?? snow pack in the blues??

[Archery King]

Does anyone no how much snow is up in the blues in the south east corner near asotin or Anitone?  I drew a bear tag up there and im not sure when i will be able to get up there.  help if you can 

[1arrowfromhotstreak]

I live on the HWY going to Anatone.  It has snowed all week, last week and all winter.  I am just below the snow line but I know up at the park they still have feet of snow.  Let me know when you are going and I can run up the hwy and let you know what the snow level looks like.  Every weekend tons of snowmobiles are going up and down the HWY.  Depending on what unit you have you can get access from below, Troy Oregon or the snake river.

[Archery King]

Well *censored* thats not good we go up out of asotin up the clover land grade and into the wennatchee national forest we camp near the wenatchee gaurd station.  I would like to get up there the first week end in may do you think that is possible?   Thank you so much for the help!


  P.S.  What is you elevation where you at?

[jackelope]

we go up out of asotin up the clover land grade and into the wennatchee national forest we camp near the wenatchee gaurd station.

you sure?

[Archery King]

oops sorry lol ment umatilla NF my bad lol

[jackelope]

last year this time i couldn't get too far into the NF via asotin creek due to snowpack. the snow is very similar this year, maybe worse. at 3500' last year there was 4' of snow at the NF boundary at peola.

[wastickslinger]

last year in end of April you could not get anywhere near the national forest from the Anaton side.

[Archery King]

well lets hope the snow melts fast     or im screwed

[1arrowfromhotstreak]

If you want to hunt around the guard station there is a trail that goes to the bottom, Menatchee.  You can access that area from the Troy Oregon side which is free of snow.  Grouse flats area and Cougar creek.  Hunt up from the bottom.  The access form Anatone off of East Mt road is usually open before Cloverland.  We currently has less snow than we did last year.  I don't think it will be that bad by May.  I was riding horses up their last year at that time.

[Archery King]

Ya i was hopeing to avoid camping down on cougar creek just because i hate hiking to the top every morning.  But my buddies and i have been thinking about trying and going up the troy side first.  Once agian i really appreciate the help im gonna have to PM you at the end of the month for another snow report cause i live up in davenport which is 60 miles west of spokane so its a four hour trip for me. 

[BLUEBULLS]

it's worse that last year but it should be going fast now. at 4000' there's 5 or 6 feet

[jackelope]

mid 40's and a foot or so of snow on the ground yesterday at 3500'. the deer have not returned from the winter range yet either.

[1arrowfromhotstreak]

rain and snow mixed today.  More snow expected on Sunday.

[gramps]

I think it snowed some more this evening.  Gonna go scouting in the AM anyway.

[Rob]

Any update on the snow?  I'm headed to Lick creek this weekend.  I'll provide an update upon my return.

[Timberstalker]

I hope you plan on going the long way because you will not be able to make it over the top yet.   This is just for your benefit.

[ThePascoKid]

Still quite a bit up above 4000' last weekend, but that was out of Walla Walla.  This site has a couple sensors in the Blues.

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=824&state=wa

[Rob]

Still quite a bit up above 4000' last weekend, but that was out of Walla Walla.  This site has a couple sensors in the Blues.

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=824&state=wa

THANK YOU FOR THAT LINK!!!

I have been trying to re-locate that link for a week.  I originally found it off the Pomeroy Ranger station a month or so ago and now the USFS site seems to be down and I could not find it again!

[Mr Mykiss]

Do we know exactly where those sensors are?

[Rufous]

Today I took a drive up in the Blues and was able to do a loop up the North Fork of the Coppei Road and then down Jasper Mtn Road. Elevation at the top was 3800'. There was some snow in the road in spots but it was no problem to drive it. Rufous.

[Archery King]

    I got stopped by the snow today at 4150ft.  not good i need to get to at least five thousand feet.

[jackelope]

i think if you made it to 4150 at this point you did pretty good. it's melting fast is the word i've heard.

[Rob]

Boy did I drive this weekend.  I was hoping to do more walking, but I'm still learning the unit.  I was looking to get into 175, and was more or less successful. 

Starting from the SE...

=>I tried to go in on the West Mt road, but was stopped by snow about 2 miles from the forest.
=>Made it in to the Snowpark up along cloverland road, but it was blocked from there on.
=>Made it in quite a ways along the smoothgin iron road.  8-9 miles from the Asotin WLA entrance before I was blocked by snow.  Proably around 4400 feet
=>Made it in about 8 miles along the lick fork road before I was blocked by snow.  Close to 4600 feet.
=>Made it in about 4 miles along the Iron springs road. 
=>Very poor access via the 40.  maybe a mile or so before it was totally impassable.

My goal was to learn the unit so I did very little hiking.  Maybe only 3-4 miles.  Still, did not see any bear sign at all.  I kinda expected to see something along those southern slopes close to the snow line.

Oh well.  There is always next time!

[Mr Mykiss]

I doubt it's melting very fast right now!

[Rob]

Its dropping, but jumped up with that snowstorm from earlier this week.  It snowed on me last weekend and it was 65 degrees in Clarkston!  photo below.

From the snotel weather station at Spruce Springs (5700 feet)
Date   Snow Depth
01-May   48
02-May   46
03-May   45
04-May   46
05-May   44
06-May   42
07-May   41
08-May   41
09-May   41
10-May   39
11-May   36
12-May   34
13-May   37
14-May   34