Lassen, current conditions

[HERR42]

Well i wonder how it looks up there at the moment? i wonder if its possible to get as far as wilson lake?
it may be a hopeless slab of compacted frozen snow.

oh well, dear wife suggests taking a close up look, i'm up for it, so off we go.

 

[Tomas Tierra]

Go get 'em Jeff. looking forward to the report.

 

[HERR42]

Hello Tom,
yes i was thinking maybe Ted or Craig had been up there already.....

 

[fish more]

THE LAST STORM THAT JUST CAME THRU, DUMPED ALOT OF SNOW IN THE NORTHERN CA AREA. THE WEATHER HAS MADE IT VERY HARD TO GET ANY WHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS. MAY HAVE TO WAIT A WHILE LONGER TO MAKE ANY TRIPS INTO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS

 

[HERR42]

well i will let ya know. i warned the wife. if we cant get up there we will just go somewhere else.

 

[ski3pin]

This is how it was on May 3nd and more snow has come since then. 181 inches of snow is 15 feet. It appears that most all roads in the park are closed.

May snow survey results
Measured at Lake Helen at 8100 feet elevation:

Snow depth - 181.9 inches, 112% of normal
Snow depth last year - 130.4 inches
Water content - 88.0 inches, 109.3% of normal
Normal water content - 80.5 inches

 

[Ted]

Herr,

Sorry, I have not ventured that way lately. In fact, due to family obligations, the only nights spent in the camper lately have been on the street in front of my parents' house. But I did see your post and looked for any info I could find. Didn't see anything helpful. I am not familiar with Wilson Lake but looked it up. It is below 5000' elevation so may be possible. I would call or email the LNF and see if the ranger could give you any help.

Happy camping.

 

[HERR42]

well we went up last thursday...didnt get too far due to snow.


as you can see from the ruts i high centered the truck....time to get out the winch bag!

once we winched through this one we were right next to a nice clearing so we just stopped there for the day.


this guy had a good time...


you guys see these very often?



they usually get shot up a lot.

i wonder how many people know that the tags match up with the forest service maps and allow you to identify your position?


we will go back up soon and within a week or two all of the snow ought to be gone.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

well we went up last thursday...didnt get too far due to snow.
View attachment 8742

as you can see from the ruts i high centered the truck....time to get out the winch bag!

once we winched through this one we were right next to a nice clearing so we just stopped there for the day.
View attachment 8743

this guy had a good time...
View attachment 8744

you guys see these very often?

View attachment 8745

they usually get shot up a lot.

i wonder how many people know that the tags match up with the forest service maps and allow you to identify your position?


we will go back up soon and within a week or two all of the snow ought to be gone.

About 40 years ago i was hunting with a friend who was a ranger for the Modoc area. He showed us the forest maps and which section on the map the tags were and how to use them. Great if they don't get shot up. Where in Lasen did you go? Frank

 

[HERR42]

right here...



not far up from hwy 32

 

[craig333]

Forest service location markers, or k-tags as my dad called them (he spent a few summers installing them so I got to learn early) are a great resource. Kinds sucks to have to completey unfold a map to see the coordinates but oh well.

 

[Cort]

right here...

View attachment 8746

not far up from hwy 32

We were up this way as well. Started out in Plumas NF out of Oroville. Took the 162 out of Oroville and then camped down on French Cr, which is located off of the Fourmile Ridge Road (22N33). Next morning headed out of French Cr via 23N00 and hooked back up with 162. 162 was closed because of snow near Four Trees and 23N28. We backtracked down 23N00 to Coyote Gap and eventually to Hwy 70. Real nice drive...the road was good except for last quarter mile down to Hwy 70. Continued up Hwy 70 toward Quincy and took at left on Caribou Drive (27N26). Hopped over the hill and made our way down Butt Valley Reservoir. Before we hit the lake we turned on 23N26 to head over to the North Branch of Mosquito Cr (off of 27N28 and 26N33). Lot's of snow on the road but we were able to punch through all of the drifts....Then we came around a corner and there was an enormous fir tree across the road. Backtracked to 27N98 and then called it a night at the Cold Springs Campground (PG&E). Next day we head toward Lassen and took 36/89 down toward Mineral. 89 is still closed through the Park. We continued down to the Battle Cr campground and then hopped onto 31N17 hoping that we could get across to 44. No such luck we hit deep snow drifts less than 2 miles from 36. Backtracked back to 36 and decided to go down to I-5 and back home via HWY 299.

Moral of the story.....Still lots of snow out there.

Cheers,

Cort

 

[HERR42]

well craig i did not know what they were called! now i do! K-Tags (forset service locator posters)

all these years and only now do i learn! thanks.

Cort, you covered some ground...took me a while to figure out your path.
tell me, how many people did you see? usually the CG's next to butt lake are busy....or closed when we are in the area.

 

[Cort]

We saw only one other truck on the dirt roads we traveled at that was within a quarter mile of Hwy 70. At Cold Springs Camp Ground there was only one other rig. We typically stay away from improved campgrounds due to crowds but since we kept getting blocked by snow we just ended up there. It was a great shakedown trip for the Bobcat. Can't wait till the next outing. We have a three week trip planned for late June into July. We will be out doing the desert circuit.

Cort

 

[HERR42]

a desert run would be great. keep on eye on the tires, and watch the turnbuckles!

 

[HERR42]

No such luck we hit deep snow drifts less than 2 miles from 36. Backtracked back to 36 and decided to go down to I-5 and back home via HWY 299.


where do you live? we are coming into the area from the south, Sacramento, and you from the north?
what was it that caused you to head off that way? bucks lake? are you familiar with the area?

 

[Cort]

where do you live? we are coming into the area from the south, Sacramento, and you from the north?
what was it that caused you to head off that way? bucks lake? are you familiar with the area?

We live in between Willow Cr and Arcata, CA in Redwood Valley. its near the headwaters of Redwood Cr which eventually drains to the Pacific at Orick, CA. We came in that way because I was down at ATC picking up my new Bobcat.....so it just seamed natural on the way home to head up into Plumas and eventually Lassen on the way home. I am not that familiar with Plumas but very familiar with Lassen.

Cort

 

[HERR42]

my daughter lives in arcata so we are up there a lot.

 

[Cort]

well sounds like you'll have to let me know next time you are in the area. Have you had a chance to check out the local selection of brew pubs?