Eastside Conditions Thread

[AKbruin]

Schralph: There might be a couple minutes of dry hiking at the very bottom, but Red looks great.

somethingclever: Sweet! Looking forward to it.

gimpy: Sorry, I wasn't clear. The avy danger kinda forked my "all the pretty couloirs" itinerary.


Saturday (Day 2)

Team Innsbruck climbs toward Italy Pass. We later skied the unnamed peak in the background.


So, again, the plan was Feather Peak. But as of early Friday morning, the avalanche danger on high, steep, north-facing was very high. We also saw a number of crowns on steeper, north-facing lines on the way to Feather Peak. So we made the always-difficult decision to turn around. Feather was probably all-time but it also could have killed us. Them's the breaks. Here Klar and CM climb back toward Italy Pass with Mt. Tom on the left, Four Gables in the middle, and Humphreys is the spiky peak on the middle-right.


Team Innsbruck ascends a 12,500' peak. In Tahoe, this would be an uber-classic. In the Eastern Sierra, it doesn't even get a name.


Klar in her natural habitat.


Time for photos of mountains. Feather (I think) on the left, Darwin and Mendel in the background, and Goethe in the middle-ground.


I don't know the names of any these mountains.


These either.


Freak gets it on.


Powder?


Powder.


Klar is one of the smoothest skiers I've ever seen.


CM finds her own powder. (Italy Pass in the background.)


We then found a damn fine line down Mt. Julius Caesar straight to camp.


"Give back to [Mt. Julius] Caesar what is [Mt. Julius] Caesar's."


Klar: "Meh." (Freak makes a DNA strand in the background.)


Freak is very blue (beneath the back of Bear Creek Spire).


Fact: Austrian/Germans are fascinated by America's selection of breakfast and energy bars. (Tahoe Bars are my personal fav.)


Good night.

[powdork]

SWEET!
hmmm, i need to get me a blue puffy to complete my wardrobe.

[whatsupdoc]

fantastic!

[SchralphMacchio]

dang AKB, way to show the Austrians some California Love! Now they know for a fact that Franz Klammer is not entire full of crap when he opines endlessly about the Eastside

[tone capone]

You damn Austrians and your sexy angulation! Must all be in the feet.

[kidwoo]

AKbruin is the best overseas pen pal ever.

[chill winston]

awesome pics. I did almost that exact tour many years ago, but instead of heading over Italy Pass I went over Dancing Bear into the Bear Lakes basin and up Seven Gables. That is an incredible area. I can appreciate the "I have no idea what all of these awesome classic but nobody's ever heard of them or really skied them peaks" caption. It is mind blowing in the back of beyond.

ps, after doing it many times, i swore i'd never do the rock creek road slog from E Fork. travel up rock creek is by sierra standards very easy all the way to the climb up cox col, but that road shuffle is demoralizing. Good on ye for getting all the way back there.

[chill winston]

I don't know the names of any these mountains.

Pretty sure that big one left background poking up over the Glacier Divide is Mt. Goddard.

These either.

That is Gemini. My dream peak! has been on my tick list for a looong time.

[sierraskier]

sickness

[AKbruin]

Sunday (3rd and Final Day)


Saturday night, Team Innsbruck decided that they would sleep in on Sunday (and probably burn a paper effigy of my likeness for taking them to a place that was somehow so hot during the day and so cold at night). I decided that I'd ski something in the morning before breaking camp. As one does when when goes to bed at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night in a tent, I spent much of the night considering what I would try to do the next day. Specifically, I considered Gabb and its North Couloir--so, so pretty--or its eastern chutes, which loomed directly above our camp. Going for the North Couloir solo in somewhat sketchy avalanche conditions was obviously a bad idea. . . . But . . . it was right fucking there, and the odds were that (a) it wouldn't slide, (b) I wouldn't die, and (c) it would be a lifetime line in such conditions. So I went to bed and periodically woke up (recall my deflating air pad) debating the pros and cons without reaching a conclusion. When Sunday morning came, I still hadn't decided what I would do. Instead, I headed toward Gabb with a "see what happens" attitude.

