12/13 Eastside - Mammoth/June mountain stoke & conditions thread:

[meter-man]

Anyone got beta on Tioga/120 opening date?

[rod9301]

any info on the road to bloody? how about access to valentine cirque?

or anything else?

trying decide it's worth going to the eastside this friday.

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[PowerWhore7]

any info on the road to bloody? how about access to valentine cirque?

or anything else?

trying decide it's worth going to the eastside this friday.

The road to bloody is snow free for 1.5-2 miles then you will encounter your first deep (3ft at least ) snowdrift, and at 3.8 miles (below Laurel Lakes) the road becomes impassable.

My neighbor tried to get to the Cirque but encountered less than desirable conditions getting there so the mission was scrapped. Maybe he can chime in....

See my post from the previous page for some beta pics...
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...03#post3958203

[rod9301]

thanks pw7.

any idea what might be good?
either east side or otherwise have to go to a party in the foothills?¿

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[Ottime]

Is anyone want to meet up around Bishop for touring next week? I have no idea where I am going, but am going to be in Palm Springs for a week with the family and might try to sneak away to the snow for a day or two. It does not look like it is worth poking around down there this year, so figure I'd head north. Anyone wanna show a guy around?

[PowerWhore7]

thanks pw7.

any idea what might be good?

Right on man, no worries. Dude, it all looks good right now. Mammoth is holding a decent amount of snow up high, check the Crest, Sherwins, Banana Chute, Bloody....but whatever you do, don’t go to June.

Anyone got beta on Tioga/120 opening date?

http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/...ioga-pass-road

[harpo-the-skier]

We drove (in my 4x4 Taco with Four Wheel Camper) up to 8600 feet in Laurel Canyon today, past the fishing regulation sign for Laurel Lakes. Made it up to 11000 feet in Bloody Couloir. Next time I will start earlier and try the ridge. The aspens down low are a PIA!

[DocChronic]

How were the conditions? What time did you turn around?

[AKbruin]

http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/...ioga-pass-road

I assume they mean open the road all the way from Lee Vining to Tuolumne Meadows. (Didn't they open it in early May last year?) Presumably, they'll open it between Lee Vining and TPR/Dana much earlier, right?

[LightRanger]

I assume they mean open the road all the way from Lee Vining to Tuolumne Meadows. (Didn't they open it in early May last year?) Presumably, they'll open it between Lee Vining and TPR/Dana much earlier, right?

Almost certain they mean all the way over for that opening. Last year it was early May, as it was in 07 and 08. My understanding is the budget sequestration hit the plow budget pretty hard.

[~mikey b]

Friends that work at YNP tell me no plowing operations until May 15.

[AKbruin]

Does anybody know when 120 will be open to TPR/Dana/Tioga Pass?

Also, folks who were down in the Eastside this weekend, please feel free to report back with coverage and conditions! (I'll be there all next week.)

[Rads63]

To Tag on to road open Info. How about the Virginia lakes and Green Creek roads?

[whatsupdoc]

A bit of east side beta.

Skied the bloody couloir wednesday the 10th (first calm day after that minor snow/major wind event). Our vehicle couldn't make it past a snow drift about 1-1.5 miles up the Laurel Lakes road. Walked the rest of the way. Conditions were pretty variable. Top 150' or so was bulletproof. A mix of breakable crust, soft wind blown snow of varying depth, hard crusts, and wet corn down low followed. N couloir of Lewis on Friday was similar at about noon. Firm up high, breakable crust in the middle, and sloppy corn down low. Kicking steps through various crust/facet layers on the way up. We could drive all the way to the trailhead above Walker Lake. Bit of a bushwack for 30 minutes to get to snow.

In general north facing slopes up high were a crust/facet sandwich served up on a bed of facets. Far from consolidating. But no signs of instability. Nothing slabbed up on top of it. If new snow fell on that it would be sketchy.

Mammoth Crest was skiing pretty well the other days. Nice to be able to skin from the car. Had some almost consolidated corn on N slopes. Not quite there yet. E slopes had fantastic corn on Saturday.

Scoped a few other areas. V Bowl is torched. Walked 3 minutes from the car at the Powerhouse Chutes parking area and found snow. There seems to be a small bridge of snow hanging around in the shade right up against the rock walls that would probably allow you to be on snow the rest of the way to the top, but we didn't confirm this. Not sure how much longer it's gonna last down low here.

Devil's slide has snow about 90% of the way down the chute. Convict Lake area looked pretty burned out from 395 but we didn't get closer. Drove the McGee Creek road to the summer trailhead. Baldwin Cirque looked to have nice snow but there's quite a bit of dry land between you and the snow.

Things look more grim the further south you go on 395.

Can't wait for 120 to open to Tioga Lake.

[AKbruin]

A bit of east side beta.

