Hopefully the (over 100 degree Temperatures) throughout much of California will end with this week. This isn't helping the drought conditions at all. And since I can also remember many times getting snow this early in hiking in the Panamints or Sierras it just shows me how (OFF) the weather is in the Western U.S.
Here is a Panamint (Telescope Peak) story. The Panamints over look Death Valley I believe. We camped with my parents and a friend of mine and then hiked up towards Telescope Peak likely somewhere around 1960 because we were driving our new 1960 Mercury station wagon. We had had to drive up dirt roads past the old historic charcoal Kilns on the way. However, as we passed a troop of boy scouts coming down from Telescope Peak they mentioned that the snow coming down could be a problem to us. However, it was September so "WHAT could happen?" in September regarding bad weather near Death Valley?
Well, we had a great time but the snow grew deeper and deeper as we hiked our way down from Telescope Peak on our way back to the campsite. By the time we reached there the snow was about 1 foot deep. My father realized then we were in trouble because we didn't have chains or a 4 wheel drive which is what we needed to get out of there. So, my father set off on foot to reach a ranger. Eventually by walking down the road through the snow and hitching a ride to the ranger station with someone down on the level he brought a ranger up with an enclosed Willys Jeep. The Ranger tied a chain to our car off the front of his 4 wheel drive while we slipped and slid down the road. But, he kept us from going off a cliff without chains on our stationwagon. We were really grateful we survived that amazing experience, especially at age 12 in 1960.
Also, it snowed on Mt. Shasta in the last two weeks too. But, it was too hot and quickly melted off within a week. However, there likely is some snow still visible from the spring still visible when you look up from Mt. Shasta city because of late spring snows on Mt. Shasta. I have seen years when there is no snow at all seen on the Mt. Shasta city side. So, still having visible snows is amazing in a drought year such as this early into the fall season.
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