Gabb is a classic Eastern Sierra sandbag. It looks like a shortish romp from camp, and then 90 minutes later you're only halfway up. It was okay booting. For some reason, I ignored the terrible crust and forged ahead.


Another photo of the nameless peak we summited on Saturday.


Our camp is the dot to the right of the old avalanche deposition. You can also see our tracks from the day before. You cannot, however, see Team Innsbruck, who I imagine was rifling through my tent in search of not-yet-discovered American breakfast/energy bars.


The guidebook lists Gabb's east-face chutes as 35 degrees. But I think they probably average out to be about 40, with the very top part being closer to 45 degrees. To get over the top, I realized I'd have to navigate some sketchy boulders and that if I did, there was no way I was going to down climb back (I hate down climbing) to the east chutes. Harnessing the wisdom of the fox and the courage of the chicken, I decided I'd just ski the east chute I climbed and not the North Couloir. Who was I kidding? I'm a 41-year-old office-monkey, husband, father, and NPR listener who was recently excited to hear that Paula Poundstone, Tom Bodett, and Alonzo Boudin would finally be on the same panel of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.


Something else I hate? Punching in a platform and transitioning on a 45-degree slope above several rocks. Things did not get better as I "discovered" a one-inch death crust on the steepest section. This should have been readily apparent as I booted up. Anyhow, it made the prospect of messing up a turn and taking a high-speed slide down 1,500' of steep chute too easy. So I fucking side slipped through the crust for the top 200-300 feet without making a single turn, which itself was not easy. Once the breakable crust became skiable, I was able to do a few cautious, committed turns and then ski the rest of it with linked turns. Type II fun.


As I arrived in camp, so did the wind that preceded the forecasted storm. I broke my camp, and then we climbed the backside of Dade/Bear Creek Spire toward Cox Col. Remember the maze of cliffs I mentioned?


Gabb's east chutes look on aloofly as Klar races the bad weather. It was unpleasantly windy on Cox Col. (Mt. Hilgard is on the left.)


And beat the bad weather we did. After skiing a little powder and a lot of variable snow, Bear Creek Spire, Dade, and Abbot all disappeared in cloud behind us. The west wind that pummeled us on Cox Col was nice to have at our backs, however, as we made the long approach back to the car. Skiing awesome lines in outstanding surroundings is the best. But a close second is the 30-60 minute period afterward when you take off your boots, open a beer, and decompress your shared experience with fantastic people (like Team Innsbruck).

[TEXASS]

Bad Ass Bad Ass Bad Ass

[sierraskier]

Sunday (3rd and Final Day)


Our camp is the dot to the right of the old avalanche deposition. You can also see our tracks from the day before. You cannot, however, see Team Innsbruck, who I imagine was rifling through my backpack in search of not-yet-discovered American breakfast/energy bars.

crucial to comprehending the actual size and scale

[pajamas]

many many thumbs up!!!

[chill winston]

Just dug this up from an old trip to that area. From summit of Bear Creek Spire (well, just below the actual final summit block. not gonna do that in ski boots)

[Greydon Clark]

Here's an update I came across, note the 50 foot drifts on Tioga.

SR 120 West – Tioga Pass (from the Junction of US 395 to the Yosemite National Park Gate)
Snow removal equipment is in place and starting to work on the lower sections of the highway. The snowpack is estimated to be between 8 to 15 feet on the highway, with up to 50 foot snowdrifts in some locations. There is no estimated date for reopening the highway at this time.

So I shouldn’t plan on skiing Ellery Bowl the week of the 1st?

[AKbruin]

Just dug this up from an old trip to that area. From summit of Bear Creek Spire (well, just below the actual final summit block. not gonna do that in ski boots)

That's rad! I tend to think any big mountain that I don't recognize in that general vicinity is Goddard. Gemini (another fantastic mountain name) looks sick. I definitely noticed it.

[SchralphMacchio]

So I shouldn’t plan on skiing Ellery Bowl the week of the 1st?

Why not? Ain't nothing wrong with runnin up V Bowl and over Coke if you really really want Ellery Chutes!

[Greydon Clark]

Why not? Ain't nothing wrong with runnin up V Bowl and over Coke if you really really want Ellery Chutes!

