After too many attempts already, I give up trying to post a  report but pictures from a hike about a mile and a half up into the forest on the Burnt Lake trail are at http://picasaweb.google.com/pdxgene/BurntLakeTrail and there's some added to my gallery on site here..

Thank you for the trip report. I especially appreciated the rare Pendleton bloom finding. Do I need to get a permit for harvest if it is just for personal consumption?

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“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin

I don't think the forest service is aware that we have any yet. But they're very shy, you have to be real quiet. Groups of people will scare them off.

It's amazing how bad the snow still is. Last year I made it to the lake in late April. That's already a 6 week difference this year with at least a couple more to go. The low level snow is hollowed out underneath as it melts so you never know when you'll break through. The tree brances and debris are everywhere so there's no chance at finding a trail except brief moments. You really need to stick to places that you know pretty well. I've been up that trail 100 times easily but right now everything looks the same. That's why we just gave up on the trail and followed the creek.. 

One thing I've heard repeatedly is that the really heavy snowpack is limited to the mid-altitudes - maybe 3000 - 5000 or 6000 feet. The snowpack up high is above-average, but not nearly as much as at the mid-altitudes. Like 150% vs 300%.

This means that when we finally get that mid-altitude pack melted, the upper areas may be open quite soon after - as long as the trails can be negotiated. The Forest Service is going to need a lot of help to catch up if the trails are as bad as reports here indicate.

Hi Gene,
Thanks for the trail/road conditions report and photos - looks like a pretty late Spring this year! Looks more like 1908 than 2008 (...at least as described in old climbing guides...).
How did you get to the 1825 Road? Is the bridge over the Sandy River at the start of the Old Maid Flats road, the one that got knocked out in that big 11/6/06 storm (the bridge with the Big Gate on it) repaired? (I haven't been up there since last summer). If so, how far in could you drive until you hit snow?
Or... did you come in from another approach?
Cheers,
Peter

The bridge was repaired in late September and the gate was opened for spring a couple weeks ago. You can now drive (easily) to the Ramona Falls trailhead or to Lost Creek CG. That campground would be your starting point to head towards Burnt Lake. There are at least a few dozen trees down along the spur road to the Burnt Lake trailhead. 

Great! I love Hiking.

After two more weeks the snow is melting but there is still plenty on the trails under 3,000. Especially for late June. This is along the first mile of the trail today..

There were some clear areas following this but after a mile or so it's still all snow. And a lot of downed trees from the weight of all that snow. Where the snow had cleared away there were tons of trilliums..

More pics .. http://picasaweb.google.com/pdxgene/BurntLakeTrail

 

Looks like hiking might start around the time the kids go to school. :-)

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“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin

Maybe we'll end up getting to the alpine meadows just in time to catch the fall colors coming back down through the forest?

I know it's going to take more than my little hand clippers to carve a path through those downed trees. I'll have to check out the thrift stores for a set of pruning shears for the next attempt.

That's good news! We will be able to photograph the alpine blossoms and the fall colors on a single tank of gas.

When I moved from my house to my condo last year I wish I did not get rid of my pruning tools. 20/20 hindsight.

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“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin