Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board North Palisade

Has anyone been up North Palisade and/or Polemonium from the west (i.e., from the Palisade basin via Thunderbolt and Bishop passes) in the last month? Seems like the weather has been crazy up there and it looks like the Palisades will get nearly a foot of snow this week (http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/North-Palisade/forecasts/4341). We're planning heading up the west chute (west side U-notch) in early August. Any idea of how much snow is in the chute this time of year?

I've been up that route many times. I wouldn't worry about what happens in the mountains this week if you're not going until early August. If indeed it does receive a foot of new snow it'll be melted long before then. In early August I'd be surprised if you had any snow on the route at all.

Here are a couple galleries of pix that may be of some help. These trips were done during a similar time of year:

North Palisade via LeConte Route to Mt. Sill
Thunderbolt to Starlight and North Palisade via West Chute

Thanks Kurt,
Any thoughts about the Palisade snow levels/conditions for next week?
Cheers,
Rick

Hey Rick!

I'm just getting back from guiding a Denali expedition and haven't been in the backcountry yet. That'll change over the next couple of days .

A couple of my guides have been in there recently. They just exited yesterday and today. Where are you headed? I can probably get you some very current conditions

Thinking of Temple Crag and wondering if any white stuff will persist on the shady-northern slopes

Thanks very much for the beta! Those pictures are really helpful for gauging the probable snow conditions in early August.

My husband and I were actually up there with one of your guides in early June. She was outstanding and we had a great trip. We got within 10 - 20 ft. of the summit of N Pal right right as the T storms started to hit, so our guide made the wise call to head back down. Now we have a good understanding of the route and terrain, so we're planning on giving it another try on our own in early August. The snow was mostly rotten in the chute on our early June attempt, so it's encouraging to learn that it will likely be largely free of snow later in the summer. We're trying to do all the 14ers in CA and N Pal and Polemonium are the last two to summit before we accomplish our goal...

I'll be in the back-country this weekend though a bit south, hoping to climb Mt. Brewer if the weather allows. Seeing those pix from last year, of us in the palisades sure put a smile on my face. That was a fun trip. Thanks, Kurt!

Rick, I just got down from Mt. Whitney yesterday. The latest snow seems to be sticking on the north shady slopes. Even if it warms up by next week I suspect there will be some lingering snow on the shady northern slopes. Since Temple Crag is lower in elevation though I suspect there won't be much. Most of the rock in the Palisades was dry before this latest storm. We'll have to see how much falls with this storm that's coming through today.

You're welcome. I'm planning to be in the Palisades at the end of July. Feel free to get in touch at the email below if you want some updated beta. I should have some good pix as well .

Great times Norma! Thanks for coming on such a fun trip!! Looking forward to the next one!!

Thanks Kurt,
It's looking a bit frosty for July.
I'll keep my global-warming fingers-crossed for next week

Idirorod81,

What was it like coming down from NPal in a thunderstorm?

iPlod, it was pretty scary because the thunder was constant. Once we got off the ridgeline we were essentially safe though. Then it was just a matter of schlepping down the in chute in the hail and rain :-P