On FR 73 I was able to drive within 100 yards of the hiker parking lot before my sedan was stopped by snow. I hiked more off trail than on because it was hard to find in the snow - I lost count how many times I broke through due to hidden logs, etc.
Lake Eleanor was half melted, as was the "First Meadow" (my destination), with a great view of Rainier. Only one other party at the lake today.
The attached satellite photo from the day before showed the partly melted lake (bottom left) and first meadow (bottom middle). The hairpin curve in FR 73 where you park is clearly seen (middle right), but is not clear enough to show the snowbank blocking the road (50 feet long). Google the words Sentinel and Playground for a viewer.
Comments
AlpsDayTripper on Grand Park via Lake Eleanor
Wow! That will be an incredibly handy tool, thanks for sharing it!!
Posted by:
AlpsDayTripper on Jun 18, 2021 07:08 AM
To alpsdaytripper
The satellite photos have been very useful for me estimating road melt outs this spring. Unfortunately short-but-deep road snowbanks are not always visible. I plan to track above timberline trail melt outs later too.
On this viewer, I suggest always clicking "effects", then "show acquisition dates". Then play around with the "% cloud" icon button on the right, to get the latest clear photo.
Because of our cloudy climate, the latest clear day photo may have been weeks ago and not very useful. So I always play with the cloud slider (on the right) to find a more recent partly cloudy day that still shows the road or trail I want. The calender (icon) does show clear or partly cloudy days, but is not always accurate.
Along with WTA, the sat photos help me decide which roads/trails are "in shape" for me, and help save gas and frustration.
NorWester
Posted by:
NorWester on Jun 18, 2021 03:18 PM