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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    TR: Sierra Crest Tour – SB to SV

    Armed with high-pressure, clear skies, a decent re-freeze the prior night and a light, Southwesterly wind, LightRanger and I decided to head out last Saturday for the classic Sierra Crest tour from Sugar Bowl to Squaw in the North Lake Tahoe Basin. I don’t think I am surprising anyone in saying that this season has been pretty bleak in Tahoe for snow accumulation, and I think a lot of the pictures below will show how thin the sun-exposed aspects are right now. Still, it felt great to get out on a longer tour and get some exercise. I particularly like these “meadow skipping” type tours where you cover longer distances to see a lot of terrain. I particularly like multi-day tours in the Eastern Sierra in the Spring, but this season (like last season) is looking like May will be more devoted to High Sierra climbing.

    Warning – there are not a ton of action ski shots in a tour like this, but figured I have not posted a TR in a while so why not.

    For most of the route, you are pretty much right along the Sierra Crest. It is around 11-12 miles from Sugar Bowl to Squaw. There are a myriad of ski descents along the way if conditions warrant and you want to drop down off the Crest and skin back up. There are also two Sierra Club Huts in the vicinity en route (Bradley and Benson), and some folks turn this into an overnight. LightRanger and I were not trying to set any records, but also had quick conditions for skinning and didn’t veer of the Crest too much so we finished it in around 6 hours.

    Looking out from the gates on Mt. Lincoln at Sugar Bowl, out towards Anderson Peak in the distance. Photo: UCL



    Basically the entire day was frozen North aspects, and South aspects frozen in the morning and then turning to nice corn snow as the day warmed. Fortunately, the Southwesterly winds kept it from getting too gloppy for some descents later in the day on the South face of Tinkers Knob.

    LightRanger in some variable conditions in the morning. Photo: UCL



    Sometimes folks boot-pack up the North Face of Anderson Peak and ski it (or ski down the opposite side in bigger snow years). It was obvious the entire North Face was frozen solid, so we just planned on following the Pacific Crest Trail by skinning around the North and West sides. Photo: LightRanger



    Royal Gorge to the West of the Sierra Crest. Photo: UCL



    Getting up to the North Face of Anderson – definitely still frozen. I would like to come back in stable powder conditions and get some good turns on that. It can also easily be skied in a short day trip from Sugar Bowl (or you could stay at the Hut to take advantage of its location). Photo: LightRanger



    A panorama I stitched together from the South Face of Anderson looking further South towards Tinker’s Knob and beyond. Photo: UCL



    After going around Anderson and to its South-side, we headed back up to the Crest above the cliff band and off to the Eastern side of Tinkers Knob. We just skinned up to the top of Tinkers Knob for great views and grabbing a bite to eat. Photo: LightRanger



    Checking out some of the NE aspects along the way that normally would ski good in soft conditions. Here it was pretty much dust over avy debris and rain crust. No dice. Photo: LightRanger



    A quarter plus century of 100+ mph winds along the Crest during storms will give you this. Photo: LightRanger



    Great views up at the top of Tinker’s Knob. We got there in about 2 hours from Sugar Bowl (with no side-trip ski descents). Photo: UCL



    Another panorama I stitched that shows the crest towards Squaw and Alpine and beyond. You can make out Granite Chief Peak, the Palisades, Ward Peak, Twin Peaks and even Tallac way off in the distance. Photo: UCL



    Looking across the Lake at Heavenly Resort, the avy paths on Trimmer Peak and Freel, Job’s and Job’s Sister above. Photo: LightRanger



    Nice place for lunch! Photo: LightRanger



    From the top of Tinker’s, we decided to drop off the Southeast side and work our way off the Crest way down to the lake bed, and then skin up another sub ridge line to re-gain the Crest right next to Granite Chief. So we basically skied down to the trees on the right side of this photo, and then skinned through them back up to the prominent ridge in the distance. Photo: LightRanger



    Skiing from the summit of Tinkers. Photo: LightRanger



    LightRanger following the upper pitch – it was great corn snow. Photo: UCL



    We shifted aspects to the South and continued down to a bench by the trees, only to cut back East and work further down. Photo: LightRanger



    LightRanger working further down the peak. It felt good to finally be getting some sustained downhill. Photo: UCL



    Even further down it was not too sticky yet due to the South winds. Photo: LightRanger



    Although we got way off the Crest and were about to get slowed down a bit with creek crossings and thin coverage, I for one thought it was totally worth it pulling back into the lake to re-skin! Photo: LightRanger



    This avalanche path must go very big in storm cycles. It is not visible from Squaw as that is the West Face of Granite Chief Peak on the looker’s left. Photo: LightRanger



    On low snow years like this, you pay the price descending too far. Wouldn’t be a traverse-type ski tour without an open creek crossing in my opinion! Having said that, this was around 6,000 ft. so in a normal year this would be buried deeply. Photo: UCL



    We slowed down a bit with things like this and other boulder-hopping nonsense, but finally got back to the sub-ridge we wanted to use to re-gain the Crest. LightRanger following along with Tinker’s Knob off in the far distance. Photo: UCL



    One exit is out of Shirley Canyon, which in this year is bone dry. So we avoided that entirely and headed up by Granite Chief Peak. Looking down into Squaw at Shirley Lakes. Photo: UCL



    Shirley Lakes chair looks miniature from this vantage. Photo: LightRanger



    We headed down to SV, grabbed a beer and Mrs. UCL picked us up to drive back to Donner Pass to grab LightRanger’s car. Super easy and a great, mellow day out!

