08 Jan 25 - Conditions Report: Winter Hike on South Lake Rd to Tyee Lakes Trailhead

The temperate winter weather continues to persist here in the Eastern Sierra making winter hiking in the area accessible for those of any skill level!

Building on last week's conditions report on hiking Rt. 168 to Lake Sabrina, another one of our favorite spots to recommend at the moment: South Lake Road from the gate closure at Bishop Creek Village up to South Lake.

To maintain the most up-to-date information on the conditions up there so we can provide the best advice possible, our staff member and local AMGA-trained guide, Colin B., went up there yesterday afternoon to enjoy his day off and check out the conditions. Here is what he found!

Conditions Report:

Current As Of: 08 January 2025*

Conditions: Rt. 168 and South Lake Rd are melted out down to pavement all the way up to the gate closure just beyond Bishop Creek Village. The snowline only starts around 7000ft when ascending on Rt. 168 and the coverage is patchy and very much aspect dependent at that point. Once at the gate closure, you can park just before the gate closure on the side of the road (see photo below), but there isn't a turnoff there like up at Aspendell on Rt. 168 so you will be parking on the shoulder which is definitely smaller (still very much doable though). The snow/ice coverage begins immediately after the gate and is continuous the rest of the way up the road. The depth of the snow/ice has some local variability but generally the same two-part profile everywhere. At the bottom, there is a layer of ice right on top of the asphalt which ranges from less than 0.25" up to 2-3" at points. At certain sections of the road, you can feel bumps and ruts in the ice layer parallel with the road which are from vehicles driving on the initial snowfall a couple of months ago and compacting that snow down into an ice layer. Above the ice is a layer of powdery snow ranging from 1-4" in depth. This loose snow on top of an ice layer that was at times inconsistent in depth and shape made for slippery and delicate walking at times when walking outside the already made boot track (which was better I think due to the compacted snow, but not drastically so). The slopes on either side of the road have inconsistent and minimal snow coverage making any avalanche concerns negligible for the moment.

Activity: Hiking on snow/ice covered road from the gate closure at Bishop Creek Village ~2.5 miles up to the Tyee Lakes Trailhead and the back for ~5 miles in total round trip taking around 2 hours with stops for picture taking included. (Of note, South Lake itself is ~4.5 miles from the gate closure and would be ~9 miles round trip).

Recommendations: Some sort of foot traction is 100% recommended due to the ice layer right on top of the asphalt. You may not need it for every step, but to go do this without having the gear as an option would not be prudent. My go-to would be short (aluminum) crampons or microspikes given there is not a need for snowshoe flotation due to the minimal snow depth. But, if you do not have those items or snowshoes are all that you have, they will absolutely prove useful for the traction provided by the cleats/crampons on the bottom. Don't hesitate to call us or stop in the store if you have any further questions or need to rent some snowshoes/crampons to be safe out there!

View from the shoulder parking right before the gate closure on South Lake Rd just beyond the Bishop Creek Village

 

The scenic winter view of Misty Falls covered in ice from just beyond the gate closure!

My foot in a La Sportive Aequilibrum LT GTX boot showing the average depth of the powdery snow on top of the ice layer. It comes up just above the top of the boot's forefoot.

 

The scenic Bishop Creek crossing under South Lake Rd 1.5 miles up from the gate close!

 

2 miles up South Lake Rd

Right before the Tyee Lakes Trailhead on South Lake Rd 

 

*All conditions reports are subject to change, increasingly so with each passing day since the observation(s) were made. They are provided as a tool to assist your adventuring, not to replace your own risk management and decision-making. No information in any trip or conditions report published by Eastside Sports should be considered definitive in its information or directive in its recommendation.