Your predictions: Snow on the Sky High Trail on Memorial Day

[simonov]

I am leading a three-day backpack trip in the San Gorgonio Wilderness over Memorial Day that will include a day-hike up the Sky High Trail from Mineshaft Saddle to the summit. I am sure there will be snow on the east-facing parts of the trail, there usually is that time of year, but I was wondering how much?

I am getting nervous about leading people out onto the trail who do not have snow-hiking experience. In the past, I have hiked this trail, through the snow, without any winter gear at all and had no problems, but I didn't know any better then. While I am not one who thinks we can ever make this risk-free, what do you folks think the Sky High Trail will look like come the end of May? Will crampons and ice axe be required?

I know this is a little early for accurate predictions, but maybe your previous experiences could be useful. As I said, my previous experience has been doing this hike in May or June without winter gear, but I'm not sure whether that is typical or smart.

[Hikin_Jim]

Let's see ... dusting off the ol' crystal ball here ...

[Crystal Ball]
I'm having a hard time imagining needing an ice axe and crampons in late May on the Sky High trail. The weather will be pretty warm then, with no freezing at night. If you did encounter snow, it would be slush not ice.

I seem to recall the E face switch backs and the S face traverse are all pretty exposed. The way people have been describing the rapid snow melt lately, I'm thinking that you might not have any snow at all except maybe in really shaded spots on the N face where there were deep drifts. We got a fair amount of snow this winter, but I don't think it's a record or anything, and it's been freakin' spring-like for a good deal of the winter.

Maybe you should water proof your boots in case of slush, but otherwise I think you'd be OK.
[/Crystal Ball]

[Rick M]

From my location I can see the north east side of Baldy and Harwood (lots of snow/ice right now and can barely see north west side of Gorgonio (also lots of snow/ice right now). I have been trying to upload as my avatar a fairly current picture of Baldy's north side for those of you living on the south side and not able to see this side to help with any planning. Snow predictions can be tricky for our mountains even at this late date.

I remember one year getting quite a bit of snow in April and carrying my downhill skiis up the trail to Baldy's ski hut the last weekend of JULY and people looking at me like I was nuts. I had been up the previous weekend and noticed a 50' wide 3' thick and 5-600' long strip of snow going down the north side. It was hard in the morning but was perfect by noon. I probably hiked 5,000' vertical that day just in the skiing!

[AlanK]

I remember one year getting quite a bit of snow in April and carrying my downhill skiis up the trail to Baldy's ski hut the last weekend of JULY and people looking at me like I was nuts. I had been up the previous weekend and noticed a 50' wide 3' thick and 5-600' long strip of snow going down the north side. It was hard in the morning but was perfect by noon. I probably hiked 5,000' vertical that day just in the skiing!

The following is from a post I made on Richard Piotrowski's message board on July 17, 2005. We did Baldy from the north that day.

On Baldy, we saw several people who arrived from the Notch having schlepped their skis. One has to admire that die hard spirit. We could hear (and barely see) them using one of the last available runs as we headed up Dawson on the way back. Who said Baldy skiiing ends before mid-July?

That couldn't have been you, of course, because this happened in the middle of July.

[KathyW]

Memorial Day Weekend in 2006:

http://kathywing.smugmug.com/gallery/1504494_bDqND#72163754

In 2006 there was plenty of snow between MineShaft Saddle and the summit, but most of it except the first big switchback could be avoided by going to the end of the big switchback and the straight up the ridge to the summit.

Every year is different though.

Vivian Creek Trail is typically snow free by Memorial Day if you want to stay out of the snow.

[Rick M]

Hi Alan

No that wasn't me. This was in '78 or '79 as I recall that I did it on the last weekend of July and could have done it into August also. We've done it a few times since in the 80s during May and June conditions permitting and with short (100 cm) kid skiis. We would do Baldy Bowl earlier in the spring when the snow was good. Somewhere I have a picture climbing up near the top of the bowl naked with crampons, ice axe pack and skiis (during the week when we were the only ones up there). With that, we tried using them to X-country in to places (like Mt Whitney) but they just didn't work out (not enough floatation with heavy pack on soft snow) above the portal and too many crashes coming down with a heavy pack on...I'm 6-2 so they really were short.

[Hikin_Jim]

Somewhere I have a picture climbing up near the top of the bowl naked with crampons, ice axe pack and skiis (during the week when we were the only ones up there).

As much as I like it when people post photos ... I think I'll stick with Snow Nymph's!!

[Perry]

hilarious! did you ski down naked?

[Rick M]

No, the arrival of high winds and very cold air on reaching West Baldy kept everything icy instead of softening as we hoped and necessitated a change in plans. Meter long skiis on improvised cable bindings offered very little control on steep icy slopes! We did front point up some ice covered old snags near the top of the bowl on the way back down. Unfortunately, it remained too hard for glisssading and we ended up cramponing back down the bowl.

I really liked the Bowl and thing I'll start a new thread on it.

[Perry]

Your serious answer was quite funny. Especially this part:

Unfortunately, it remained too hard for glisssading...