Hike to the chockstone?

General Palm Springs area.

Hike to the chockstone?

Postby RevanTheDestroyer » Sat Apr 11, 2020 11:37 am

Has anybody hiked to the chockstone lately? Or plan on doing so.. Wondering how the mountain looks with all this new snow especially on the north side! Baldy and San G both got dumped on significantly.
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby guest » Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:44 pm

Hi, Hope these photos came across, (not good at uploading).
Taken from top of Snow Creek village area 4 13 20, I'd estimate snow down around 6,500ft. I'd expect a hard-packed, (possibly dangerous) layer under all this new, heavy snow.
Tram / Long Valley (8,400ft.) cam is showing that one picnic benches almost covered.
If you go that far, wear some gaiters, lots of new plant life after all this rain, some almost as bad as catclaw, ha.
ss


N Fac San Jac 4 13 20.JPG


N Fac San Jac 2.JPG
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby RevanTheDestroyer » Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:23 pm

Ah this makes me a very sad puppy. Went up around March 19th to try the whole route up and the snow was too high up for our liking. The mountain looks pretty loaded now. I wonder if conditions would be good enough to give it a try in a few weeks. I’ve been obsessed on doing it the past few years, and for one reason or another I haven’t been able to go up.
I’ve been looking to link up with someone who has previously done it, so If you are out there reading this message me! I Have a lot of experience in the mountains. Military/climbing
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby guest » Fri Apr 24, 2020 6:51 pm

I just watched the Sheriff's chopper & RMRU pluck a couple people off the mt. approx. near the Chockstone, (6-6.5k ft.).
Wonder if they weren't able to get beyond that area, and / or there's just too much water coming off, (USGS is showing very high flow rates), injury, fatigue??
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby greatshaitan » Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:52 pm

Two climbers got hit by an avalanche and called 911. RMRU and STAR-9 was able to pull them off the mountain. Highly suggest no one go into the area. See video link

https://youtu.be/199zJTaak_Q
Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit
http://www.rmru.org/
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby RevanTheDestroyer » Fri Apr 24, 2020 10:14 pm

Yea that’s crazy! Saw the videos on Instagram too. That heat this week got the wrong slides coming down like crazy! Glad all came out safely.
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby guest » Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:06 am

Thanks for the info & posting the video, RMRU is always there to kick ass! So glad no one was in that chute when that hit, looks very wet & heavy, plus super fast, as they usually are in Snow Creek.
I remember when Steve & Fern, (who used to climb it sometimes weekly), showed me a similar video that went on for like 4 mins. Plus, there must be giant ice bridges / caves up there, if they haven't all collapsed with the warming trend.

Would be interesting to hear how close Star 9 was able to drop rescuers from subjects. At least the wind wasn't blowing like it has been.
From what I could see, the 2 climbers were walking fine, so hopefully no injuries.
The chopper was going in around the area on the 1st pic (posted above), where the snow ends, (where Snow Creek hits the ridge in front of it). s2
Last edited by guest on Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby Ed » Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:23 am

I hope nobody concludes that the route is now safe because it has avalanched. We went up in April 1977 under similar conditions: a late spring storm with heavy snow, followed by an avalanche. Several hundred feet from the ridge, we found ourselves swimming in loose snow, because the avalanche had not started at the top of the ridge. Nothing to do at that point but finish the climb to the summit. And we had to come down the same way, because we were doing a two-day backpack, and had left our packs below. Combined with encountering the notorious Desert Water Agency dog, a real Hound of the Baskervilles, it was one of the scarier trips I have been on.
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby guest » Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:32 am

Was thinking that same thought Ed. With the 3-4 storms that dumped snow on top of old ice from earlier, I can't imagine great consolidation.
Plus, even if some of that slide debris re-freezes, (doubtful with this warming wx), I think it would be next to impossible to try walking on top of that stuff.
Plus, the approach will now be a hot one, unless your willing to navigate some of that area w/ headlamps, (at least water would be easy to come by).
Maybe someone will post a warning on that Youtube vid, which I'd imagine may get more traffic than here.

Interesting data by USGS on how much the melt / flow has increased in the last few days with the 20 degree jump in temps.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv?site_no=10256500
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Re: Hike to the chockstone?

Postby RMRUpete » Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:45 pm

Mission Write Up on RMRU.ORG along with 2 Videos and other photos.
How can I be lost if I don't care where I am?
RMRU member 50 years
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