[scubadud]

My friend and I will have about 2-3 days for backpacking the park during the second week of June. Not sure about route selection, considering the likelyhood of snow still at the higher elevations. I was looking at leaving from the Bear Lake Trailhead, crossing over the divide and ending up somewhere around the Onahu Trailhead. It seems like a pretty popular route, I'm just not sure if it will be too early in the season to hike. If anybody has any suggestions or experience it would be greatly appreciated. My friend and I can handle moderate to difficult hikes without much problem.

[John]

You could hike to Sourdough the first day (that's a campsite) and spend the evening exploring around Lake Helene. Second day you could hike over the Divide and camp at Haynach Lake. Third day hike out. You might need snowshoes but I'm not sure.

[dianeh85]

scubadud, on 11 March 2010 - 01:11 PM, said:

My friend and I will have about 2-3 days for backpacking the park during the second week of June. Not sure about route selection, considering the likelyhood of snow still at the higher elevations. I was looking at leaving from the Bear Lake Trailhead, crossing over the divide and ending up somewhere around the Onahu Trailhead. It seems like a pretty popular route, I'm just not sure if it will be too early in the season to hike. If anybody has any suggestions or experience it would be greatly appreciated. My friend and I can handle moderate to difficult hikes without much problem.

bring your yack tracks

[Igloo Ed]

There will be snow but it'll be hard in the middle of the drifts and soft around the edges. You'll post hole through some but even snowshoes would fall through that stuff. Most of the trail will be bare once you leave the woods except the big snowfields and drifts.
Going down the North Inlet trail could be hazardous in the cliff/switchback area if it's steep snow. It will probably be broke/walked on by that time however, the rangers should know better than I.
It has been years since I've been on the Tonahutu Trail but I believe it is a bit safer in snow conditions.
Good boots are a must when walking in wet snow. Gortex lined hikers still get wet on the outside which ends up with cold feet at night. That's unless you have favorable weather and they dry before nightfall.

[scubadud]

Igloo Ed, on 11 March 2010 - 11:31 PM, said:

There will be snow but it'll be hard in the middle of the drifts and soft around the edges. You'll post hole through some but even snowshoes would fall through that stuff. Most of the trail will be bare once you leave the woods except the big snowfields and drifts.
Going down the North Inlet trail could be hazardous in the cliff/switchback area if it's steep snow. It will probably be broke/walked on by that time however, the rangers should know better than I.
It has been years since I've been on the Tonahutu Trail but I believe it is a bit safer in snow conditions.
Good boots are a must when walking in wet snow. Gortex lined hikers still get wet on the outside which ends up with cold feet at night. That's unless you have favorable weather and they dry before nightfall.

Thanks for all the help. My biggest concerns are traversing the switchbacks on either the Flattop Mountain Trail or on the North Inlet Trail. If the latter trail is potentially trecherous, I could take what I believe is called, the National Scenic Trail instead. It has a much more gradual elevation change. I have a couple pair of snowshoes we'll bring along. You couldn't be more spot on with the boot advice. I've done a bit of early spring hiking in the Sierra Nevadas and know how nearly impossible it is to keep your boots dry and feet warm through wet slushy snow. I've even developed a makeshift coat hanger rig to prop my boots up over my stove in order to dry them out at nights (although you need to bring lots of extra fuel!).