I have a question for those with experience in the high Absarokas, particularly the alpine plateaus at the headwaters of Marston Creek, Buffalo Fork, and S Fork Shoshone. Ie Snowbank Lake and Ferry Lake.
I am planning a packraft trip of the S Fork of the Buffalo Fork with my fiance, possibly June 26, 2026. Our plan would be to start at Brooks Lake, hike up to the divide above Bonville Pass, follow the alpine plateau country roughly along to divide to Snowbank Lake, Ferry Lake, then down into Lake Creek and finally the South Fork of the Buffalo fork, where we would start our float.
Will there likely be too much snow up there to easily hike along those plateaus? Its been an abnormally low snow year here in NW Wyoming, but the Absarokas did close to normal. This satellite image is from June 4 this year. I would obviouslyt check recent sat imagery to make sure it wasnt still fully snowed in. If the snow looked manageable, how are the bugs up there that time of year? I am not worried about conditions down. I have floated the river from the confluence of Lake Creek and the South Fork beforem but that was later in the year.
Any info on snow or mosquitoes up high would be appreciated!
pic is from June 4th of this year.
route is approximate
Sat imagery website is Soar atlas https://soaratlas.com/discover for those wondering
Thanks,
Ben
I am planning a packraft trip of the S Fork of the Buffalo Fork with my fiance, possibly June 26, 2026. Our plan would be to start at Brooks Lake, hike up to the divide above Bonville Pass, follow the alpine plateau country roughly along to divide to Snowbank Lake, Ferry Lake, then down into Lake Creek and finally the South Fork of the Buffalo fork, where we would start our float.
Will there likely be too much snow up there to easily hike along those plateaus? Its been an abnormally low snow year here in NW Wyoming, but the Absarokas did close to normal. This satellite image is from June 4 this year. I would obviouslyt check recent sat imagery to make sure it wasnt still fully snowed in. If the snow looked manageable, how are the bugs up there that time of year? I am not worried about conditions down. I have floated the river from the confluence of Lake Creek and the South Fork beforem but that was later in the year.
Any info on snow or mosquitoes up high would be appreciated!
pic is from June 4th of this year.
route is approximate
Sat imagery website is Soar atlas https://soaratlas.com/discover for those wondering
Thanks,
Ben
