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Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
#56512 10/30/19 11:00 AM
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Hello,

New here, first post...No winter experience, but I do have summer experience on Mt.Whitney (over 1000 miles of running between Badwater and Mt.Whitney Summit, including Badwater Double).

Does anyone have any recent pictures (within the last week)of Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, or water at Trail Camp?

Its been a dream of mine for years to do a few jumps and spins under Mt.Whitney and the temps look about right for one or more of these lakes to safely freeze over for ice skating. I was thinking of getting a dog sitter so that I can make a trip out this Saturday or Sunday. I know most people hiking out there aren't measuring the ice, but a few pictures would tell me a lot about the current conditions and if its worth me driving 6+ hours just to go out there and measure the ice.

The window of time for this activity is extremely short and I am looking for 3+ inches of smooth ice without any snow ruining the surface. Just 1 snow flurry will make the ice rough, ruining the ice for the rest of the year.

Thanks in advance for any info at all!!

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Myname #56515 10/30/19 12:53 PM
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Hey, Myname,

It isn't cold enough yet. I just posted a pic of the Trail Camp pond ice in the Current Conditions thread.

I have seen several videos of guys ice skating Sierra lakes, John Dittli (mountaineer, photographer, winter snow surveyor, etc, etc.) is the one. But they have always gone in dead of winter in dry years when the snow is really sparse. I recall a video of their skating, with trout swimming just underneath!!

One year, I drove through Yosemite around New Years, and stopped and walked out on Lake Tenaya. It was an amazing experience. But those years are few and far between.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Steve C #56519 10/30/19 05:54 PM
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Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
John Sims #56524 10/30/19 11:14 PM
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Thanks, John! What fun to watch again!

I recall emailing Dittli concerned about what they would do if one fell through. He related that they carried/wore self-rescue picks while skating.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Steve C #56529 10/31/19 12:26 PM
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Steve,

Thank you for the quick response. I checked the Current Conditions thread and the Mt.Whitney Facebook group I found:

Both seemed to report ice on the Trail Camp pond of unknown thickness. And I would have to find it, but I believe I saw a post by someone where they showed it lightly iced over on October 24th. Usually the ice formation goes pretty fast once you get that initial layer of ice to form. I'm on the fence right now, I mean... it would be a beautiful hike even without good ice. I was hoping on going up early Sunday morning...so thats 5 days of cold weather from the picture I saw from November 28th. Well, cold-ISH... We still have long day/short nights, and the daytime temps are also warmer than I like to see, so its really a gamble.

In fact, would you happen to know what the most reliable weather information website/source is for Mt.Whitney? The source I am used to using has been weird lately.

I have seen those videos are they are absolutely breathtaking!! I think a lot of years have good ice skating conditions, you just have to be so on top of it to find them though. Constant checking of weather, hiking to promising lakes and whatnot. I also realized some Eastern Sierra Lakes have resort webcams pointed at them, so that has been helping.

Lake Tenaya is definitely on my radar and I hope people post about it (and post early!) if the conditions are good.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
John Sims #56530 10/31/19 12:29 PM
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John,
Thank you for the posting of the past!

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Steve C #56531 10/31/19 12:40 PM
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Steve,

Yes that is correct, self-rescue picks are very important. I have some that go around my neck, but am looking at altering them to strap each around my wrists so they are easy to access. I experimented by dropping them in my full bathtub and they sink! You would think a device made to keep you from drowning would naturally float. So I don't like to hang them on my neck anymore, best to lock them down on your body somehow, but still make them easily accessible. I also wear a life jacket and studied many self rescue videos and they briefly trained us on ice self rescue in a Whitewater Rescue class I took a while back. When I compiled a bunch of statistics on the use of self-rescue picks, it seemed to be the BEST prevention for drowning, extremely effective!

Also taking many different ice measurements across the water body is important as ice thickness can greatly vary...and going with a group of people, which is not something I do because I don't know anyone, but Trailcamp should have plenty of people.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Myname #56533 10/31/19 01:19 PM
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And of course if anyone sees this, and has recent pictures of Trailcamp, Mirror Lake, or Consultation Lake...Please post!! Anything helps, even open water.

Post away! Anytime from now until January or so.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Myname #56568 11/16/19 09:52 PM
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Hiking through the area on 11/13, nearly all of the streams and lakes in the area are still mostly open water. The one exception was Lone Pine Lake which is almost completely frozen over and looks skateable. Two people walked out on it without drama.

Our unseasonably warm fall is forecast to end 11/20 when temperatures at 12000 feet drop from highs near 50 to the 20s, so I imagine the lakes will start freezing up shortly.

Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
marmoting #56569 11/17/19 12:09 AM
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Here's a picture from Precipice Lake on the High Sierra Trail. Elev 10,500.


Re: Ice Skating-Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp?pics?
Myname #56571 11/17/19 09:40 AM
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The picture shows Lone Pine Lake on 11/13/19. If you want to skate the lake, you will need to avoid rocks all over its surface. People have been skipping rocks on the ice to hear the otherworldly chirps they produce.



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