Regarding conditions...
1) I asked about ice and water supply...Laurel was open, except for ice on the S/W side. The pond just north of Laurel was iced over on the west side, the east side was icy on shore and open in the middle on Saturday, freezing over on Monday. The pond at 5840+, on the bench below Laurel, had an ice skim on the west half (west 3/4s on Monday), otherwise open. The freshet from the pond on Laurel saddle was frozen, but flowing underneath the ice, and had open water as it turned into the gully just north of 5840+. Kendrick Creek Lakes: Lake 5728 had ice on the south side, open otherwise, Lake 5683 was open.
2) As for blowdowns from the late November/early December storm...there was one 'walk around' blowdown just before the saddle at the top of the long climb from Hetch Hetchy, just before the pond, two 'step over' blowdowns around the pond, 4 or 5 mostly 'walk around' blowdowns just before Beehive. The trail to the north side of Laurel, from Frog Creek to the Laurel Lake inlet stream, was almost cross-country due to the blowdowns, including three stacked on top of each other at the inlet stream. Conditions in Kendrick Canyon seemed reasonable, mostly old blowdowns, one or two green. On the way out I talked to someone who camped on the south side of Laurel who described significantly better conditions getting into there.
I camped on a large patch of sand on the bench above pond 5840+. That is very impressive granite in that canyon, which I had to myself. A view from my campsite:
Sunset:
Lake 5728:
Frozen water formerly flowing towards the bench:
More Pictures Here.
Saturday's weather was gorgeous, Sunday morning likewise except for the wave clouds up-canyon, the winds picked up in the afternoon but died at sunset. Monday morning saw light, occasional non-accumulating flurries and I had to shake my water bottle to break up the ice until I reached the Laurel Lake Road junction at about 5200 feet.
