Record snow fall in the Sierras

I'm watching this. Last year the Sierras had snow in late May and resorts were delayed in opening for two weeks. If there's as much snow in July when I get there I won't mind, but anything more will make the backpacking trip an arctic expedition.


Heavy snows spoil weekend holiday plans in West
By STEVEN K. PAULSON, Associated Press Steven K. Paulson, Associated Press
Fri May 27, 5:26 pm ET

DENVER – Ski resorts are bustling with activity. A key highway into Yellowstone is closed because parts of the road have seen more than 25 feet of snow. And campgrounds are feverishly removing snow from campsites to clear the way for visitors.

Welcome to Memorial Day weekend in much of the West.

The traditional kickoff of the summer season will have a decidedly wintry feel in the Rocky Mountains, as well as California's Sierra Nevada, because of a lingering record snowfall.

Epic snowpack in parts of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and California is forcing many tourists to abandon the annual rites of launching their summer holidays with a camping trip. Others plan to take advantage of prolonged skiing and snowshoeing this strange spring.

Yellowstone National Park has just one campground open. "We're telling people to be prepared for snow," said park spokesman Al Nash

In other parts of Wyoming, officials have extended winter closures of wildlife management areas to campers. The reason: To protect wildlife from humans because animals are still searching for food at lower elevations.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center is fully staffed to warn outdoors enthusiasts.

"May snow depths are deeper than anything we have seen in the last 45 years," said avalanche center spokesman Bob Comey.

In California, a historic Sierra Nevada snowpack is making Yosemite National Park's springtime cascading waterfalls especially beautiful — and dangerous, with several accidental drownings already of people who failed to keep away from thundering waterfalls and swollen creeks and rivers.

But snow has kept rangers from installing a cable railing that helps hikers maintain their footing at Yosemite's iconic Half Dome. Anyone holding one of the allocated permits to climb will be out of luck this weekend.

"That was the caveat when people signed up — you may be out of luck depending on the snowmelt," park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

Park officials instituted the permit system last year to limit traffic to 400 people a day. Best guess is that the Half Dome route could be open by June 5, Gediman said.

Farther north, some popular campgrounds in Tahoe National Forest aren't expected to open for several weeks.

"We're still selling backpacks, because people are still geared up for the season," said Jeff Dostie, a clerk at Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, Calif. "But they're buying for the future, they're not buying for today."

While the snow is bad for some campers, it's great for skiers in Colorado and elsewhere. Aspen is reopening 136 acres of trails for skiing this weekend, and Arapahoe Basin has extended its closing dates beyond June 5.

"We're getting amazing ski traffic for this time of year because of this snowpack," Dostie said of the conditions in the Lake Tahoe region along the California-Nevada border.

Winter storm in the Sierras

Reading this has me a bit concerned now. We are already at record snow depths in the high Sierras, and continued more snow will make this July's backpacking trip more of a snow adventure, something I doubt I will really enjoy.

Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings Canyon
Winter Storm Warning
Statement as of 10:44 AM PDT on May 16, 2011

... Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 11 PM this evening
to 11 am PDT Wednesday above 6000 feet...

A Winter Storm Warning above 6000 feet remains in effect from
11 PM this evening to 11 am PDT Wednesday for the higher
elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada.

* Another round of potentially dangerous winter weather will
arrive in the Sierra this evening and it will persist into
Wednesday.

* Snow accumulations: up to two feet or more of snow is
possible above 8000 feet... 10 to 18 inches above 6000 feet.

* Timing: snow will begin this evening... then continue heavy at
times well into Wednesday.


Bishop, CA Weather Advisories, Watches & Warnings

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
in effect until Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 AM

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PDT TUESDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PDT TUESDAY.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND BECOME LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES OVERNIGHT BEFORE TURNING TO SHOWERS TUESDAY MORNING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 4 TO 8 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET...ESPECIALLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 395...WITH 1 TO 4 INCHES ELSEWHERE.

* IMPACTS: SNOW COVERED ROADS WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING WITH VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 1 MILE AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SNOW WILL MAKE ROADS...BRIDGES...AND SIDEWALKS SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION.

http://www.accuweather.com/us/ca/bishop/93514/watches-warnings.asp

I can only hope now that we here in southeastern Arizona get some of this cool, wet relief becaues we are burning up down here, literally!

The 60-day countdown has begun

Tomorrow is my last semester final. I will read personal-interest stories for the next two months and catch up on my kind of reading. I will also get my gear ready and start some serious training, with others or solo, right here in the Huachucas. I have a ten-mile hike plannned this Saturday up Gardner Canyon in the eastern Santa Ritas.

Mary emailed me today with the stuff she wants me to bring along: ice pick, crampons...and then I realized this added gear won't be easy to schlepp up those passes. There was also something about me carrying the heavier gear. Heavier gear? I'm curious what this all means. I'm willing to help up and carry my load, but I can ill afford a heavier pack from last time.

But the big news, the sad news is finding out yesterday that her favorite cousin is terminally ill with cancer. She grew up with him in Iowa and she's not taking the news too well. She may have to cancel this trek if she needs to be by his side in his final moments, something I do not begrudge her at all.

I will still go to California even if our trek this year is cancelled. And if I do go, I may just take Sadie along and hike in Big Sur, visit some friends there and revisit old hangouts. What will be a mission stopper there is the even higher price of gasoline there.

So, for now we are going, training is beginning and in the final week she and I will discuss who carries what for the trip.