2022 and Beyond - Snow Levels

[drm]

Hiked up the PCT towards Benson yesterday, the goal just being to reach the snowline. After seeing such low snow last week, I thought I would hit snow around 2000 feet, but it was much higher, about 3000 feet, a few hundred yards before the red rock viewpoint. Since I was in a fog bank, I saw no point of trudging through that snow to actually get to the nonviewpoint.

Where full snow started

pct snow.jpg (7.8 KiB) Viewed 1050 times

[Charley]

pct snow.jpg

This kind of snow bank was the bane of my existence when I moved here. I was itching to get out hiking my first spring, but was always annoyed by the difficulties of snow-only-on-the-trail hiking. It's a paradox that makes a lot of sense when you know something about snow deposition and melting, but I definitely didn't have that knowledge.

[rubiks]

Hiked up the PCT towards Benson yesterday, the goal just being to reach the snowline. After seeing such low snow last week, I thought I would hit snow around 2000 feet, but it was much higher, about 3000 feet, a few hundred yards before the red rock viewpoint. Since I was in a fog bank, I saw no point of trudging through that snow to actually get to the nonviewpoint.

pct snow.jpg

Was there much blowdown? I was going to head up towards Benson this weekend and bring my saw, but if it's pretty clear then I might head up Herman Creek instead.

[romann]

St Helens/Harry's Ridge this past Tuesday (3/19). Looked very winter-like, but most places had just 1-2 feet of snow, that will go fast when the warmth returns.

Adams/Spirit Lake

Mt Margaret and the Dome to the left

Johnston Ridge. The road to JRO is washed out since last May (they're planning one-lane bridge but haven't started on it yet) and gated 4 miles before the washout, so we'll have to park at Coldwater Lake or the Hummocks for the next year or two, with an option to bike up the road.

[drm]

Hiked up the PCT towards Benson yesterday, the goal just being to reach the snowline. After seeing such low snow last week, I thought I would hit snow around 2000 feet, but it was much higher, about 3000 feet, a few hundred yards before the red rock viewpoint. Since I was in a fog bank, I saw no point of trudging through that snow to actually get to the nonviewpoint.

pct snow.jpg

Was there much blowdown? I was going to head up towards Benson this weekend and bring my saw, but if it's pretty clear then I might head up Herman Creek instead.

It's pretty clear, I should have mentioned that. There are a few easy stepovers that a handsaw could completely remove. Herman Creek is usually more in need, particularly the couple of miles around Slide Creek.

[Chip Down]

pct snow.jpg

This kind of snow bank was the bane of my existence when I moved here. I was itching to get out hiking my first spring, but was always annoyed by the difficulties of snow-only-on-the-trail hiking. It's a paradox that makes a lot of sense when you know something about snow deposition and melting, but I definitely didn't have that knowledge.

It's as if nature is telling you "screw the trail, find your own adventures".
But yeah, super annoying when the trail is the only way to get past brush or cliffs.

[drm]

Was up at Falls Creek Falls today. Road and trail are fully melted out. Gate was still closed today, but will open soon. The road does have one enormous full-width puddle. I drove my Subaru through it last year, but would hesitate to dive a low clearance 2WD through it. It won't dry up for a while. The connector to the Falls Creek trail above is also melted out. Snow starts up there on the flats above, at about 2200 feet.

[rubiks]

Herman Creek trail is melted out as far as Cedar Swamp camp, most of the campsites there are down to bare ground. Snow starts on the trail between the camp and the Herman Creek crossing, mostly continuous after that but there are some bare patches as high as 3300'.

Related, there were a few monster trees that came down just before Whisky creek, including a couple whose root balls more or less took out the trail. They can be navigated around, but that section is gonna need some work to rebuild.

[Walkin' Fool]

Table Mountain, snow free until the top (several inches on top) as of March 29. I went up Heartbreak Ridge, down Westway, and I assume there's snow on the upper part of the north ridge route but didn't check it out.

[leiavoia]

I went up Elk Mountain on the Wilson river. No snow on the popular steep climb up the south facing trail. Small snow banks found in the backside trails. Reports of slick spring snow near the rope section of the saddle between Elk and King and hikers recommended having spikes.