Current Conditions

[mungeclimber]

http://www.sierranewsonline.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5122%3Achain-control-at-5-000-feet&Itemid=216

Chain control down to 5k. Wow, that's seems weird compared to the last two winters.

[dj]

Thanks for the info Munge!    Good to see, despite the momentary access challenge it presents.

[mungeclimber]

Reticent acceptance. Nicely overlaps with some downtime I'd been planning on anyways.

[John]

Very disappointed. This weather was not in the brochure.

[dj]

A shot from Sunday near Cold Springs Junction.   I'm hesitant to even post this in "current conditions" given the rate of melt these days.

[mungeclimber]

Yesterday "sunday", right?

quite a bit of snow, really.

[dj]

Yeah, it was quite a bit at the time (Sunday confirmed)!  I think my muffler may not be happy, but nothing too bad has happened yet.

[dj]

I was able to get a quick hike down partway into the gorge.  Not as far as I wished… too much thrashing and snow gear (mostly unneeded).  Not any snow on top of BD that I could see.   

(lighting from 1/2 moon, with some post processing)

[John]

That is an awesome shot dj.

[dj]

Thanks John.   I wanted snow!  The brochure said so.   LOL.

[daniel banquo merrick]

Holy Scheiße! I love that photo of BD and the snow at Cold Springs too. I am pretty sure I will be headed up there soon - perhaps solo since my climbing partners are either over - employed, old and feeble, moved away or home having babies.

[dj]

Thanks Daniel.   

my climbing partners are either over - employed, old and feeble, moved away or home having babies.

I probably qualify for one or two of those categories.    Was nice getting back there for a bit, even got some roads with virgin snow. I was meaning to do it for a long time and just one thing or another came up.   Wish I had the energy to make it farther down into the gorge on that run down, and it didn't help that my memory of the "trail" was vague.  John once suggested I try the South Fork trail.  Maybe next time. 

[susan]

Yes very nice shots. The evening shot of BD is really great. Glad to see proof of snow and that you got out there anyway.

[mungeclimber]

[larsj]

Great night shot of Balloon Dome dj,thanks
-lars