Eastside Conditions Thread

[rod9301]

Yeah, Virginia peak was one of my favorite lines too.

I should do it again soon.

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[gimpy]

ohhhhh fuk yeah team!!! yeah.....thats the stuff+++

[jimw]

Back to school. Half a billion years of time in the above photo. You been schooled on the roof pendants, now you can see the action of the Quaternary (2.58 million years to present. During the Pleistocene (2.58 million years to 10,000 years), glacial advances during ice ages carved out U-shaped valleys and formed the lovely moraines that bound Convict Lake and created the deposits that hide the view of the bottom of the Mendenhall from 395. The big ass moraines were formed during the Tahoe glaciation (~150,000 years ago) and the smaller moraines were formed during the Tioga glaciation (16,200-30,000 years ago). The numerous sets of inlaid moraines represent the millennial-scale heartbeat of the climate system. If you probe around the moraines between Convict and the powerlines west of 395, note how the boulders resting on the moraine crests (or in the linear strandline features above the north shore of Convict) are granite! This is because a) they were transported here from the Sierra Crest and b) because the metasedimentary rock gets chewed up and eroded much more easily. The pile of rock and dirt at the parking at the boat launch ramp was the last gasp of the ice age; this moraine was formed about 16,200 years ago and then the ice retreated back to the crest during the abrupt warming. At roughly the same time, the central Great Basin pluvial lake systems (Lahontan, Mono, etc) were full. If you are on a rest day, hike up to the "LV" above Lee Vining. You'll find yourself on a little flat shoreline and see gravelly beach deposits at your feet; this was where the lake was at the 16,900 year highstand. For other reference, when you drive by the the 7000 ft elevation sign heading north from June Lake, this is about where the lake shoreline was. Imagine that!

That's just, like, your OPINION man!! Nice work, you guys are killing it! But where's the longboard?!?

whatsupdoc, nice tour out there to Virginia! I've thought a lot about getting out there, guess I don't need to now that there are moguls lol. What's the deal with that chute lookers right of the peak between that V notch of huge rock walls? Does it go? I thought a cool tour we be to go in there from GC or VA lakes and after VA peak, skin up the back of Twin peaks and out Cattle Creek to Twin Lakes. Or at least a cool tour to fantasize about, which is probably better than the reality...

[BGnight]

My favorite line our our trip. Really enjoyable terrain and great snow. North, I think we saw the remnants of your tracks in there and followed what was left of your bootpack (for about 10 steps lol!).

That's a good one. Way more snow in it 2 years ago.

[whatsupdoc]

That's just, like, your OPINION man!! Nice work, you guys are killing it! But where's the longboard?!?

whatsupdoc, nice tour out there to Virginia! I've thought a lot about getting out there, guess I don't need to now that there are moguls lol. What's the deal with that chute lookers right of the peak between that V notch of huge rock walls? Does it go? I thought a cool tour we be to go in there from GC or VA lakes and after VA peak, skin up the back of Twin peaks and out Cattle Creek to Twin Lakes. Or at least a cool tour to fantasize about, which is probably better than the reality...

That chute you mentioned didn’t look like it went.

You could definitely climb up the south side of twin peak and drop all the way back to a car shuttle at twin lakes. Just make sure you climb the correct S chute. Ask AKbruin about that.


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[Dark Energy]

Saturday, (4.27) dropped the north side of Dunderberg about 1:00 p.m. A bit scratchy as the wind was keeping things firm. Traversed over the Kavanaugh Ridge which was entirely covered, and hit the Green Creek Couloir at about 2:30 p.m. Smooth and buttery, it went all the way to the creek to an easy tree crossing. It was about a 3.5 mile walk on the Green Creek Rd., to where a snow bank forced us to ditch our shuttle the evening prior. Otherwise, only a few small drifts left on the road to the campground. Sunday, climbed and skied the south side of Dunderberg above Trumbull Lake. Dropped at 11:30. Protected from the wind, it was good corn skiing.

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

This thread has really come alive and it's what dreams are made of for a green grasshopper like myself.

Well done, gentleman!

Gonna go scope Humphrey's tomorrow. Anyone have info on the buttermilk road conditions? 16-17 it was horrific for my heavy White Girl (GMC 2500HD is not a great gnar off road vehicle).

[SS]

Any beta on snow line from Bishop to June Lake? Will be out there next week! Thanks!


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[2_1_3]

Snow line is moving upwards quickly as the lower angle slopes cook, but I think most approaches (with a few exceptions) are still in good shape if you are OK doing some walking. Should get some good freezes, so go for the lower stuff now as it will be toast soon enough! The early part of the weekend is looking to be modestly warm (few degrees above normal) before another low moves through SoCal (yay for more cooling to freeze that sheeeeit!).

Looking good for making the ski! Start early and be psyched!


Sunday might be more entertaining with the cutoff...