Skied the bloody couloir wednesday the 10th (first calm day after that minor snow/major wind event). Our vehicle couldn't make it past a snow drift about 1-1.5 miles up the Laurel Lakes road. Walked the rest of the way. Conditions were pretty variable. Top 150' or so was bulletproof. A mix of breakable crust, soft wind blown snow of varying depth, hard crusts, and wet corn down low followed. N couloir of Lewis on Friday was similar at about noon. Firm up high, breakable crust in the middle, and sloppy corn down low. Kicking steps through various crust/facet layers on the way up. We could drive all the way to the trailhead above Walker Lake. Bit of a bushwack for 30 minutes to get to snow.

In general north facing slopes up high were a crust/facet sandwich served up on a bed of facets. Far from consolidating. But no signs of instability. Nothing slabbed up on top of it. If new snow fell on that it would be sketchy.

Mammoth Crest was skiing pretty well the other days. Nice to be able to skin from the car. Had some almost consolidated corn on N slopes. Not quite there yet. E slopes had fantastic corn on Saturday.

Scoped a few other areas. V Bowl is torched. Walked 3 minutes from the car at the Powerhouse Chutes parking area and found snow. There seems to be a small bridge of snow hanging around in the shade right up against the rock walls that would probably allow you to be on snow the rest of the way to the top, but we didn't confirm this. Not sure how much longer it's gonna last down low here.

Devil's slide has snow about 90% of the way down the chute. Convict Lake area looked pretty burned out from 395 but we didn't get closer. Drove the McGee Creek road to the summer trailhead. Baldwin Cirque looked to have nice snow but there's quite a bit of dry land between you and the snow.

Things look more grim the further south you go on 395.

Can't wait for 120 to open to Tioga Lake.

Thanks! How did Red Slate look? It's on the agenda for next Monday. I'm well aware that I'm going to be dry hiking for a while.

So, one could conceivably climb up the Plateau via the Powerhouse parking area without too much time on dirt and rock? (If so, that's a lot better than I expected.)

Also, I called and confirmed: The Whoa Nellie Deli opens on April 26. So at least we have that to look forward to.

[whatsupdoc]

Yes, it looked to me like you could climb up from the Powerhouse area and be on snow the whole way after a very short walk to get started. Some spots looked pretty thin but from where we were standing it looked do-able.

Here's a pic of Red Slate from Bloody. April 10

[w j b]

To Tag on to road open Info. How about the Virginia lakes and Green Creek roads?

The Crest, Devil's and Gibbs were all good. VA Lakes is still shut down as of Sunday. A buddy and I tried to see if the fire road just to the right would get us there but we were stopped by a snowdrift. I think the road is clear so you could probably cruise down it on a mt bike. The cable is only attached with u bolts on one end so...

[hutash]

Also, I called and confirmed: The Whoa Nellie Deli opens on April 26. So at least we have that to look forward to.

Don't forget, if you are down for Red Slate/Bloody, et al, Toomey's in Mammoth, same guy, great food.

[PowerWhore7]

Skied the bloody couloir wednesday the 10th -- N couloir of Lewis on Friday --
Mammoth Crest -- V Bowl is torched. -- Powerhouse Chutes

Jesus & baby jesus you got after it, sounds like my whole season only better... Solid work

How did Red Slate look? It's on the agenda for next Monday.

Dude, you guys should score. It looks like the weather may cooperate, sunny & warm with low winds forecasted from this weekend on...

Really looking forward to the TR, if you are in June and want to party, hit me up.

[UPGRAYEDD_2505]

Random iPhone pics from last weekend in the wind. A few decent turns (and more than a few that were not so decent).

[whatsupdoc]

some mild east side stoke

Bloody Couloir




Mt. Lewis


Mammoth Crest

[AKbruin]

So, here's what I've heard and someone please correct me if I'm wrong: The best coverage is between Convict Canyon and Tioga. The stuff around Bishop and south is crap.

Anyone have any info on the stuff between Bishop and Convict? Feather, Four Gables, Rock Creek, Esha, etc.?



whatsupdoc- Thanks for the beta and the sweet photo of Red Slate. Also, friggin' awesome pics above. Way to get after it.

[w j b]

This highway information is the latest reported as of Friday, April 19, 2013 at 15:39 .


SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA]
IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT TO 11 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /TIOGA PASS/
(TUOLUMNE, MONO CO) - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN
ALTERNATE ROUTE

[Franz Klammer]

Alright, here we go. AKBruin and I are ready to cuddle in a tent.

[AKbruin]

This highway information is the latest reported as of Friday, April 19, 2013 at 15:39 .


SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA]
IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT TO 11 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /TIOGA PASS/
(TUOLUMNE, MONO CO) - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN
ALTERNATE ROUTE

Does that mean it's open from Lee Vining to TPR, which is about 11 miles away? If so, hell's yeah.