2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
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drm
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by drm » April 30th, 2023, 6:58 pm

Wyeth Trail: patchy snow doesn't start till 3000 feet. I stopped there, but it is less than a mile from the pass.

The lower half of the trail is a nice healthy forest, but after that it is high intensity burn with all dead trees. Surprisingly, blowdown is not too bad.

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teachpdx
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by teachpdx » May 1st, 2023, 9:20 am

Went up to Bald Butte yesterday via the route in the FG.

Very little snow on the trail before the Surveyor's Ridge junction, then pretty constant soft snow for about 1/3 mile north on Surveyor's Ridge, then only a few other easy patches before the powerlines. Manageable, but made a few uncomfortable thigh-high post holes along the way.
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Aimless
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by Aimless » May 6th, 2023, 7:22 pm

Last Wednesday (May 3) I approached Benson Plateau on the PCT via the Herman Creek TH. I made it as far as the red cinder viewpoint at 3000 ft elevation before I ran out of time and energy. The first scraps of remnant snow were obligingly situated within 100 ft of the viewpoint. I didn't go any further, but the trail was entirely clear of snow to that point. Based on those remnants I'd guess you'd start to encounter passable but noticeable snow within the next quarter mile to one third mile.

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Charley
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by Charley » May 9th, 2023, 10:41 pm

May 9, 2023: Larch Mtn Trail to Franklin Ridge and Oneonta Trails and then back to Larch Mtn Trail.

I was hiking up Larch Mtn Trail, when I thought I'd add some elevation by taking a sidetrip up Franklin Ridge. When I got to the Franklin Ridge high point, where there is a nice stand of unburned forest, I got suckered into deciding that I'd loop back around to Larch Mtn Trail, rather than return through the blowdown of the burned trail along Franklin Ridge.

The loop is great, but it turns out there's a lot of snow up there, still!

Green = no snow
Yellow = some snow patches
Red = continuous deep snow
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idoru
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by idoru » May 10th, 2023, 6:14 am

I did the Oneonta -> Larch loop on Saturday the 29th after basically making the same decision. The TKO had done a great job earlier in April clearing the bulk of the Oneonta trail, but there was an ever-increasing amount of blowdown on the switchbacks heading up towards Franklin. Almost immediately after the last switchback, the trail disappeared entirely in a sea of blowdown on the way to the Oneonta/Franklin junction.

I got to the junction, took one look north up Franklin and, despite my initial plan of sauntering around Multnomah Basin and maybe playing a game of, "Find the Buick", saw more blowdown and thought, "Fuck that entirely," and decided to loop through the Multnomah Spur trail and over to Larch, without thinking to check elevation through that area after crossing a couple of snow patches on the upper Oneonta trail.

The west fork of Multnomah Creek was noticeably lower than in your pic, but half the bridge was still covered in snow and ice, which made for a very... "fun"... crossing, especially after having to ford the eastern fork and soaking my socks.

Good times!
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Aimless
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by Aimless » May 12th, 2023, 10:58 am

Thursday, May 11 in the Salmon-Huckleberry wilderness. I hiked from the Wildwood Recreation Area on the Boulder Ridge trail. Snow patches began to appear at the 3500 ft. level. At the 3600 ft level snow coverage was continuous. This was about 4.25 miles from the parking lot, before the trail 'junctions' with the Plaza trail (really, it's all the same trail, but the name changes.)

Further note: For those of you who've hiked this trail in the recent past, I'm happy to report that the small bridge over the wetlands outlet creek, right where the Boulder Ridge trail officially starts, has now been replaced. It's been missing for a couple years now.

ChrisA
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by ChrisA » May 12th, 2023, 4:13 pm

5-12-23 On Forest Road 43 on the Wind River side, west of the PCT at about elevation 1800. There was continuous snow on the road, 1-2 feet deep. There were only patches of snow in the woods.
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dharmabum
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by dharmabum » May 14th, 2023, 10:50 am

Road up to Top Spur ended for Me today 05/14/2023 at 3246 Feet and the following location.

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Here's what I ran into at that location . . .

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smithsummit
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by smithsummit » May 14th, 2023, 5:50 pm

On Cool Creek today snow became continuous at ~3800 feet, just before the jumble shown below.

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rubiks
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Re: 2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

Post by rubiks » May 15th, 2023, 4:16 pm

Did a one night backpack up Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake May 13-14. Snow started ~3200', and was continuous above ~3600'. Snow was firm, very little postholing. The lake itself remains mostly frozen over, and there were no melted out campsites yet.
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