Backcountry Conditions

Current conditions for popular backcountry routes. Updated daily from NWS, SNOTEL, avalanche.org, and USGS.

Cascades

BackpackingStrenuousGO

Enchantments Traverse

Cascades, WA

Excellent window for the Enchantments traverse. Weather is stable and sunny all three days with no fires, no avalanche concerns, and normal stream flows. Get your permit sorted and go.

18.0 mi6,801 ft2d
View conditions
BackpackingStrenuousCAUTION

Wonderland Trail

Cascades, WA

Snow is the story on the Wonderland Trail right now — 31 inches of snowpack at elevation means routefinding, postholing, and icy conditions on north-facing slopes. Nights are hard freezing (24–28°F), so expect consolidated crust in the morning and softening by early afternoon. Weather window is clean all weekend, crossings are normal, no fires — go, but be ready for a full winter travel experience above treeline.

93.0 mi22,001 ft10d
View conditions
MountaineeringStrenuousGO

Mt. Rainier – Disappointment Cleaver

Cascades, WA

Weather window looks solid through Sunday — light winds, mostly sunny, and freezing levels that should keep the DC route in good shape for a summit push Friday or Saturday. Sunday night brings a 44% chance of rain/snow, so plan to be off the upper mountain by Sunday afternoon at the latest.

16.0 mi9,252 ft2d
View conditions
MountaineeringStrenuousGO

Mt. Shasta – Avalanche Gulch

Cascades, CA

No avalanche center rating this late in season — standard late-spring Shasta conditions apply. Weather window is excellent through Sunday with calm winds and no precip. Plan your summit bid for Saturday or Sunday with a 1–2 AM start from Helen Lake; freeze-thaw cycle will be your main route management variable.

11.5 mi7,500 ft2d
View conditions
Ski TouringStrenuousCAUTION

Mt. Baker Backcountry

Cascades, WA

No avalanche rating is posted for West Slopes North — NWAC has moved to their summer/off-season schedule, which means no professional hazard assessment. With 59°F highs and a 31-inch snowpack at lower elevations, wet loose is your primary self-managed concern on sun-exposed terrain Friday and Saturday. You can ski, but treat this like a spring mountaineering objective: be off steep solar aspects before midday.

5.0 mi2,999 ft0.5d
View conditions

Elk Mountains

Front Range

Glacier National Park

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon / Havasupai

Grand Staircase-Escalante

King Range

Klamath Mountains

Lake Tahoe

North Cascades

Northern Rockies

Olympic Peninsula

Oregon Cascades

San Juans

Sawatch Range

Sawtooth Range

Sierra Nevada

BackpackingStrenuousGO

John Muir Trail

Sierra Nevada, CA

Solid conditions for a May JMT trip. Afternoon thunderstorm risk today and Sunday — plan your exposed ridge and pass crossings for morning. Stream flows are at or below median across all gauges, so crossings shouldn't be an issue.

210.9 mi43,999 ft21d
View conditions
day_hikeStrenuousGO

Mount Whitney Main Trail

Sierra Nevada, CA

Good conditions window for Whitney this weekend. Weather is stable with cool highs in the low 40s, overnight lows at 29°F, and no significant precip — but 31 inches of snowpack on the trail means microspikes and an ice axe are mandatory above treeline. Flows on all relevant gauges are at or below median, so no crossing concerns.

21.0 mi6,099 ft1d
View conditions
BackpackingStrenuousGO

High Sierra Trail

Sierra Nevada, CA

Good conditions window for the High Sierra Trail. Weather is cooperative with only slight thunderstorm chances today and Sunday afternoon — get your miles in before noon on those days. Stream crossings are running at normal flows, no fire smoke, and you've got nearly 14.5 hours of daylight to work with.

72.0 mi17,999 ft10d
View conditions
Ski TouringModerateCAUTION

Tahoe Backcountry – Mt. Rose

Sierra Nevada, CA

Sierra Avalanche Center has no active rating for Mt. Rose right now — late season gap in coverage, not a green light. With daytime highs hitting 59°F and no overnight refreeze below about 8,000 ft, wet loose is your primary concern starting mid-morning. Get on and off the mountain early.

4.5 mi3,100 ft0.5d
View conditions
BackpackingExpertGO

Mineral King to Mt. Whitney

Sierra Nevada, CA

Good window for this trip. Weather is mostly calm with a slight afternoon storm chance today and Sunday — get moving early those days and be off exposed ridges by noon. Snow at route elevation is real; plan on post-holing and slow travel above 10,000 ft.

70.2 mi20,997 ft7d
View conditions
MountaineeringExpertCAUTION

Mt. Whitney – Mountaineers Route

Sierra Nevada, CA

Avalanche data is unavailable, so treat the Mountaineers Route with caution on the upper snowfields — late-May snow is typically consolidated but the absence of a current forecast means you're flying blind on instability. Weather window is excellent: light winds, sunny through Saturday, with a minor snow shower chance Friday afternoon and again Sunday. Go, but get your summit push done Saturday.

10.0 mi6,499 ft2d
View conditions

Tetons

BackpackingStrenuousGO

Teton Crest Trail

Tetons, WY

Good window for the Crest Trail. Weather holds clean through Saturday, light winds, no fires, stream crossings normal. Sunday afternoon brings a 21% chance of thunderstorms — plan your exposed ridge miles for morning. Snow is still present (Long Lake at 61 inches) so expect lingering patches above treeline.

40.0 mi11,001 ft4d
View conditions
MountaineeringStrenuousGO

Grand Teton – Owen-Spalding Route

Tetons, WY

No avalanche bulletin and no active problems — snowpack is in late-season consolidation. Weather window is clean Friday through Saturday, but Sunday brings increasing SW winds (25 mph surface = ~50 mph at summit) and a 21% chance of snow showers. Plan your summit bid for Saturday and be off the upper mountain by early Sunday afternoon at the latest.

13.0 mi7,001 ft2d
View conditions
Ski TouringExpertCAUTION

Grand Teton Ski Descent

Tetons, WY

No avalanche bulletin is being issued for the Tetons right now — it's late May and BTAC has ended seasonal forecasting. That means you're on your own for snowpack assessment. The snowpack at elevation is limited (31 inches reported), temps are warming toward 45°F by Sunday with SW winds building to 25 mph, so wet snow and wind effect are your main concerns. Go early, get off before noon.

13.0 mi7,201 ft2d
View conditions
Ski TouringModerateCAUTION

Teton Pass Backcountry

Tetons, WY

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center has no rating up right now — it's late May and they've likely ended their season. Treat this as unforecasted terrain and use field observations to make your own call. Snowpack at 31 inches is hanging on, weather is clean through Saturday, but a warm weekend with highs hitting 63°F means wet slide activity is a real concern by Sunday afternoon.

4.0 mi2,598 ft0.5d
View conditions

Uinta Mountains

Wasatch

Wind River Range

Yosemite

Zion