Re: Red Peak Pass Mid July

I'm planning to do a loop from Glacier Point over Red Peak Pass in Mid July. I have an aversion to deep snow or ice in exposed situations. I know some years mid- July would be too early, but I thought this year would work. Opinions ?

Unless Yosemite receives some unexpected very late heavy snows (I've been snowed on while climbing the Mist trail 3rd week of May), you should be O.K.

I went over it on July 2, 2007 which was another dry year and there was no snow on the trail or on the pass at all. If this year continues to be dry I expect it will be just fine.

Looking down on Upper Ottoway from the pass (July 2 2007) - no snow on the trail:



Looking back up on the pass as we descended:

The other side (east) holds snow much longer than the west.
But yeah, snow issue this year. Unless something goofy happens at this pt.
This year looks worse than last year imo.

I've run into peeps who dreaded RRP so much they actually went Fernandez/Post Peak to avoid it.

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chick-on
The other side (east) holds snow much longer than the west.
But yeah, snow issue this year. Unless something goofy happens at this pt.
This year looks worse than last year imo.

I've run into peeps who dreaded RRP so much they actually went Fernandez/Post Peak to avoid it.

(RPP)
You've got a picture of GW and me coming down the snow field there on the east side or was that some other pass?

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Old Dude

Thank you to all for the info. I'm going. I'll be doing a loop from Glacier Point , over Red Peak Pass , down the Merced River and back to Glacier Point. Eight days, have my permit reservation already.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2013 10:29AM by lschaaf.

As mentioned you should have no problems at all. I was up there in late June last year and snow was a total non-issue. Zero snow on the south side and just a little on the North side. Snow levels are very similar this year.

June 30, 2012

Wasn't there a windstorm last year that caused a lot of blowdowns just before Washburn? (Googled "blowdown red peak".) Would the Yosemite public information office have information about the condition of the trail, or is there another number to call?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2013 11:29PM by KenS.

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KenS
Wasn't there a windstorm last year that caused a lot of blowdowns just before Washburn? (Googled "blowdown red peak".) Would the Yosemite public information office have information about the condition of the trail, or is there another number to call?

The downed tree photos in the Red Peak Pass post that came up with a google search are not much more than normal deadfall. The 2011 blowdown that occured aaround Red's Meadow was the biggie:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/home/?cid=stelprdb5354687

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Old Dude

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KenS
Wasn't there a windstorm last year that caused a lot of blowdowns just before Washburn? (Googled "blowdown red peak".) Would the Yosemite public information office have information about the condition of the trail, or is there another number to call?

It wasn't at Red Peak Pass - The pass is way above the treeline. The blowdown was severe in Ansel Adams by Reds Meadow but it also hit a section just a mile or two above Washburn Lake - Right at the footbridge going over the Merced - About 30 yards upriver and 100 yards downriver - The trees took down the railings on the bridge - We had to bushwack around the blow down.

I posted pictures on another thread - One is a picture of my father in law holding up a sign with the tree blow down in the background

Ottoway lake, Red Peak Pass, Washburn

It was pretty bad and I know the crews they were sending out last year were reduced from 6 to 2. I would be very surprised if this hasn't been cleared by now but I'm not sure who to call to find out



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2013 05:21PM by SoCalCPA.

Wasn't there also lots of blow-down on the Illouette Valley trail below the Merced Pass Lakes? Or, am I confusing that with the Merced River blow-down above Washburn Lake?

Nope Tom - you are correct - There was blow down going up the Illouette drainage on the way to the Merced Pass Lakes last year too - It wasn't as bad as the blow down above Washburn...and Washburn wasn't as bad as the blowdown by Agnew and Reds

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SoCalCPA
Nope Tom - you are correct - There was blow down going up the Illouette drainage on the way to the Merced Pass Lakes last year too - It wasn't as bad as the blow down above Washburn...and Washburn wasn't as bad as the blowdown by Agnew and Reds

Thanks, and it's Jim. I won't bother to explain what "tomdisco" means but it confuses the hell out of everybody. One guy even chose "the other Tom" to prevent stepping on me.

For fun took this photo of the pass from way yonder last Sunday:


A wee bit more of that there range I put together into a photosynth:
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=b47a05e9-26da-44e6-9943-997b366317a7

(yes, this forum has a place in my heart) (always thinking of you) (I can't leave for good ever it seems)



Anywho. Bearproof and I went over RPP last year late... and there was little downed trees on the
sections we hiked from Ottoway to Illilouette crossing... but then again we sort of skipped
most of the trail... so ... uh... nevermind...

The picture above... plenty of snow up high... more on that later.

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Nifty photos of Red Peak pass and the Sierra crest.

Here's a video I shot of the Sierra crest yesterday a bit farther away. The video is a bit murky due to the haze and some smog, but I think the crest is still recognizable:

And besides the visibility not being optimal, it was windy like hell. So I just took several photos of "you know what" from inside my car.

Here's the best one:


This is the same photo, but I circled "you know what" in red. It was clearly visible via binoculars, but the lack of contrast and the murky air made it hard to shoot a decent photograph of it yesterday.




And keeping on topic of this thread, I think Red Peak Pass might also be visible in this photo.
.

Please stop putting Photoshoped photos of "you know what" in posts.

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Old Dude

Well, of these two photos that I posted today, the first one wasn't "photoshopped" at all. It was just taken with my Nikon P&S camera from inside my car.

And for the second one, the only "photoshopping" I did was put a red circle around "you know what".