Eastern Sierra 2011-12: The 1000" Winter

[jimw]

Quick eastside update. Will post more later but wanted to put this info out in case anyone is still chasing pow from the last storm. Before this weekend I had been on my board exactly ONE time this entire season. That's the kinda season it's been...

Stuff is just not filled in well at all down low, especially south of Mammoth. Even between Mammoth/Tioga it's rough. Stuff looks at least a month ahead of normal, maybe more down low. V-bowl was burnt even after the storm. At about 10k though, things change. There is still great pow up high (even though overall coverage still seems a lot lower than normal). I actually had probably THE best pow run I've ever had on the eastside today, in Powerhouse off the plateau (I know, can you believe I went there??). You can just barely connect the run top to bottom now, which is crazy to think that it's gonna be done soon. The bottom 2k though are gonna be manky and nasty by tomorrow. But surprisingly, even with today's heat, there was great pow from 10k up. So you might still be able to find the goods the next couple days, it's just that the approaches and exits are probably gonna suck.

Virginia Lakes road is open to the end. Didn't see coverage because it was Sat AM and it was still snowing when I drove out there. Green Lakes road was open but I don't know how far back. I would be really surprised if the GL chute was rideable to the bottom this year...

We hit up the Negatives yesterday, and it was good. Dug a pit below Hourglass, and it was about 3 feet of nice consistent new snow above a crust layer about 3 feet down. Couldn't get anything to move in tests. Riding down had some great pow, got a little sun affected near the bottom. Lots of core shots on the cat track out of June Lake ski area... damn low coverage!

Here's a pic of today's run on Powerhouse. Up on the right, down on the left. Perfect pow all the way down. I'd say go get it, the booter is in place... but after today it will be heinous getting up the lower 2/3rds of the drainage. If you could just magically get transported to 10k, there's lots of great snow to be had. More pics later. Gotta drive home. Posting these from outside the Mo-mart... which is closed but I think opens at the end of the month with the fishing opener. I wouldn't be surprised to see 120 open to the east gate by then too.



Oh yeah, here's a couple pics of Shasta from a week ago. It stormed again after these were taken. They're having a good spring, but still below normal coverage I believe. Didn't get up to snowline because I thought I'd rather spend the day in the Napa parking lot replacing my alternator.

[Skeeze]

What do you think conditions on Shasta will be like at the end of June/early July? I'll be spending the summer in SF and I'd definitely like to try it if there will be enough snow.

[Franz Klammer]

Lots of people out today on the Crest. We did the Sherwins followed by a great run on TJ Bowl ... with a mandatory exit air in the TJ Bowl trees.

jimw -- I was thinking about Powerhouse today, but I shied away from it. If the snow was anything like on the Crest above 10K it must have been amazing. How long did it take you?

[SchralphMacchio]

Quick eastside update... If you could just magically get transported to 10k, there's lots of great snow to be had.

Hey dubs, thanks so much for the update. It's crazy to see the upper part of powerhouse so fat and know that the bottom is gone. Sounds like ... great conditions for driving that rig up yours up a road to a bloody hell of a cooler? I'll split the gas money and bring the beers!!!!!

[Ottime]

Andy Lewicky has an update from Jean Peak (side peak on San Jacinto) from 3 weeks ago. Check sierradescents.com

Thanks. Piggity joined me for adventure yesterday. Got a bit of a late start, and some poor route finding, but found a few fun turns even at 2:30 off Jean. Without a doubt, well worth the hike. But, while we were up there, we eyed Tahquitz Peak and it looked inciting. Anyone around here ever check it out? thinking of hiking in from Humber Park.

[AKbruin]

Anybody have any insider knowledge/armchair speculation as to when Sonora or Tioga Pass might open up?

This weekend would be ideal, but I'm guessing that Cal Trans is afraid of a late April storm. Also, this list indicates that May 8th (2008) is the earliest one of these passes (Sonora) opened up. But this is such a shitty year . . . .

[Ottime]

I have no partner for some fun on Thursday. Anyone in SoCal want to hike Tahquitz on Wednesday. Thinking of hiking from Humber Park in Idyllwild at 6AM. Any takers? Piggity is out with family, but he can tell you it looked pretty filled in, looking from the north near Marion Peak.

Otherwise, Ill just be working on my sun burn by the pool

[SchralphMacchio]

An update last week about snow conditions at Tuolomne:
http://yosemiteblog.com/2012/04/12/a...adows-rangers/

[kevino]

hello CA mags...

