Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Old Army & New Army Pass current conditions

Took a nice 2-night outing in the Cottonwood Lakes basin. Trekked around the Cottonwood Lakes and South Fork Lakes as well.

Lots of snow above 11,400 feet, especially on the north slopes. Hardly any below that elevation. Horseshoe Meadow Road is open, with the last gate open. There were not many people at the Cottonwood Pass parking lot, but a moderate number at the New Army Pass parking lot.

The Old Army Pass (OAP) trail is currently inaccessible (snow/Ice) and will remain so until at least the end of June. There is a direct route to the top of OAP, but only for those who possess a considerable amount of mountaineering skills. I have climbed this approach a few times in the past. It's steep but doable. DO NOT TAKE THE TRAIL. See pictures below.

New Army Pass (NAP) currently has the typical cornice and can be bypassed if you know how to route find and possess a good amount of mountaineering skills. Please take a look at the pictures below.

This trip was primarily focused on backpacking and creating content for my channel, so I didn't have the time to reach the top of either pass.

Since these passes are the traditional way to reach Mt Langley, CRAMPONS AND AN ICE AXE MUST BE USED TO REACH THE TOP OF EITHER PASS. NO MICRO SPIKES. From there, Langley can be summited without the use of mountain climbing tools.

Safe travels!

Pictures on flickr

Thanks for starting this topic this season and providing updates, Fit2Climb!

Does anyone have a recent report on the snow conditions of NAP or OAP? How have the bugs been so far in the Rock Creek and Crabtree drainages?

Thanks for keeping the conversation going.

-TBird

OAP still has some snow on the upper end of the trail. NAP has a small passable snow bank at the last switchback.

I just returned from Rock Creek and the Upper Miter Basin near Crabtree Pass (July 3rd - 6th). The mosquitoes at Rock Creek are terrible, as is the entry into Miter Basin (swarms on the attack!).

Sky Blue Lake had a few bugs, but not many. Upper Lakes near Crabtree Pass had no bugs.

I forgot how nasty the bugs are in early summer in the Sierra. I usually wait to hike deep into the Sierra from late August to October to avoid the swarms of blood-thirsty mosquitoes.

Hope this helps!