Anyone hiked INYO/Monmouth ?

[maryl]

I'm heading out to Inyo, Monmouth , end of May ....Devils Postpile , some of the John Muir I'm thinking .... Just wondering if anyone had experiences in thee area? Weather? Tips? Then heading to southern Oregon. ROGUE river area? Anyone have any recommendations

[azbackpackr]

Did you mean Mammoth? May can be pretty early for the Sierras, you sometimes can't get up over the passes, so look for stuff that's lower in elevation. My backpacking experience in the Sierras is all up over the passes up high. It's glorious to start somewhere like Horseshoe Meadows or Rock Creek basin and hike for days. It's been years since I did it, though. But best time is in summer for the high country. You can get walk-in permits in Lone Pine and other places further north. Most people get their permits in advance, though.

[maryl]

Spell check . Thanks for the info. real time experience beats my research

[flagscott]

This is looking like a fairly average year for the JMT, snow-wise. If the weather is "normal" the next couple of months, you can expect extensive snow cover on the high passes and even down into the valleys in late May. A very warm spring could speed up the melt. A cold/wet spring would slow it down.

People hike the JMT/PCT in May or early June every year, but unless hiking mile after mile of snow is your idea of fun, better to find somewhere less snowy or come later in the season.

Devil's Postpile is one of the lower spots on the JMT, so it might be clear earlier than other areas. FWIW, I thought Devil's Postpile was nothing special. Some cool rock formations, but nothing worth going out of your way for. There is way better stuff on the JMT and in the Sierra more generally.