Re: When will it be spring?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratagonia
Zion is likely to be in the grasp of 'winter' well into June. Lots of snow up
there in the high country, I'm thinking about July 4th weekend for the Narrows to open, and for the canyons that go into it to be available, such as Imlay, Orderville and Mystery.
Poo. Looks like I lost the gamble with flight bookings for June. :-/
Oh well, will enter the Mystery lottery, hope for a warm spring and take my chances I guess.
North Fork road snow questions
We did Englestead in June last year with lots of snow. Some parts seemed a little sketchy, with melting snow bridges over our heads. Doesn't it ever get too dangerous in there? I saw Tom said it was fine even with lots of snow.
How about the snow situation in Birch? I have seen TR's from November and December, but not from February-March. That's because of the road I assume. Anybody been there in dead of winter? How about early May? Anybody seen lots of snow in Birch?
Thanks,
Andy
Re: North Fork road snow questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by canyoncaver
We did Englestead in June last year with lots of snow. Some parts seemed a little sketchy, with melting snow bridges over our heads. Doesn't it ever get too dangerous in there? I saw Tom said it was fine even with lots of snow.
I've seen TR with a lot of snow in June including one where someone used an iceaxe. As for does it ever get dangerous in there more so than normal conditions I'm not the one to ask.
Quote:
Originally Posted by canyoncaver
How about the snow situation in Birch? I have seen TR's from November and December, but not from February-March. That's because of the road I assume. Anybody been there in dead of winter? How about early May? Anybody seen lots of snow in Birch?
I've seen TR from March 2008 here and there was lots of snow, ice, & mud. Though it probably doesn't have the collection of avalanche snow & snow bridges over the cliffs like Englestead & Echo receive. I remember in TR the road was a major problem.
Re: North Fork road snow questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by trackrunner
Quote:
Originally Posted by canyoncaver
We did Englestead in June last year with lots of snow. Some parts seemed a little sketchy, with melting snow bridges over our heads. Doesn't it ever get too dangerous in there? I saw Tom said it was fine even with lots of snow.
I've seen TR with a lot of snow in June including one where someone used an iceaxe. As for does it ever get dangerous in there more so than normal conditions I'm not the one to ask.
I'm sure it gets dangerous in there at times. Heck, I bet its really dangerous in there right now, with huge chunks of ice falling from the rim. However, I GUESS, based on trip reports from last year, that the period of hanging snow-bridges and high danger is relatively short in Engelstead.
The contrast at that time was to Kolob, which was very dangerous for a long period of time (the year before). I think the differences are: a. higher altitude, more snow collection; b. E-W orientation rather than E's N-S; and most important: c. continuous flow of water to hollow it out from underneath. Kinda like Echo, on a much larger scale.
Quote:
Originally Posted by trackrunner
Quote:
Originally Posted by canyoncaver
How about the snow situation in Birch? I have seen TR's from November and December, but not from February-March. That's because of the road I assume. Anybody been there in dead of winter? How about early May? Anybody seen lots of snow in Birch?
I've seen TR from March 2008 here and there was lots of snow, ice, & mud. Though it probably doesn't have the collection of avalanche snow & snow bridges over the cliffs like Englestead & Echo receive. I remember in TR the road was a major problem.
Did Birch in a dry year in March. Muddy and messy, but there was no snow that year.
Tom :moses: