Uintas Conditions 2016

[Jackson]

I took @Nick's subtle hint and decided to make this thread. The problem is that I personally have not seen the Uintas since last November, so I am not very aware of their conditions. So anyone who has recently been in the area, feel free to share your knowledge with regard to snow depth, road conditions, etc. with us.

Here's my contribution. Conclusion: they are still pretty snowy from winter.

 

[Artemus]

I took @Nick's subtle hint and decided to make this thread. The problem is that I personally have not seen the Uintas since last November, so I am not very aware of their conditions. So anyone who has recently been in the area, feel free to share your knowledge with regard to snow depth, road conditions, etc. with us.

Here's my contribution. Conclusion: they are still pretty snowy from winter.

View attachment 42979

Thanks J,
What is the important snow depth in inches look like in your tool?

 

[Devo]

My geeky contribution. This Spring is looking very similar to 2014's spring (storms on almost the exact same days). If the trend stays then I would expect similar dates of zero snow at Trial Lake this year. Although if last year taught us anything its that, that can all change with a lot of moisture or long cold front in late May.

 

[Jackson]

Thanks J,
What is the important snow depth in inches look like in your tool?

Great question. I had to pull it up on my computer because my phone wouldn't let me display it.

Lots of snow!

 

[lostlandscapes]

Good chance I'll be driving up Mirror Lake Highway from the Evanston side on Saturday to check things out, most likely to make a day trip up to Lily Lake and the yurt as I've never seen it. Will report back with conditions if I make it up.

 

[lostlandscapes]

Made it back late last night after a great day of poking around the northern side of Mirror Lake Highway. Patchy snow began around 8600', but the road stayed clear for a ways past that. Ended up making it up to about a 1/4 mile past Beaver View Campground before getting stopped by snow (9050'). After that we wanted to see if we could make it up to the Christmas Meadows trailhead, so we headed that way. Got pretty close. Road was in very good shape up to the summer home bridge at the start of the meadows themselves (about a mile from the campground/trailhead). The plows didn't bother to go past the bridge. Even though there wasn't much snow hanging around the meadows, we got stopped by a snowdrift covering the road about a half mile from the end. Such a beautiful scene up there right now, we just ended up hanging around in the valley all day until the clouds chased us out. First mountain mosquito bites of the season: check! Phone shot of the scene up there right now:

 

[elkaholic]

Where do you find that snow pack map? I am taking a scout group out in June and am getting worried that things are not melting off quick enough

 

[Jackson]

http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/earth/

Click on the date you want data for, and it will download a file you can open with Google Earth. Once you open it, you can get all sorts of map layers representing different types of snow data.

 

[Udink]

Way to go, UDOT! Looks like Mirror Lake Highway has been cleared to Bald Mountain Pass.

 

[Nick]

Way to go, UDOT! Looks like Mirror Lake Highway has been cleared to Bald Mountain Pass.

View attachment 43446

View attachment 43447

Sounds like you're about ready for your annual way-too-early Uintas backpacking trip!

 

[Udink]

Sounds like you're about ready for your annual way-too-early Uintas backpacking trip!

Haha, yessir! Probably not 'til Memorial weekend, but I'm shooting for a backpacking trip somewhere then.

 

[Artemus]

Good catch Dennis but dang they are just teasin' us. The gate must not be open yet. Still closed.
http://commuterlink.utah.gov/CLALertViewer.aspx?CLType=3

 

[Nick]

You can drive around the gate, but yeah, I don't think you'd make it through yet.

 

[Artemus]

You can drive around the gate, but yeah, I don't think you'd make it through yet.

There is a cheater bypass? I never knew that.

 

[Nick]

There is a cheater bypass? I never knew that.

Yes sir. Just drive around the flimsy wooden barrier and you can go for miles. I've driven up several times while they were clearing. All the machines were parked on the weekends when I went. They parked them to make sure you didn't try something stupid. But come to think of it, I've also done it before there were machines and eventually turned around because of snow.

 

[Artemus]

It is been a week since we have had a large high pressure overhead and a clear view of the mountain west but even then the mountains were opening up. As you can see many ranges only have a little snow left and the foothills of the Uintas and the Wind Rivers are clearing. Jellystone has large open swaths clear of snow.

Worldview link.

 

[Artemus]

Recon trip today. Drove up the MLH to almost the pass in a snowstorm. The snowline where you could walk without trudging in snow was at 8,800'. This was way above the steel gate where they had a temporary No Winter Maintenance sign. Then you could drive by a Road Closed temporary sign at the Crystal Lake turnoff and drive to just below Bald Mountain Pass where they had a road grader blocking the last mile or so to the pass. There was fresh snow on the road but it has already been plowed over the pass so I am pretty certain it will be open for next weekend.

The road climbing up to the pass.

The closure device.

It alternated all day from sun to this (down near the North Fork of the Provo).

 

[Dave]

Nice Art! I'm getting excited for summer up there.

 

[andyjaggy]

Oh yeah. Can't wait.

 

[Dave]

Ran up to the north slope over Memorial Day weekend. Good news is the lower canyons are melted out... East Fork and Stillwater Fork are open.

Expect a lot of downed trees.

The upper basins are a different story. I was headed for Amethyst but ran into solid snow starting at 9,800 feet.

Several people I met along the way reported solid ice-over on the lake (which I expected).

Instead, I snowshoed over to Salamander Lake hoping to find some open ground on which to camp.

There was none and the weather was nasty. Turned around and went back to base camp.