The Inyo County Road Crew was up on the lower portion of the road!
There are now 2 Front Loaders staged for the upper portion of the road!

I did the same routine as a few days ago...
When I started up past the gate, I noticed the road was cleaner than it was...
Uh oh...so I decided I was just going to ride...
A little ways up, there was a County Utility truck parked...
I waved at the 1st Equipment Operator...
I just kept my head down as I passed the second big Plow...

There was a pretty significant melt in the last few days...
I made it past The Crossover without slowing down...
I parked off the road about 1/2 mile down from the The Old Trail...

As expected, there were ski tracks heading up (Snow Survey Crew probably)...

The snowshoes stayed on my back all day...
I stopped for a late lunch at the lower end of Cottonwood Lakes...
It was cool enough the A Jacket was required in order to eat my Snacks...

I'd rate the Postholing on the way down Moderate...

Here are some photos:






I was expecting more snow...there was a LOT of dirt exposed...It is going to be an Early Summer...



The meadow below the camp...watch for those weak snow bridges...



Passing through the camp...



Snow Survey Markers on the meadow above the camp...



Crossing into the John Muir Wilderness...



Log Crossing...



New Army Pass / Cottonwood Lakes Junction...



Dry trail at 11,050'...



Mt Langley...


There were some tire tracks punched into the deeper snow as I walked back to the bike...
There was a truck parked a little ways down the road from where I parked...?
The road is cleaned from The Crossover all the way down to the gate (with the exception of a patch of snow at the One Lane)...
So, it was a fun coast down the hill.

Richard,

Thanks for the conditions update! Appears you made it to just past the turnoff to Muir Lake. That was a substantial hike for these conditions.

In your final photo (with Langley in the center), the contrast of rock and snow present nicely defines the descending ridge pointing to the location of Lake 6 and the beginning of the Thompson-Kirk Route on Langley.

In 10 weeks I hope to approach Mt Whitney by the Miter Basin. The conditions I am seeing in your recent photos and the appearance of Thor in the Whitney Portal Store Cam are promising for this relatively early season outing.

Your photos and Shin's recent album posting have me very pumped up for Summer 2024!

Jim

I don't know how you do it, but keep on doing it.

I envy your hiking.

paul

Richard, I just noticed this. This is your 5,228 post.

Very prolific.

Paul