Eastside Conditions Thread

[LightRanger]

Hey Ray,

Cool adventures. Re your wife's feet, check this stuff out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

I've had some blister issues lately after breaking my heel last year (different shape than it used to be, bigger shoe size). Just picked up some of that stuff. Recommended by tons of runners and fastpacking types.

[drop'n'in]

Thanks LightRanger, I'll send her that info.

[h-atlas]

Great work everyone! JimW, thanks for the tip on the Inyo County Sheriff FB page. Took a journey up Split Mountain to ski the South Face because now that I have triplets, there is no way I'm skiing either of those coulies! Here's a little video summary.

[AKbruin]

Yesssss!

drop'n'in: Nice job on Birch and Independence. If there were a Sprinter Van porn thread on TGR (photos of people's Sprinter setups, not of graphic sex therein), I would follow it closely even though I won't be able to afford one anytime soon.

h-atlas: So cool. I hadn't ever thought about that line until a couple weeks ago, and then I looked at some images and it looks awesome. Excellent video.

kidwoo: Yeah, my legs were crap halfway down the couloir. Linking together seven or more turns in a row became exhausting.

[whatsupdoc]

A few pics from the E face of Lewis with Somethingclever and 1 other. Corn was tasty.

[jimw]

Man, so much stoke here, how are we supposed to get any work done?? Insane coverage out there. Gonna be a great spring (at least that's what I'm telling myself since I can't get out there for a while!). Looks like another big reset coming in a couple days too.

Speaking of coverage, here are some pics of Mendenhall and the east face of Morrison from the exact same weekend back in 2009. IIRC that was an almost-average year, and the difference in coverage is pretty shocking. (Apologies in advance to kidwoo for posting some pics from somewhere other than the Dana Plateau, but hopefully the depiction of riding in shitty conditions will make up for that...)

Mendenhall:





Looking across at Morrison:



It looks crazy thin compared to this year! That year, the ice crux actually WAS an ice crux. My partner (to remain nameless), attempted to self-belay through that section with an axe:



Right after the above pic he lost his edge and basically slid the whole thing on his stomach, flailing the axe to try to get purchase. Fortunately the snow below the crux was soft. Here's where he stopped:



After I knew he was OK... it was kinda funny. Type 2 funny!

East face of Morrison:



It was a full-on billy-goating session:



Man I would love to ride those lines in coverage like you guys had, you scored! What a difference a big season makes!

Anyway, back to the regularly-scheduled stoke. Great to see so many good reports from down south too!

[jimw]

Hey Ray,

Cool adventures. Re your wife's feet, check this stuff out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

I've had some blister issues lately after breaking my heel last year (different shape than it used to be, bigger shoe size). Just picked up some of that stuff. Recommended by tons of runners and fastpacking types.

Nice! Gonna check that stuff out.

I've been using this, which also works well:
https://www.amazon.com/Band-Aid-Adva.../dp/B01EMYZJ64

[LightRanger]

Word. I've used those too in the past. Seem to do decently. I like the padding and the gel consistency. But they tend to peel off with sufficient friction/time. At least that's what I recall, it's been awhile.

Lately I've been using simple bandaids for the small blister area on my heel during runs at lunch. But that wouldn't fly for all day touring. Used one on a hotspot while touring in January. Disappeared somewhere when I took the sock off. Never noticed what happened to it.

Opened the tape last night and it seems legit. Will report back when I get more of a chance to use it.

[pajamas]

Oh JimW - I can see the Wintermyre Coulior in this pic. We need to scope that shit from the top and see if it goes from the top this year. doesn't look like it goes though.

[jimw]

It totally goes.

Even if it doesn't, with this snowpack it looks like you could bail and ride that hanging face line all the way through the bottom cliff bands! So many options this year...

[kidwoo]

Apologies in advance to kidwoo for posting some pics from somewhere other than the Dana Plateau,

FAKE NEWS from the failing jimw. Sad.

[kidwoo]

Oh JimW - I can see the Wintermyre Coulior in this pic. We need to scope that shit from the top and see if it goes from the top this year. doesn't look like it goes though.

You talking about that thing to the (skiers) left of the z couloir? I was looking at that last week.

[GurmB]

Fantastic work everyone!

whatsupdoc, what kind of camera do you use? I would probably get better results if I used something besides my phone camera, stuffed in a sweaty pocket when I'm touring.

[pajamas]

it's a fake couloir kidwoo. - ends at an ice buldge and rock band. looker's left.

