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Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
#55749 07/17/19 12:59 PM
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bnwilso Offline OP
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Does anyone have any recent info on the route to Sky Blue Lake, over Crabtree Pass and up the Sandhill to Mt Whitney?

Re: Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
bnwilso #55773 07/20/19 12:24 PM
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I'm also looking for this information. I have a hike starting on the 28th of July from WPortal to HSM. I wanted to go down the hill from Discovery Pinnacle to the last Crabtree lake and then onto Langley through the south side of Major General. The only information I have is the weekly satellite pictures from Caltopo. They show a lot of snow at the Crabtree Pass still. Would love to hear from anyone that has been there lately!

https://caltopo.com/l/SUEG

Re: Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
G4u2 #55776 07/20/19 04:35 PM
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We've been looking at the same Caltopo satellite images. We were hoping someone has been over Crabtree pass and around the upper lake to give a first hand update. It's really hard to tell from the satellite view if the snow can be easily dealt with or not. We head out early Monday morning and without a report from someone we will probably divert to the PCT to get to Whitney via Guitar Lake.

Re: Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
bnwilso #55778 07/20/19 06:07 PM
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Those weekly satellite pics are helpful. It is amazing that Sky Blue is snow free, but the lake above it is still icy white. I tlooks like you would need to walk some amount of snow, but the steeper north side of Crabtree Pass is melted out.

If I were going, I would go for the pass. There will be some snow travel, but it will be pretty well consolidated.

Re: Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
bnwilso #55779 07/21/19 09:06 AM
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Someone just posted this in the High Sierra Trail facebook group (they exited this way rather than via the portal):

Quote:
Crabtree pass is still 90-100% snow covered on the south side to Sky Blue Lake, as of 7/16. If you plan to attempt it, circle upper Crabtree counter-clockwise to avoid probable snow bridging across the outlet at the West end. Go early and have spikes and an axe.

Miter basin is snow free and stunningly green with minimal mosquitos.

Cottonwood pass is snow free with the exception of 10 feet of packed suncups. You could walk around but it's easier not to.

Re: Anyone Know Sky Blue Lake/Sandhill to Mt Whitney Conditions?
Jonathan C #55783 07/21/19 12:09 PM
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bnwilso Offline OP
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Thank you Jonathan for finding that report and taking the time to re-post it here. Sounds like conditions are on the margins of what my group is comfortable with. We will have crampons but not ice axes. Still tempting. Maybe someone will add additional insight? Would really like to go that way.


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