  2. #2
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    May 2009
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    379
    much enjoyed thanks !!!!!!!!!!!

  3. #3
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    Nov 2007
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    nice, although really they should just put in a gondi from SB to Squaw.

  4. #4
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    Jun 2006
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    Noted on the blog, but it was more like 7,400 feet in the bushwhack area, not 6,000. There isn't any snow on the ground, basically, at all at 6K.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  5. #5
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    Jan 2009
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    tourin BC
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    looks like a great day in the mtns ...

    we can't control the snow, but we can still enjoy wot little there is ...
    We, the RATBAGGERS, formally axcept our duty is to trigger avalaches on all skiers ...

  6. #6
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    Sep 2010
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    Innsbruck, Austria
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    725
    Sick stoke. Even when its thin that dense snow you get serves you well!

  7. #7
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    Nov 2005
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    Mt Baldys shoes
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    Great TR! You guys made lemonade out of lemons with our snowpack this season.
    Thankyou for posting your journey.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    Nice, but it sure doesn't look like March.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  9. #9
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    Nov 2009
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    CA
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    Nice job stretching the legs. Any day on top of the Sierra Crest is a good day!

  10. #10
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    Jun 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by TWINS View Post
    You guys made lemonade out of lemons with our snowpack this season.
    That was the general idea. With a junky snowpack, we knew conditions weren't going to be that great for making lots of turns, but we were hoping they'd hold up for this. The breeze kept it from getting too sticky up high in the afternoon, so it worked out perfectly. Kind of surprised at how quickly we did it because we weren't planning on going out and crushing it or anything.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    Reno
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    Nice, I have done that tour. It is gorgeous and something to do in the spring. Glad you poached into Squaw, that is the run way to end it........I was wondering if that was going to be the ending.

    Edit: May 20th, 2006.
    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-20?highlight=

    ---About the same snowpack (maybe more actually)
    ---Back when Squaw stayed open through Memorial Day.
    Donjoy to the World!

  12. #12
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    Jun 2006
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    We don't know what you're talking about. By "headed down to SV," he meant via the totally burnt out Shirley Canyon. Lots of walking and terrible bushwhacking.

    Actually, I was saying at the end of the tour, and to gone2alpine separately, that if KSL wants to build up more local goodwill, they'd open the boundaries. The KT BC gate is a nice start, but the terrain off the W-NW side of Granite Chief Peak is rad. They already treat Alpine and Squaw as one resort, and Alpine's had open boundaries since...? A long time ago. I don't really understand why they haven't opened Squaw's yet. Sure, patrol would probably be involved in more rescues, but in terms of actually putting a gate or three up, it doesn't seem like it would dramatically affect their operations.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    here and there
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    Sweet, you have been too long gone from TGR.

    Hell you guys got tons of snow. Count yo blessings.

    Sent from my Huawei-U8665 using TGR Forums
    Last edited by scottyb; 03-13-2014 at 06:11 PM.
    watch out for snakes

  14. #14
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    Nov 2009
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    238
    Nice TR. Looks like a good time.

  15. #15
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    Jan 2008
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    livin the dream
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    Great hike in the summer too...

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using TGR Forums
    Best Skier on the Mountain
    Self-Certified
    1992 - 2012
    Squaw Valley, USA

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    lake level
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    Aside from the longer downhills, was that done mostly using skins or skating, or lots of transitions between the two? In other words, would it be worth it on a splitboard?
    “I really lack the words to compliment myself today.” - Alberto Tomba

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    You could do it on a split, although it would definitely take longer. We skied skinless probably half to two-thirds of the way to Anderson--partially locked-heel and partially free with some skating, as I recall. Skinned from a little ways before Anderson to Tinkers. (We would have booted the north face of Anderson and skied down the other side if conditions were better.) Skied (locked) from the summit of Tinkers down to a flat meadow area and then skinned/skied a bit/bushwhacked at the bottom/but mostly skinned up to the ridge above Shirley. We hit Anderson in ~2 hours, Tinkers at about ~3 hours, and the total down to Shirley in 5:23. We started later than anticipated too and didn't leave the summit of Lincoln until 10:10.

    Note that it would have been a much straighter shot with more descending traverses if the coverage was better. But you could still do it with some "distance yo-yoing" like we did.

    tl;dr: A split isn't ideal, but plenty doable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Berkeley, California
    Posts
    79
    Good job guys - smooth corn, bright skies, long ridges and a schwacky exit over creeks - seems you ticked all the boxes on this one

  19. #19
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    Feb 2008
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    Next time they should ski by the cat house.

    Sent from my Huawei-U8665 using TGR Forums
    watch out for snakes

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