Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
brandireyn
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by brandireyn » June 16th, 2017, 7:23 pm

justpeachy wrote:
drm wrote:So I think this gives some hint of what our very hot May did for us.
Maybe we have different definitions of "very hot." I think of temperatures in the 80s (of which Portland had seven days in May) as hot, and 90s (one day) as very hot. But that's just me. ;)
I'm from Texas-80's degrees is what we call 'February' :D

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adamschneider
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by adamschneider » June 18th, 2017, 9:38 pm

I tried to drive from Cedar Creek over to French Creek today (in the mountains north of Detroit Lake), and was stopped by snow just past the Opal Lake trailhead on FR 2207 — at just 3700'!

While post-holing and bushwhacking our way up to Dog Tooth Rock, we ran into some people who had successfully driven all the way up from Detroit to the French Creek trailhead (between Dog Tooth Rock and Marten Buttes), so only about two miles of the road is still inaccessible. But it was a bummer to have to backtrack all the way down.

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retired jerry
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by retired jerry » June 22nd, 2017, 5:39 am

we've gone 6 days without rain, no rain in sight which should take us into July when it rains less

will we break the record of 71 days without measurable rain?

pdxgene
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by pdxgene » June 23rd, 2017, 7:11 am

retired jerry wrote:we've gone 6 days without rain, no rain in sight which should take us into July when it rains less

will we break the record of 71 days without measurable rain?
Fat chance... you know it'll rain the day before, the day of, and the day after the eclipse.... :P

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retired jerry
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by retired jerry » June 23rd, 2017, 8:25 am

Good one :lol:

Maybe the weather reports will say it'll be clear, but there will be inexplicable thunderstorms that develop just before?

birdhiker
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by birdhiker » June 24th, 2017, 3:01 pm

My dog, Huck and I went up Pinnacle Ridge Trail on 6/24/17, first spot of snow on trail was at 4920 feet. The meadow/bog just past the Pinnacle is where snow started. Just about solid snow up from there. I turned back where trail leaves meadow.

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xrp
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by xrp » June 24th, 2017, 5:33 pm

I hit the PCT in Indian Heaven Wilderness starting from Crest Camp Trailhead today. Snow was visible at the start, but not hindering hiking on the trail. Snow started increasing between 3800 and 3900 feet. Some drifts were 3-4 feet deep still. The PCT could still be followed (by us) until just above 4000 feet altitude. We turned around just shy of Sheep Lakes, no longer confident in our ability to follow the PCT.

A more experienced navigator could probably go further.

But, for casual hiking, I would give IHW another 2-3 weeks before you could get up to Blue Lake and beyond.

twilley
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by twilley » June 26th, 2017, 7:43 am

Thank you for that update on Indian Heaven - very helpful!

I hiked a short connector section on the PCT this weekend, from Wahtum lake to Buck's peak near Lost Lake - only small patches / sections of snow on the trail, and never worried about losing my way. The end of the gravel road to Indian Springs campground does still have snowdrifts, however, so it is not drivable.

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drm
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Re: Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

Post by drm » June 26th, 2017, 9:12 am

Snipes Mtn Trail on south side of Adams didn't hit snow till 5800 feet, which is also where the burn ends and green trees start to dominate. Most of the trail has been logged out though upper section still has some. From camp at the snow line I snowshoed to RTM Trail and deep snowbanks and nearly 100% coverage there.

On the north side, I have read that the snowline is about at the trailheads (i.e. about 4500').

TodF
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Lookout Mtn

Post by TodF » June 29th, 2017, 8:08 am

We were up at Lookout Mtn (the one at the north edge of Badger Creek Wilderness) this weekend (6/23-6/25). The road to the High Prairie parking area is open, although there were some snow drifts partly across the road near the top. Mostly sporadic spots of snow visible from the road until near the top.

There is plenty of snow around High Prairie, but the meadows are more melted out than snow covered, at least for about 1/4 mile up from the parking area and 4420, which is about 6000 ft. Snow banks start soon after leaving the parking area and are frequent on the main (east) trail up to Lookout Mtn (in blue on map), but consolidated and hikeable, if slippery. Once up to the intersection with the west trail, the usual route up (in red on map) has high, steep snow banks that aren't much fun to traverse. It was easier to go up to the ridge from the intersection (blue on map) and go over to the lookout point along the ridge. The lookout area is snow free. The west trail (purple on map) has snow at the top, but is easy to follow and mostly snow-free for the bottom half.

The Divide Trail ridge looks pretty thoroughly snowed in still.

We hiked 4420 to Fifteenmile campground with a jog up to Eightmile Point. 4420 has a few drifts 2-3 feet high at the top, but is mostly snow-free.

BTW, the section of 4420 just east of the High Prairie parking area has been re-graveled (re-rocked?) since I was last up there, and I was surprised at how good the road is. I wouldn't want to take my Civic on it, but if I had to I could probably do it. Before it didn't even seem like a road.
Lookout mtn.jpg

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