North Lake/South Lake Loop: May 29

[Christopher R]

I have a Backcountry permit to enter @ Piute Pass on May 29, 2022 and exit on June 4, 2022 at Bishop Pass.

What daytime and night time weather/temps can I expect? I know it varies, but what seems to be average hi/lo?

Also, are mosquitoes expected to be bad/just starting?  Has anyone experienced really bad mosquitoes that time of year.

Im assuming this winter won’t be a huge snow year.  Does that seem correct?

Should a 22 degree Katabatic Gear quilt suffice? I sleep hot. What about a 30 degree with a liner?  If that will work I may lend it to my brother.

Microspikes that time of year?

I understand there is no way to really know, but I have to prepare somehow.

Last, should I invest in a heavier jacket? Right now I have a MH ghost whisperer and an Arc’teryx atom Lt.  I could always just do both, or add a Columbia tka or r1 hoody.

I have so many questions, thanks in advance.

[DWR D]

There is no way to know the weather, the temperatures, or the snow pack that far out. Any answers you get on that will be just a roll of the dice, so to speak. There is zero way to know what the snow pack will be until about April. Micro spikes? Ha… you could need anything from no traction devices to skis… You will not have mosquitoes that time of year.

[jscott]

This is a great loop! Enjoy. Yes, it’s too early to know about snow conditions, but so far it’s shaping up to be a big snow year.  I recall wishing I had microspikes on a brief but dangerous section on the way up to Bishop’s Pass. Ditto, but to a lesser degree, briefly coming down from Piute. And then route finding was ‘interesting’ for a few miles going up to Muir hut (I had no gps and suck at route finding–the route really isn’t that hard to find in snow). Mostly the snow cups were tiring. I wouldn’t have wanted to carry microspikes for those two brief sections. No need around Muir pass, that year.

I disagree about there being no mosquitos at that time of year. I’d plan for them. Who knows. Recall that there’s lots of elevation loss/gain on this route.

I was there about the same time of year (I can’t recall now; there was lots of snow at elevation). I used a 30 degree bag and was fine.

[Mark Verber]

One of my favorite paths, have a great time.

As others have said, too early to know weather/snow/etc.  I would suggest at the beginning of May check California snow data https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/ and see what the national weather services is projecting.

I typically watch bishop pass (because that’s how I typically go in).  https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/staMeta?station_id=BSH

For mosquitos, I would check highsierratopix.com a week or so before you go with a caveat that I had done a trip to the same place separated by two weeks. First trip no mosquitos, the trip taking my family… we were eaten (bug force 9).

–Mark

 

[Steve Thompson]

Definitely keep watch on the snow.  As of today, way above the long term averages and keeping us hopeful of a draught breaking wet year (no so good for an end of May loop).

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