Anyone been to the Top Spur trail head yet (at 3900 feet). Anyone tried to get up to Cairn Basin and McNeil point from there yet? Is it passable yet (with just a modest amount of snow?) I notice the forest service trail conditions was last updated July 1, 2008!
-Kevin
TIA
Top Spur Trail
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Wyeast pal
- Posts: 72
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Top Spur Trail
A week ago, a friend went up to give it a try and found what he expected. The access road, 1825118, still had snow on it. He hiked from where the road was impassible and found.... snow, lots of snow. He said the trail sign was poking out of the snow in the parking lot. If I recall, the last place for the snow to melt on this trail is about 100 feet before it hits the PCT - this one spot always holds a couple of feet. If there is now in the parking lot and on the road to it, then you can guess what the trail is like. 4-5 feet I bet - as of last Sunday.
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bush_marmot
- Posts: 86
- Joined: June 17th, 2008, 10:24 pm
Re: Top Spur Trail
Did your friend say how far up the 118 road he was able to drive? It's only a few miles from the 1825/1825118 road junction to the trailhead...Wyeast pal wrote:A week ago, a friend went up to give it a try and found what he expected. The access road, 1825118, still had snow on it.
Do you know what kind of car he was driving? An itty-bitty passenger car, a gigantic jeep...?
And... did he need to carry a chainsaw, winch, and big shovel to get there?
Cheers,
Peter
Re: Top Spur Trail
Thanks, we ending up heading up to Burnt Lake and camping at the lake (El. 4000). The lake still has 90% snow coverage, and the trail is buried under snow just about 150 yrds before you hit the lake. The snow around the lake varies from 2 feet to 6 feet or so, with the rare clear patch. Lots of day hikers making it into the lake now.