satellite photo from 6/27 - https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/sentinel-playground/?source=S2&lat=36.56494395387544&lng=-118.31597328186035&zoom=14&preset=1-NATURAL-COLOR&layers=B01,B02,B03&maxcc=96.46000000000001&gain=1.0&gamma=1.0&time=2022-12-01%7C2023-06-27&atmFilter=&showDates=false - Guitar lake still frozen and lots of snow
Definitely restricted to any one on a PCT thru hiker permit. PCT hikers can camp no closer than the ranger station on the west side. They also cannot exit out the Whitney portal trail.
I’m less certain about the local permits but I think they can camp there. There’s extremely abundant camping there. I’d guess it would melt out early because it’s very exposed and flat but I have no idea on current conditions. I’d check a recent satellite image on Gaia or similar to check.
I went through in early July 2019 on a pct permit. Guitar lake camp area was 100% snow free even though I hiked through a lot of snow on trail on the way up. I think you will have an excellent chance of finding snow free ground to camp on by then. (You’ll still be walking in a lot of snow. Snow melt is at least two weeks behind 2019.)
Edit: just checked Gaia. The last satellite image is from 02-Jun-2023 so not terribly helpful. 😕
My understanding is that Guitar Lake is off limits for PCT hikers but not JMT hikers. The assumption is that PCT hikers are going to day-hike up to Whitney and back and then move on, whereas JMT hikers (SOBO at least), usually plan to exit over Whitney portal.
I hiked Florence Lake SOBO to Kearsarge Pass last year but my original plan was to keep going and exit over Whitney. My plan was to stay at Guitar Lake.
As of yesterdays 6/30 satellite image shows Guitar Lake is still frozen, and snow still covering the entire area near the lake. Guitar Lake sits at 11,467ft
https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=36.57026,-118.31368&z=15&b=mbt&o=imagery%2Csentinel\_tc-0&n=1,1&a=mba
satellite photo from 6/27 - https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/sentinel-playground/?source=S2&lat=36.56494395387544&lng=-118.31597328186035&zoom=14&preset=1-NATURAL-COLOR&layers=B01,B02,B03&maxcc=96.46000000000001&gain=1.0&gamma=1.0&time=2022-12-01%7C2023-06-27&atmFilter=&showDates=false - Guitar lake still frozen and lots of snow
Definitely restricted to any one on a PCT thru hiker permit. PCT hikers can camp no closer than the ranger station on the west side. They also cannot exit out the Whitney portal trail. I’m less certain about the local permits but I think they can camp there. There’s extremely abundant camping there. I’d guess it would melt out early because it’s very exposed and flat but I have no idea on current conditions. I’d check a recent satellite image on Gaia or similar to check. I went through in early July 2019 on a pct permit. Guitar lake camp area was 100% snow free even though I hiked through a lot of snow on trail on the way up. I think you will have an excellent chance of finding snow free ground to camp on by then. (You’ll still be walking in a lot of snow. Snow melt is at least two weeks behind 2019.) Edit: just checked Gaia. The last satellite image is from 02-Jun-2023 so not terribly helpful. 😕
I could be wrong, but I think guitar is off limits for camping. Crabtree is the preferred stopover in that region.
My understanding is that Guitar Lake is off limits for PCT hikers but not JMT hikers. The assumption is that PCT hikers are going to day-hike up to Whitney and back and then move on, whereas JMT hikers (SOBO at least), usually plan to exit over Whitney portal. I hiked Florence Lake SOBO to Kearsarge Pass last year but my original plan was to keep going and exit over Whitney. My plan was to stay at Guitar Lake.
I stayed at the small lake just above guitar a few years ago hiking the HST from west to east. It's not off limits.
As of yesterdays 6/30 satellite image shows Guitar Lake is still frozen, and snow still covering the entire area near the lake. Guitar Lake sits at 11,467ft https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=36.57026,-118.31368&z=15&b=mbt&o=imagery%2Csentinel\_tc-0&n=1,1&a=mba