Sequoia and Kings Canyon area conditions, please respond with reports

[chris smead]

Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd start this thread to check on conditions in SEKI. I know many people are setting out soon on the Rae lakes loop, JMT, and some of the PCT people are hitting the area about now, so I thought this would be useful.

Please respond with trail conditions, mosquitoes, snow, temps, stream crossings, etc if you've been in the area recently.

Reports on the following would be nice:
Rae lakes
Glen Pass
Forester Pass
Colby Pass
Avalanche Pass
Kern river crossing near Junction Meadow

[Hiking Malto]

Go to post holler and read through the journals of hikers that have already gone through the Sierra. Sounds like there is little snow other than the usul places like muir.

[Paul McLaughlin]

Try here:

http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7563

[chris smead]

Thanks guys,
I've also been checking this daily http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/trailcond.htm
And today's update mentioned Colby pass is still under a serious amount of snow.

Anyone been up there recently?
I'm also very curious about the kern river crossing at junction meadows.

[Jason G]

I did rae lakes loop on memorial day weekend.. It snowed about 2-6in on that friday night but was all but melted by sunday. Only winter snow left was on the north side of Glen pass and I would guess its gone by now.

[chris smead]

Thanks Jason!
I remember there was a stream crossing somewhere on either woods creek, or the JMT near woods creek. Was that an issue on your trip?
Any other things I should be aware of ? How were the mosquitos?

[Jason G]

hmm, no… maybe a smallish one a few miles before dollar lake.. woods creek has the famous suspension bridge and bubbs I think stays on one side of the creek till the woods/bubbs junction where there is a bridge. even if there was a stream crossing I wouldn't worry about it this year.. Its quite the opposite of last year where PCT'ers were paddling across on their neoairs..

No mosquitoes when we were there… but I imagine they are starting to swarm pretty soon..

[chris smead]

Great info. Thanks Jason!
I'm heading out for 10 days starting next Friday so I'm getting excited.
Starting at roads end, up woods creek, south on JMT over glen, forester, then west over Colby, through cloud canon, and back to roads end via avalanche pass.

[Jason G]

Cool, nice route, you'll be fine. just bring a headnet

[Dave G]

I travelled the Colby pass trail as far as Milestone Bowl early last week, the Kern River crossing was 2 10ft wide streams, both mid-calf. Shepherd,Milestone, Forester and Junction Passes were crossed in the trip, no problems with snow.

Dave

[chris smead]

Very helpful info. Thanks guys!
David, by chance did you see the north side of Colby pass from the top of milestone?

[Dave G]

No, it wasn't visible

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