I'm heading down to medford this week to meet up with my buddy and are going to take his RV to shasta for the weekend. anyone have suggestions of some good tours? is anyone going to be there? Any good info? Thanks.

[meter-man]

kevino: check out this website - has great beta on Shasta routes. http://www.skimountaineer.com/Cascad...hp?name=Shasta

Avalanche Gulch, West Face Gully, Hotlum-Bolam, Hotlum-Wintun, and Shastina are all top quality. send us beta when you finish!

[Cedrik]

Anybody have any insider knowledge/armchair speculation as to when Sonora or Tioga Pass might open up

My sources say by the weekend of 4/28-29 (so 4/27), Tioga should be open to the park entrance and Sonora to the Mono/Tuolumne County line from the east.

[Sierra Cement]

Hope you are right Cedrik, cause those are great opening dates for Tioga. I could really use breaking the seal on the spring season down on the Plat-toe. Haven't been to North Peak in a few years now, so gotta get back to those fine summer lines too.
Beauty picture of PH Jim!

[Franz Klammer]

Cedrik, that is great news.

[Cedrik]

Hope you are right

If not I'll buy a beer for everyone who posts until the end of this page. There's only room for a few more posts, right?

I haven't toured since 2/27/11 when I ruptured my ACL and MCL, so I really, really would like to cruise False White. The nighttime temps, however, are very warm, like mid-30's at 11,500. Sounds like temps might drop middle of next week, so maybe there will be corn instead of mush.

[Ottime]

^^^ I was surprised by the quality of corn I found yesterday down in SoCal at Tehquitz Peak at 8800', even though overnight temps were well above freezing. Right now, early morning starts are the name of the game.

TeleMike reports 108 to open May 4th. Good news for those of us coming from the west.

[bcd]

I lost my job recently, so I've been a little too busy to post updates. But here are some photos from the last few weeks. Conditions have been excellent, and will go back to being excellent once this heatwave ends.

Onion Valley:


Onion Valley:


Norman Clyde:


South Lake:






Johnson:




Gilbert:

[Sierra Cement]

Nice Dan! Gilbert looked great.
If you're doing the Tahoe show again this summer you have a place to stay.

[gimpy]

right on d!!! almost thought of writing off the east side this year but i cant. heading down on mon or tues for a few days. i dont have yer number anymore. hit me w it!!!

[Franz Klammer]

I can barely wait for next weekend ...

[hutash]

Word on supertopo is Tioga will open through the park May 12, to the gate this weekend.

bcd, if loosing your job means great photos like those, I hope you don't find one soon

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Sorry about the job, but those are great photos bcd!

[MapleLeafGillies]

I was in Bridgeport last weekend. Our plan was to check out Virginia lakes, but our car broke down and we had to retreat to Gardnerville.

In case anyone was curious:

For Sawtooth range - The bowl below Matterhorn peak looked about the same as it did last June. The East coulior looked sort of patchy, a couple large rock sections showing, but still pretty filled in up there otherwise. Ski Dreams (the bowl coming off the lookers left of Matterhorn, further along the ridge from the east coulior) looked like it had good coverage.

As for the north side of dunderberg, it def looked better than it did in Feb. It looked like it was about 50% kinda covered, half bare, and half sections peppered with rocks. I imagine that it probably wouldnt be very good in terms of consistency - as you could imagine, the sections that had the most snow on them were ones that pointed most directly north/were wind loaded.

[h-atlas]

Any more inside news on Sonora/Tioga? According to the forecast, Sonora looks to be getting some decent fresh out of this storm if we can get to it Friday.

[~mikey b]

Anybody have any insider knowledge/armchair speculation as to when Sonora or Tioga Pass might open up?

This weekend would be ideal, but I'm guessing that Cal Trans is afraid of a late April storm. Also, this list indicates that May 8th (2008) is the earliest one of these passes (Sonora) opened up. But this is such a shitty year . . . .

from Tahoe thread

Sonora & Tioga update:
http://unofficialnetworks.com/sonora...orecast-93255/

I just got off the phone with the Cal Trans offices in Jamestown and Bishop - Jamestown told me May 4 for Sonora Pass from the west - Bishop had no info for me

[powfiend]

http://unofficialnetworks.com/sonora...orecast-93255/

But who knows, sure would be nice if it opened with a few inches of fresh