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Snow Pack
#13081 04/20/11 08:03 AM
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Is it just my wishful thinking, or is the snow starting to recede significantly? Any comparison shots from the Whitney Cam to give us hope?


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Re: Snow Pack
saltydog #13083 04/20/11 08:51 AM
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Whitney Portal Store WebCam archive
You can browse through the archive for comparison now to the past. Sorry, it's not the Mt Whitney Hikers Association webcam, but rather the Whitney Portal Store webcam. But it's the same mountain, same snow, same weather and clouds.

Last edited by Joel M. Baldwin; 04/20/11 08:54 AM.
Re: Snow Pack
Joel M. Baldwin #13084 04/20/11 09:09 AM
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not really a snow depth chart, but it lets you compare to years you recall from previous trips to get a sense of where things stand with the melt:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/swcchart.action

Re: Snow Pack
Fishmonger #13123 04/21/11 08:18 AM
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Thanks. Fascinating info at both sources. My visual impression was definitely wishful thinking. More snow now than Jan-March, only a little net melt since April 1.

One thing very interesting I noticed. In the minimum year, snow pack started building two months later than in the average year, and was gone much earlier as you would expect. But in the maximum year, the huge snow pack disappeared at the same time or slightly earlier than in the average year. SO I take it that the creeks will be up but the snowpack mostly gone by the time of my HST start date, July 11


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Re: Snow Pack
saltydog #13129 04/21/11 03:54 PM
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I added in last year to charts...there is a lot more snow in them thar hills than last year.

With that said, I have crossed Cottonwood Pass in mid-June in '05, '06 and '10 without a problem to stand on snow free Cirque Peak, if you are inclined to do some early Sierra hiking. However, Whitney is another thing. My guess is the only way the MMWT opens above the cables in June is if there is a warm spring.

Re: Snow Pack
wbtravis #13161 04/22/11 05:27 PM
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http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/PLOT_SWC.pdf

2011 looks like 2006 when on July 15 there were miles and miles of postholing hell on Muir Pass.

Re: Snow Pack
Harvey Lankford #13172 04/23/11 04:17 PM
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In '06, we stayed at Whitney Portal at the start of the 4th of July weekend before heading north, it was a ghost town.

I suspect that many who hold permits before 7/15 will cancel. If I were a snowphobic, I would be working on a plan B...or being satisfied with something less than Mt. Whitney as a goal.

Re: Snow Pack
wbtravis #13176 04/23/11 11:15 PM
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Any recommendations for a Plan B or a goal less than Mt. Whitney?


One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
Re: Snow Pack
GandC #13177 04/24/11 05:09 AM
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If the spring is hot, what I previously post is nothing but hot air. wink However, if it is cool there are still a lot of great places to travel in the immediate area. Obviously, you have a permit...go! If you have not hiked in this area in an earlier life, you will see a lot of things you have not seen and learn a lot for your later summit bid. In May '07, we saw water coming out of places we have never seen, it was a great experience for me from that point alone.

A trip in the area last year stands out. We crossed Cottonwood Pass in mid-June, did Cirque Peak on Saturday...just a few minor snow field to cross, which were done without crampons. The views from Cirque are great. Sunday we looped out and summitted Trail Peak.

Now, I thought this was going to be a total waste of time but the trip to Trail Peak was absolutely gorgeous and the views from Trail Peak were spectacular. There was snow on the mountain...even more than what was on Cirque but not problematical.

Last year, we went up Meysan Canyon to Grass Lake with the intention of doing Mt. Mallory but illness and injury did not allow us to go higher but this place absolutely beautiful and surprisingly lightly traveled. We used crampons and axe above 9,200' on Memorial Day weekend...YMMV.

Re: Snow Pack
saltydog #13239 04/25/11 04:38 PM
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I guide whitewater and use a site to get the river flows. Some of the rivers have 3 years flow history listed. Useing this you can get an idea of how fast the snow is melting.

http://www.dreamflows.com/


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