta again but this time a glacier route, Aconcagua in December and am starting to get a team together for Denali next May.
Always looking to climb higher!
It's just better in the mountains
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From the Sierra Club crib notes for the trip I'm on this weekend being led by my friend Paul:
"Gear. You will need winter backpacking and snow climbing equipment for a one night stay in the mountains and two days of hiking. Endeavor to pack as light as possible—your backpack should weigh no more than 25% of your body weight (except for Laura)."
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Laura-
She with the heaviest pack this weekend may be the one who does not get blown off the trail! I look forward to your TR.
Lori-
Sounds like a great climbing season. Our group got permits for July 23-26th on Rainier. Might see you there.
climbSTRONG
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -Helen Keller
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Greetings-- We just climbed the MR a few days ago, camping at UBSL. I'm not an expert at snow & ice travel, but I'm going to try to answer your questions based on what we experienced, hoping that any first hand info will help. Note that we were a little slow on our travel as we were doing a lot of route finding - this was our first trip up this route.
>Are hikers encountering mostly consolidated snow conditions >without too much postholing?
We climbed from LBSL(start of snow) to UBSL between 1030 and 1600hrs taking a general 'line-of-sight' route between the LBSL and the upper gully that you want to pass through. The temps were way above freezing -- maybe 60F? We did a LOT of postholing (before putting on snowshoes). We did bring snowshoes and were very glad we brought them.
>Do any of you use Bivy sacks at this point in the season? Laura >(AKA Moosey), I know you were very happy with the one you got (a >year ago?), do you still love it? Do you use it in snow?
Sorry..newbie: Is this instead of a tent, or in addition to a tent? We used a tent with a bivy in addition. It was incredibly windy Weds night (40+MPH gusts) and it was very comfortable having a bivy and a 3-season tent.
>Any possibility of my son fishing in Upper Boy Scout Lake, or too much ice still?
Nope -- Lake's completely frozen over.
>Thanks in advance for any info.
Yah..this board was a great use for us before attempting our climb, so we're more than happy to provide any info we can.
Last edited by AdventureDevon; 05/22/10 09:48 PM.
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AdventureDevon,
Thanks so much for your first hand reporting!
More questions:
Did you encounter mosquitos?
Did you use the snowshoes above UBSL?
Did you climb on day two and then exit in the afternoon, or did you spend a second night at UBSL on the return?
Regarding my bivy question, I have not yet invested in a 4 season tent and was wondering if it was warm enough for a bivy which has less windage than my 3 season tent. I climbed the MR last September and got alot of slapping in mild wind with my 3 season. I am afraid that a strong wind might shred the thing!
Thanks so much for the up-to-date info.
climbSTRONG
"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" -Helen Keller
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AdventureDevon,
Thanks so much for your first hand reporting!
No problem!
More questions:
Did you encounter mosquitos? Nope.
Did you use the snowshoes above UBSL? Actually, we left them at UBSL while we tried to summit, but we wish we had them for the return to UBSL.
Did you climb on day two and then exit in the afternoon, or did you spend a second night at UBSL on the return? We tried to summit on day 2, but we ran out of time on the way up the chute. Being relatively new to this activity and new to the MR, we decided on a "turn around time" of noon. We made it to the really big rock on the left hand side, and turned around there at 12:05. Next time! We didn't reach the Portal until 2200hrs that evening (breaking camp, hiking out, etc.). Next time we'll probably make it a 3 day event, with our camp a little higher than UBSL, but below Iceberg.
Regarding my bivy question, I have not yet invested in a 4 season tent and was wondering if it was warm enough for a bivy which has less windage than my 3 season tent. I climbed the MR last September and got alot of slapping in mild wind with my 3 season. I am afraid that a strong wind might shred the thing! Sorry - -I don't have any experience just using a bivy w/o a tent -- but I'd be willing to try it next time to lose the weight! And yes, our tents slapped quite a bit and kept us awake all night. A piece of advice: Bring earplugs! (or iPod, etc.)
Thanks so much for the up-to-date info. My pleasure!
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