2015 Snow Level Thread

[sprengers4jc]

We hit snow around the 3,000 foot level yesterday on a one-way shuttle hike of Zigzag trail to Dog River trailhead. It was mostly a dusting with a bit more at the 4,000 foot level. Here's a pic of what it looked like.

[romann]

A bit of new snow in Indian Heaven right from Thomas Lake trailhead - but melting fast. The temps were in the 60's during the day.

Mostly snow-covered trail from Eunice Lake junction and up


Sections through the meadows were pretty wet, but not bad with waterproof boots (almost no dirt)...


Blue Lake (and other lakes beyond Rock Lake) was frozen. There was little snow at Blue Lk; but the highest section (probably a mile) between Rock and Blue Lake had from no to 2-3 feet of wet, soft snow. Wish I brought my snowshoes there.

[drm]

Surprise Lakes snotel, near Indian Heaven, just went to zero.

[Aimless]

Yesterday (May 1st) I hiked up Salmon Butte, which tops out at just over 4800 ft. in the Salmon-Huckleberry wilderness. The only patch of snow I saw was clearly recent, about 1" deep and wouldn't have covered a dining room table. By today it ought to be gone. The only visible snow nearby was a smattering that still clung to steep north slopes that get zero sun. I doubt it amounted to more than a few inches, either.

[-Q-]

Three Fingered Jack conditions as of 5/2-5/3...

Santiam Pass - Square Lake - Booth Lake - Jack Lake... no snow at all

Santiam Pass - Santiam Lake - Duffy Lake - Mowich Lake - Alice Lake - North Dixie Lake - South Dixie Lake... some snow between the "lunar moonscape plains" and Duffy Lake, and a little bit between Duffy Lake and Mowich Lake.
Nothing major, and its all tracked out. No snow anywhere else.

[Don Nelsen]

I climbed Goat Mt - the one just west of MSH on Sunday and there was no snow all the way to the top - 4965'. Looking out over the area, I'd say all trails in the MSH area are snow free.

[drm]

Went up Snipes Mtn Trail on south side of Mt Adams Saturday. Hit full snow coverage at lower Gotchen Meadow, about 5700'.

[bushwhacker]

Did Short Horn on the SW side of Mt Adams yesterday (5/16). Nice to get away from the clouds in the low lands. Sun all day. No snow up until you get to where if flattens out around 5600' then more snow then bare ground then back to just about no snow on the steep part leading up to the Short Horn and Round the Mountain trail.

I took a left on the RTM trail heading North and in the burn part there was a mix of snow and bare. Watch you step on the last of the three gully crossing as the snow had thinned out to the point where if you stay to where the trail would you you might fall through and into the creek below.

Stream crossing on Short Horn around 5800'

Short Horn / Round the Mountain junction

View from RTM trail

One of the gully crossings

The trip got sort of weird at this point. As I was paying more attention to where I was stepping in the snow then to what was going on around me these three mountain goats appeared just a few dozen feet off to my left. I have seen goats on the East side of Adams but never on the West side. They seem less concerned about me then I was about them and just stood there watching me. I wanted to put some distance between them and me so kept going for a bit then stopped and got a couple of pictures. They look surprising big close up. And the pointy horns grab your attention.

I kept going until about a half mile from the Looking Glass Lake junction since it was all snow at this point.

Lunch spot

Retracing my steps after about 100 yards I discovered fresh goat tracks of the top of my fresh tracks. Never did see them again.

Great, stalker goats.

[miah66]

Great, stalker goats.

DSC03282b.jpg

"We've come to drink your pee"

[drm]

Forgot to post that I went up Gumjuwac to Lookout Mtn on Saturday. No snow on Gumjuwac, but a few snowbanks on the ridge connecting to Lookout, and quite a bit on the north side if you were to take the road to/from the junction immediately west of the summit.