2016 Snow Level Thread

[sprengers4jc]

We visited the Siskiyous this past week. Snow was at 5,000 feet but melting fast. Pilot Rock looked mostly melted out from what I could tell.

[kepPNW]

No snow, to speak of, on Benson Plateau yesterday (4/29). About 50' of the PCT had 3" of leftovers, but otherwise just a couple-few scattered piles in clearings within the woods. 99%+ melted out below our high point of 4155'.

[woodswalker]

snow at 3900 feet up Badger Creek - a little east of Mt Hood. Trail mostly covered. Banks of snow to walk over.

5000 feet on south facing ridge of Flag Mountain

Thanks! Did you continue up Badger creek as far as the Lake?

Woodswalker

[retired jerry]

I got within 1 mile of Badger Lake. The trail was 75% covered with snow, but that trail is easy to follow - just stay North of Badger Creek. There were steep snow banks to go up and over. Occasional post-holing. I could have easily gone the additional mile, but was ready to turn around regardless.

That's a great spot. East of Cascades so it was dry except one shower that lasted one hour. I camped 7 miles in. Saw no one for 4 days.

[gratefultrails]

The bench viewpoint and rock garden near Wildcat Mtn. are both easily accessible. There are a few snowbanks 1-3 ft. deep around and above 4100' that are no problem to go through with even the lightest of shoes. No shooters at the quarry, yay

[SageBeard]

do you guys consider the nohrsc model to be trustworthy? i've found it to be off by a half foot at most.

http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/ ... 12=1&o13=1

i am toying with integrating that data with google maps, together with weather/fire perimeters/etc -- would be fun if anyone had ideas or wanted to collaborate on it:

https://jsfiddle.net/7Lb3wnu2/12/

[retired jerry]

I use nohrsc model all the time. Fairly accurate.

Yeah, it can be off by inches or even feet. Or the snow can melt off days earlier or later.

I was just up Badger Creek. Snow started about a mile from the lake. That's what nohrsc model says.

One thing is the squares of the model are like 1 mile square. A narrow ridge can be a lot smaller than a mile, have a lot of snow on it, but the snow for that 1 mile square will average to about zero snow.

[weekend_warrior]

Tanner Ridge trail clear all the way to the summit of Tanner Butte as of 5/1

[drm]

I snowshoed in to Goose Lake off of FR 60 just south of Indian Heaven. Road was blocked just in from Atkisson snopark and the 8 mile road walk was 80% snow covered but melting fast. Some places still had 6 feet deep snow on the road so it will be a while till you can drive in. The first dozen campsites at Goose Lake were melted out as was the lake. A Forest Service truck was stuck in the snow at the first snowbank and they were digging it out. Somebody had driven in as far as the Natural Bridges turn but you needed really high clearance for that, far more than my Subaru.

Goose Lake can be busy, noisy, and a bit trashed out in mid-summer, but is great in spring when the road is blocked. There is even a spring that pops right out of the hillside next to campsite 12, so you don't have to use lake water. Flies were out and about but not biting. Bug season is getting close with this consistent heat.

[-Q-]

I snowshoed in to Goose Lake off of FR 60 just south of Indian Heaven. Road was blocked just in from Atkisson snopark and the 8 mile road walk was 80% snow covered but melting fast. Some places still had 6 feet deep snow on the road so it will be a while till you can drive in. The first dozen campsites at Goose Lake were melted out as was the lake. A Forest Service truck was stuck in the snow at the first snowbank and they were digging it out. Somebody had driven in as far as the Natural Bridges turn but you needed really high clearance for that, far more than my Subaru.

Goose Lake can be busy, noisy, and a bit trashed out in mid-summer, but is great in spring when the road is blocked. There is even a spring that pops right out of the hillside next to campsite 12, so you don't have to use lake water. Flies were out and about but not biting. Bug season is getting close with this consistent heat.

Just today I was thinking to myself that I bet I could drive to camp crest from the West. From your report on the eastern side, I was way off base haha. Thanks for the update