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Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 21st, 2019, 7:58 pm
by Don Nelsen
I was up at Indian Point today with a couple of friends and amazed at how fast the snow has melted this past week.
Here are a few photos:
This first one was taken April 5th, 2003 and I include it here for reference:
This next one was taken only a week ago (!) on March 14th:
This last one was taken today, March 21st:
dn
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 8:43 am
by kepPNW
Wow! Been a very good week indeed.
I've seen similarly rapid melting on the WA side, out by Coyote Wall and Dog Mtn, but those photos seemed to show much slower melting on the north-facing OR side.
Really couldn't be happier, after a 7-mile snowshoe slog earlier this week!
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 12:23 pm
by -Q-
Great info Don, thanks so much for the update.
How was the snow on the trail under the tree's in the general Herman area??
About what elevation is the snow level on the OR side these days??
Thanks!!
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 12:57 pm
by Aimless
Lots of north-facing slopes on the Oregon side, so warmish rain is a better snow-melting instrument in those locales.
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 2:27 pm
by Don Nelsen
-Q- wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2019, 12:23 pm
Great info Don, thanks so much for the update.
How was the snow on the trail under the tree's in the general Herman area??
About what elevation is the snow level on the OR side these days??
Thanks!!
All the snow is gone on the trails below about 1,200' elevation and above that, even as high as we got, 3,152', there are bare spots on open or south facing slopes. We could see lots of snow in shady spots along Herman Cr. well below us though - even as low as 600' or 700'. We did a "non-standard" route on a ridge and were on bare ground until 2,900'. After that, the snow abruptly went from zero to 2' deep and stayed that way. Even the user trail down to Indian point is about half melted out.
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 23rd, 2019, 8:14 am
by Chip Down
Don Nelsen wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2019, 2:27 pm
We did a "non-standard" route on a ridge ...
What fun! I'll be doing the same tomorrow (I mean, you know, on a different ridge).
Nice to see IP with snow. That must be rare. When there's snow up there, it would generally be a difficult hike to get there.
Re: Fast melt-out on the gorge trails
Posted: March 25th, 2019, 8:48 am
by -Q-
Don Nelsen wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2019, 2:27 pm
-Q- wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2019, 12:23 pm
Great info Don, thanks so much for the update.
How was the snow on the trail under the tree's in the general Herman area??
About what elevation is the snow level on the OR side these days??
Thanks!!
All the snow is gone on the trails below about 1,200' elevation and above that, even as high as we got, 3,152', there are bare spots on open or south facing slopes. We could see lots of snow in shady spots along Herman Cr. well below us though - even as low as 600' or 700'. We did a "non-standard" route on a ridge and were on bare ground until 2,900'. After that, the snow abruptly went from zero to 2' deep and stayed that way. Even the user trail down to Indian point is about half melted out.
Excellent update Don, thanks again.
I suspect things will be changing rapidly now with some warmer weather and warm rain.