Trip Report (11-24-17)

Me and a buddy hiked up to Bighorn Park, and turned around. Out of about 25-30 climbers coming down from Trail Camp, only one had made it. He said there was chest high snow up near Trail Crest, and that the 99 switchbacks were dangerous with the amount of powder snow accumulated on them.

Trail conditions as of Friday. The first 1.5 mile is free of snow, with just a little patch on the trail after the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek crossing. Snow begins a third of the way up to Lone Pine Lake from the creek crossing. The trail is worn down, and therefore has become icy. A lot of hikers were using micro spikes. The log crossing right before Lone Pine Creek is totally doable, and there is little ice left. Above Lone Pine Lake you start to notice a lot more snow but the trail is easy to follow. Above Bighorn Park, snowshoes would be useful, postholing is exhausting.