Just a guess, but I'd reckon Buttermilk road is probably going to get snowed in just above the first creek crossing on that steep bank as you head back east up the moraine. What we've seen elsewhere is the roads are in better shape this season since we didn't have as many super erosive heavy rain events like in 2017. Humphreys is looking PHAT tho! Have fun out there, and like MrHankey sez, air those tires down a bit for improved performance.

Building on Brooks' comment, I think because we had lower density snow (aka ridiculously good pow) this winter a lot of lines aren't as fat as one would think based on snowfall (in terms of depth) totals. For example, the non-Moynier couloir on Thompson was not looking so good (hypothesis based on macking burrito of a cornice is that the cornice keeps breaking off and scouring out the chute at a rate that exceeded how well deposition could fatten it up at the lower choke). On the other hand, some things are super fat (Mendenhall for example). I'll take this season's cold/snowy combo anytime, however.

[gimpy]

The obvious draw up the south side of twin peaks is the jam for a fun va peak exit. Look at google earth to confirm that which was told to me. It sets u up right at the bigger tp couloir.

Mex- climb n ski peaklet en route to humphries to avoid that miserable approach n knock out another beauty at the same time


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[CS]

This thread has really come alive and it's what dreams are made of for a green grasshopper like myself.

Well done, gentleman!

Gonna go scope Humphrey's tomorrow. Anyone have info on the buttermilk road conditions? 16-17 it was horrific for my heavy White Girl (GMC 2500HD is not a great gnar off road vehicle).

Interested in this since we are likely headed up there on Friday.

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

Thank you for the suggestions, Gents!

Yes, Peaklet is on the list if my heart and lungs can pull off a hat trick. The 6 day Evo Loop should help with that. Definitely came back stronger from that.

Yeah, the 16/17 AR's really put a hurting on the road that year. We're taking my buddies Subaru. I'll hop out and place some strategic rocks to help out the Subi. We may end up hiking a bit, but that's ok.

We will see.

[bobz]

I’m lying down in my tent at the base of Wood’s east slope. The hill’s looking good for tomorrow after a nice cold night. I was on snow starting ~500’ above June Lake Loop thanks to the northish facing gully. Probably doing Dunderberg on Thursday.

[rod9301]

213, where is the steep couloir in your pictures?

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[dookeyXXX]

OOC, when you guys say that you're doing Dunderberg, where are you starting from?
I have only done Dunderberg from above Jack's Lake and accessing it from Kavanaugh Ridge (summer patch-skiing when you can drive all the way in a 4x4).

Thanks for the stoke, too.

Next curious question: Dragon's Back near June...scoped that out a couple of summers ago. Looked decent. What's the verdict?

[2_1_3]

I'll hop out and place some strategic rocks to help out the Subi. We may end up hiking a bit, but that's ok.

A round-tip shovel would be a sweet addition to the subie for your trip, as that could be easier than moving rocks

Rod, you looking at the Harrington Couloir. Very nice, imho the most aesthetic of the three.

[Ottime]

This thread is all time. Thank you gents for your hard work and photo taking.

[rod9301]

I'm going next week Monday thru Wednesday and i see colder temps.

Do you guys think the North facing couloirs would be frozen around 12-13,000?

Last time i skied something North facing, esha, two weeks ago, it was powder.

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[chill winston]

Beta shot if you’re doing the SHR. Taken this morning. Looking west to Alta-tablelands and across Cloud Canyon Towards Milestone.

[chill winston]

Little further. Great Western Divide down to the Canyon of the Kern



Tyndall and a big willy



Russell and Whitney



The crest from Langley thru Whitney region. Tablelands and Alta at the top

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

Humphrey's Variation (Not N Coulior but right arm of the Y):

We were a couple of hours late as we left Bishop at 0600. Buttermilk road shut us down a little before the creek/switchbacks. My buddy thought in hindsight that his subi could have made it through the snow bulge in the road that stopped us. Decent conditions leading up to parking though. A sweet little jacked Tacoma would make it all the way for sure IMO. So we hiked a couple of miles before getting to snow which did not help with timing.

Snow in the proper fall line was horrendous with frozen coral reef. Many parts exhibited inconsistent snow that is what I would describe as the love child of frozen coral reef and breakable crust. Somebody had hit the line previously in better conditions as their tracks down the fall line were now frozen solid. We tried to stay skier's left of the proper fall line to hit the more solar aspect, but it funnels at the bottom where the worst snow was. The upper and mid was not too bad in comparison by using this strategy. Lower was SHIT.

Anyway, we talked with someone on the road at the end of the day, and they reported that the Emerson N Coulior was the worst conditions they've ever ski'd in their life... as was Humphrey's for me. N facing was not ripe yesterday to say the least.

[406]

So you could drive to about the McGee creek crossing around elevation 7898?

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

So you could drive to about the McGee creek crossing around elevation 7898?

Yes, but doable beyond that with right vehicle.

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

A few more from Humphrey's my buddy took. I was the SLOW one. Not too bad for a 3rd season skier though. I'm just happy to make it up and down.

[JAREDS]

what's the word on 120 opening to the park entrance? I haven't heard a peep about it yet.