Pen and I would like to ski up Taboose Pass and the western side of the Palisades in early April. We tried this twice (2012 and 2013) but failed due to lack of snow.

Would anyone care to comment on how much snow there is presently in that area? A friend told me that there is again not enough snow for this.

We would ski over Taboose and Mather Pass to the west side of Palisades to Dusy Basin, over Bishop Pass and out.

Any advice on this?

Thanks in advance.

Alois.

Alois,
Not many replies on this so I will give you what I see from the east side right now. In up in Aspendell at 8400' and it is as dry as a normal end of May. Essentially snow free and not much different up to at least 9000'. Rode my mountain bike higher than that today on dry ground. Mammoth snow reports aren't exactly a good measure for evaluating the entries south of Bishop. Snow we have gotten here during March has melted off quickly in warm days that follow storms. With that written I think you may be just fine going over Taboose and out Bishop Pass. I would plan that I wouldn't be on skis below 9500' and some open areas like south of Mather Pass in Upper Basin might even be patchy. Not sure what your actual route plan is north of Mather but it might be better to traverse toward Potluck Pass from Palisade Lakes on the way to Bishop Pass rather than following the John Muir Trail. Pretty sure LeConte Canyon will be patchy or snow free right now even though I haven't have a first hand look at it.

Thanks Scott, very intelligent response. Yes we plan on going over Potluck Pass and up.

My biggest concern is not enough snow for skiing. I'm not getting any younger and carrying the whole set up (skis and boots) on top of our gear for long periods of time (or distance) is probably asking too much.

BTW do you live in Aspendell full time? My good friend and early climbing partner George Ivy used to own a cabin there. I have lost contact with him but wonder if he still owns the place. Do you know him?

Again, thanks for chiming in, much appreciated.

Yes, I am one of about 50 people living in Aspendell full time. Look for a PM from me with info about George and one other item.

Alois - I have skied in the South Lake area twice this week and I can tell you that there is a sh!Tload of snow out there! Of course I have not been up to or over Bishop Pass, but all of the peaks surrounded the basin have pretty good coverage for skiing, even Agassiz looks skiable right now. Probing on the shore of Treasure Lakes yesterday showed at least 5' of snow that is consolidating very nicely. The next couple of weeks should be a fine time for your trip!

Deb is correct. Relative to the previous four winters the coverage is good. That time of year you'll usually hit decent snow coverage at the second crossing of Taboose Creek (9,200'). If sticking to the classic route Mather-Cirque-Potluck-Thunderbolt, you'll have your skis on for the entire trip.

Hi guys,
We just got back from Death Valley late last night. Did Tin and attempted Dry. Thanks to you Scott M. Debbie and Foxtail. We concluded that maybe we should not go and basically wrote the trip off. Now after your comments I'm not so sure that we should not just re-pack and go for it. Pen and I will have a bit of a debate on this and will see.

Again, I appreciate your comments. Thanks a million.