Snow know :)

[lilbitmo]

Any new reports on snow conditions between Tram and Summit since the storm last week and yesterday's fresh stuff? Long Valley camera shows about a foot maybe less there, but that doesn't tell me what's at the summit or in the Miller/San J bowl/saddle - thanks in advance

[bluerail]

you coming down buddy ?

[lilbitmo]

Yes I am, just got home from Bell Ridge in Santa Ana's, out to Los Pinos Peak. Do you have Jack P's number or can you get him to give us more details on the trail? He put 2 to 3 feet of fresh on FB that's more than I was expecting but I like it.

[JMTCairn]

Hi, my husband and I hit the tram and the trail today. Another hiker, my husband and I were the first to break trail this morning so moving was slow through the areas of heavier accumulation/drifts. (Note: There was a major wind storm earlier this week which blew out any resemblance of an old trail from before the storm.) There are clear patches between the ranger station and the "bridge" across the creek (trail sign). From there, we made our way with Microspikes only... that lasted about 1/4 mile before we post-holed too much and used our snowshoes. We had to use snowshoes the rest of our hike. We did not go for the summit - rather explored the areas above and beyond Tamarack. As we returned in the afternoon, there were wet, mushy areas closer to the ranger station. It was surprisingly warm and was an awesome day for a hike!

[bluerail]

There is a packed down causeway under all that snow, if you hunt you can stay on fairly well, its been getting covered daily .

[lilbitmo]

Hi, my husband and I hit the tram and the trail today. Another hiker, my husband and I were the first to break trail this morning so moving was slow through the areas of heavier accumulation/drifts. (Note: There was a major wind storm earlier this week which blew out any resemblance of an old trail from before the storm.) There are clear patches between the ranger station and the "bridge" across the creek (trail sign). From there, we made our way with Microspikes only... that lasted about 1/4 mile before we post-holed too much and used our snowshoes. We had to use snowshoes the rest of our hike. We did not go for the summit - rather explored the areas above and beyond Tamarack. As we returned in the afternoon, there were wet, mushy areas closer to the ranger station. It was surprisingly warm and was an awesome day for a hike!

Bryan T and I went up the first tram, then got out front of everyone on the Sid Davis Trail (this trail is behind the rocks where the trail sign is at the first creek crossing) yesterday, so you may mean that you were doing the Welmans Divide Trail or another. We had to break trail all the way to the summit, from the turn off at the creek sign, most of the tracks from other hikers on previous days were filled in completely. If you stepped anywhere off the buried track you sank up to your knees. Once we kicked steps to the trail sign by Jean Peak/San J trail sign and turned up the side of San J the tracks were no longer filled in and it took all of 7 minutes from there to reach Miller/San J saddle. From there it was waist deep post holing to the summit, Bryan choose to keep pushing on while halfway through that thick stuff I put on my snow shoes. Even with conditions as they were we reached the summit by 11 AM - no one was up there, we speant an hour between the summit and the summit hut just enjoying the beautiful day - we then headed down, the first person we came across since leaving the summit was halfway between the "hut and the saddle" at 11:55 AM then behind this person was a group of at least 20 people.

We made great time back to the tram and caught the 1:45 Tram down - back to OC by 3:15 - one of the best days I've had out there with the clearest blue skies I've seen in years.

[sdtrackrunner]

Photos please.

[lilbitmo]

Photos please.

Photos Slide show

[Sally]

Hi lilbitmo. I had been wondering if your handstand was photo-shopped in, but after seeing the sequence of photos of you performing the handstand I can tell it's the real McCoy! Cool!

[Lermo]

Hey Patrick. Cool pictures. I don't think I've seen it that clear on the summit before. Looks like you can reach out and grab the Salton Sea. Nice authentic hands stand too!