I "ofishully" named it after Jdub last year after we rode it because he is most deserving for having a line on the eastside named after him.

[kidwoo]

it's a fake couloir kidwoo.

So much is these days. Truly a shame.

[whatsupdoc]

Fantastic work everyone!

whatsupdoc, what kind of camera do you use? I would probably get better results if I used something besides my phone camera, stuffed in a sweaty pocket when I'm touring.

Canon G7X.

[hutash]

Talk about skiing right to the car!
Attachment 203852

More pics of your van set up would be sweet. I am contemplating a Sprinter or Transit conversion, so love to poke around in peoples conversions for ideas.

Yesssss!

drop'n'in: Nice job on Birch and Independence. If there were a Sprinter Van porn thread on TGR (photos of people's Sprinter setups, not of graphic sex therein), I would follow it closely even though I won't be able to afford one anytime soon.

I would totally follow either thread

Actually a maggot van conversion thread would be totally awesome. I know there are a few out there.

[BGnight]

Yesterday. I left Reno in the morning on 2 hours sleep (too anxious/insomnia). I stopped by Mono Lake and got another 1/2 hour nap. Luckily the high clouds had delayed things softening so a super early start wasn't necessary. Once I got to Morrison's east face the wind was calm and the sun was out in full force. There were rocks/ice coming down before I started climbing to make things interesting. I climbed as fast as I can through the choke so I could gain the main face and feel a little safer. The middle of the face was 1-3" of warm pow on a crust. Lots of balling under the crampons even with plates. Up higher there was still good winter snow in the chute as well as corn on the sides where it got more sun. I did have to negotiate a sizable bergshrund at the bottom of my chute. It was lightly bridged where I first came up to it but luckily it was much thicker off to the left. Up high in the chute it branched. I took the right fork because it had nicer looking snow and mainly because the pitch let off significantly. It offered a perfect warm up pitch on great snow before you were on the steep stuff. It's not often you get that in the Sierra.

I'd love to do the line to the looker's left, but it would require some easy 4th class and it starts out really steep above the rocks which is also where the firmest snow is. I'm sure the snow up high in the line is great though.


It was steep at the crux






It's funny, the main canyon was still really firm on the way out. I saw people camped on the side waiting for things to soften. The main face was completely protected from the breeze that was keeping the lower elevation stuff frozen.

[AKbruin]

That's freaking rad, BG! I looked at it when we did Morrison. Damn burly.

Cool photos, whatsupdoc.

JimW: Your photos of Morrison and Mendenhall are frightening. My motto: Get 'em when they're easy.

[Rico in Flag]

Currently some rock fall on Onion Valley rd. Easily negotiable, but some rocks easily big enough to destroy the underside of a vehicle. Take care if you're driving up in the dark.



Rather excellent skiing today on Independence Pk, an inch of new snow at the current parking, a nice drifted 10" at 10k'.

[somethingclever...]

Skied a couple of nice lines, both of which I would consider to be fairly off the radar but fantastic none the less. Corn was excellent for the duration of both.

whatsupdoc and another who i cant remember his handle? climb the east face of Lewis. Great varied terrain on this hill. We skied the mid-face chute but unfortunately all of my pictures were blurry.

whatsupdoc skiing quality snow on a large face

Great cruise through the mid mountain with the our descent section of the upper face in the far right background.


After much debate (and driving) we settled on one of these two hills for the next day. Turns out the roads leading to Gibbs may not be such easy access. So we opted for East Peak, and the prominent line on the corner of the mountain. A couple looks.




The line ended up exceeding expectations as it is a deceivingly long and aesthetic run in the couloir with a wide open blue back down to the canyon floor. Nothing but smiles after mostly grade A corn for a shade under 5k.
HB on the upper section of the line. He drained the whole thing in one shot so not many pictures of that to be had.

powcruzer...aka corncruzer


And the unnamed mag lays into a couple.

[hoarhey]

Harvest that eastern sierra corn! Woohoo!

[Rico in Flag]

Pretty excellent day on Old Man's bowl yesterday. Glorious pow mid bowl, treacherous crust lower in drainage.

[AKbruin]

Nice job, Rico and somethingclever!

Anybody know how far the Rock Creek Road goes? As of a month ago, it stopped at the snow park near the lodge.

[drop'n'in]

RE Rock Creek Road - I called the lodge today (4/10) and they told me it still ends at the snowpark and they haven't started plowing yet. Expected to start plowing soon.