Sounds like a mellow half day tour.

[claymond]

That's rad AKBruin

[drop'n'in]

So I shouldn’t plan on skiing Ellery Bowl the week of the 1st?

What month? Sounds like a good July 1st plan.

Great trip and pics AKbruin!

[406]

Awesome TR AKbruin! Enjoyed the honesty and agree about post ski boot beers.

Excited to get up to the Sierra this weekend! Fingers crossed for overnight freezing and daytime spring conditions.

[drop'n'in]

We went to Onion Valley last Friday to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Road was plowed a little further than it was 2 weeks ago, but still closed to vehicles just after the switchback that is right next to the creek. The snow bridges there have all melted out, but the creek crossing isn't too bad.


Skinning in Friday afternoon. Looks like someone had some fun that day.




We made camp on a ridge between Matlock and Gilbert Lakes


We originally planned on climbing and skiing the North Couloir of University Peak, seen here in the background, but with the recent snow, high winds, and variable conditions we opted for something safer and less committing. Our camp is in the trees right above the snowmobile(!?!) tracks


Saturday morning was sunny and calm. We thought the South facing slopes might be re-corning again, so we headed for this unnamed 11,700' peaklet just north of University


The snow was not consolidated yet, and the crust wouldn't support our weight in boots, but we hoped it would on skis


It did. Skiing was very good




Saturday night the wind howled all night, and Sunday morning had thick clouds to the East. It was sunny overhead though, so we headed for this 12,000' ridgeline directly across from our camp.






Skiing was again good, a little firm at the top, but better and better as we descended. We finished our descent around 10:30, so opted to do a quick lap on the east facing hill above camp. The snow was softer here, and when my wife dropped through this small chute it broke loose.


She was able to ski out of it, but it certainly got her attention


We broke camp under increasing clouds and wind, skied back to the van, and spent Sunday night in the relative warmth of the Alabama Hills, watching the peaks disappear into the lowering clouds. Nothing like the Eastside.

[Franz Klammer]

Punching in a platform and transitioning on a 45-degree slope above several rocks

I'll have to find and post my helmet cam footage of your transition at the top of Red Slate Couloir. That was all-time.

[Boissal]

I've been drooling over this thread for most of the winter and finally decided to do something about it. I now have a week off mid-June (10 to 18), serious motivation to get after it as much as possible, and no plan or idea on how to even approach the range. I've looked at a couple guidebooks and websites but there are some many options it hurts my brain. How does a Sierra noob go about having a grand old time skiing there in June? I was initially thinking about Shasta but that fucker is all by itself and I'd rather have multiple options to pick form without having to drive around for hours...
I am generally good for big days, steep skiing on frozen mank, death marches, etc... but will be with my gf who took a big break after 3 weeks in Europe earlier this season and won't share my willingness to suffer. Any good basecamp to hit a bunch of great stuff from? Bonus is there's accessible granite to be climbed not too far...

[whatsupdoc]

By mid June route 120 should be plowed to at least the park entrance, so the entire Tioga Pass area will probably be game on then (although not guaranteed with this year's snowpack). Lots of good options here for a day trip. Plenty of steep chutes in this zone. Rock creek area is a good place to overnight base camp with lots of ski options and should have good coverage as well come June. The road up there has some nice climbing as well. Gong Show Wall is killer granite cragging, gets a lot of morning sun, and should be good to go by then. Patricia Bowl has great climbing as well but faces N and will probably still be under snow by then. The road to South Lake will likely be plowed by then - also a good place for day trips with super easy access. Cardinal Pinnacle is up that way and has some fine Sierra granite. West Face (10a) and Crack Kingdom (10c) are both worthy routes. 3rd pitch of Crack Kingdom is fuckin' awesome fingers to hands. Virginia Lakes has a bunch of fairly mellow skiing options close to the road and should probably still have good coverage by then. Fantastic place for farming moderate corn. Get the Greenberg/Mingori guidebook for sure. Mountain Project should get you by for the odd climbing day.

And of course if hwy 120 is open all the way through the park (who knows this year with all the snow) then there's the endless climbing options of Tuolumne & the Valley.