Eastside Conditions Thread

[mmmm...pow!]

So, do tell more about the pretzel? Did you keep the cheese separate so it didn't get soggy? Seriously, looks like being a dentist is paying off for you guys, crushing it this season. My non-dental job has only afforded me limited time off which hasn't coincided with prime conditions, and my motivation to get after it in subpar conditions is inferior to yours. Thanks for the stoke.

[jorion]

Can you explain?
I've heard good things about the zero g 95.

I'm on katana vwerks and I was thinking of getting the zero for firmer conditions, even though the katana hold a good edge on firm.

I mostly blame my shortcomings as a skier, but in anything less than perfect corn they are a handful. You really have to be driving them all the time. When you get backseat you will suffer, and I have a hard time staying in the sweet spot when conditions are less than ideal. It could be a number of things, but for one I wish I had gone for the 185s instead of the 178s at 5'10" 180lbs.

[TEXASS]

Damn you guys are killing it !!! I spent Thursday- sunday on the Eastside this last weekend. Will have some picks to post up later

Was up at Onion Valley around noon yesterday and I would say 8-12 inches of new snow fell. I didn't tour but It did look like good snow.
Will this season go into Next ???? Humm
oh well
weekend recap

Thursday- Out of South Lake headed to Gilbert but quit earlier and did a side chute on another nearby peak

Friday- Nevahbe Ridge

Saturday- Lundy Canyon towards Mt Warren but bailed for a smaller side target

Sunday- drone flying near Onion Valley

[AKbruin]

So, do tell more about the pretzel? Did you keep the cheese separate so it didn't get soggy? Seriously, looks like being a dentist is paying off for you guys, crushing it this season. My non-dental job has only afforded me limited time off which hasn't coincided with prime conditions, and my motivation to get after it in subpar conditions is inferior to yours. Thanks for the stoke.

I've been lucky this season in terms of my job and marital cooperation. That said, I've worked up quite a marital/parental debt this season that I'm going to have to try to payoff this summer. Anyhow, it's been so damn good this year, it seemed like all sacrifices were worth it.

The pretzel is from Slocum's in Mammoth Lakes, which has a solid and popular happy hour. (Thanks for the tip, somethingclever.) I'm usually a mustard guy, but the nacho cheese was pretty good and added much needed BC calories. There were two pretzels and the cheese came in a separate dipping bowl. I ate one pretzel at the happy hour, and then took the other one, slathered some cheese on it, and wrapped it in foil. Thankfully, no sogginess ensued. Not as good as leftover BC pizza, but I'd definitely do it again.

[AKbruin]

Day 6 (Mt. Darwin, North Couloir)

The evening before, whatsupdoc and BJ decided to drive down to Onion Valley. Feeling grimy from several days of sleeping-bag life, I opted to stay in a $54-a-night motel in Bishop, which felt like the Fairmont. And feeling the sting of disappointment after my failure on Wood, I decided to try an overnighter from North Lake, with Mt. Darwin and Mt. Lamarck as my targets. And, yeah, another 4 a.m. wake up.

Who knew fully rockered 109-waisted skis would be fantastic for Sierra spring overnighters? Love these things. My 95mm ZeroGs will be seeing much less action in the future.


The approach to Lamarck Col and then Darwin Valley, where I would camp, was mild.

Looking at Darwin and Mt. Mendel from Lamarck Pass.


Handsome Mt. Darwin, the day’s descent.


Mendel, quadruple black diamond.


After a short rest and lightening of the pack, I climbed up Darwin. Here's Lamarck.


I had the summit and all of Darwin Valley to myself, which is simply an amazing feeling.


Peekaboo.


Palisades. I don't which mountain is which, but I know they're in that clump.


From left to right, there's Mt. Hilgard, Mt. Gabb, Mt. Abbot, Mt. Dade, and Bear Creek Spire. Per Google maps, they’re about 16 miles, as the crow flies, away.


Navigating a 110cm entrance with 185cm skis was interesting.


The all-important first turn.


Nailed it.


Other than an elevated, frozen bootpack left by a previous party, the snow was great. It was a soft combination of wintery snow and corn and mostly consistent.


Back at camp, an early evening rain storm came while I was making dinner. I took a couple photos and retired for the night at 6 p.m.

[AKbruin]

Day 7 (Mt. Lamarck, North Couloir)

Solo overnighting isn't the safest thing, but, man, it's good for the soul.




Lamarck's beautiful North Couloir. These photos would look cooler if there were riders in them.




Like Darwin, Lamarck’s North Couloir is a fantastic line.


And like Darwin, the snow was mostly soft with occasional, visible pockets of firmness.




A look back. Again, great line.


Give it up for Lamarck's cirque, which has several days worth of rad lines.


“Skier with a Heavy Pack Inelegantly Falls Down During a Creek Crossing.”


Walking back toward the Sabrina basin and my truck.

*****

With rain and moderate snow forecasted for last weekend, I decided to end my trip and return to Tahoe last Friday. A ton of snow had melted in Tahoe during my absence. Of course, it snowed the next day.


The day after I was sweating my ass off at 12,000', my kids were making snowmen in our yard at 7,500'.

*****

The Final Tally

Seven days/seven lines:
(1) Mt. Aggie East Face (close enough)
(2) Mt. Baldwin Southeast Couloir
(3) Split Mountain South Face
(4) Mt. Morgan Grand Central Couloir
(5) Mt. Wood Z Couloir/North Gully (failed attempt)
(6) Mt. Darwin North Couloir
(7) Mt. Lamarck North Couloir

Random numbers:
• Weight loss over 7 days: 6 lbs
• Salads eaten: 0
• Post-ski beers: Many
• Latest wake-up time: 4:30 a.m.
• Nights in a sleeping bag: 5
• Nights in a cheap motel: 1
• Real showers: 2
• Hygienically questionable hot-springs cleansings: 5
• Truck smell start/end: Not great/inhumane to passengers
• Desire to return to work on a scale from 1 to 10: 1
• Desire to return to the Eastern Sierra and ski more: 10

[bobz]

Wow. Tremendous! (Treat yourself to a salad.)

[AKbruin]

Still figuring out the GoPro thing and also the thing of editing such videos on one's iPhone. Anyhow, vids of my Darwin/Lamarck trip:

[MTT]

Confusingly, there are two Mt. Morgans

Think they might have been named as a pair?

As in Morgan Horses? Big ass horse people usually owed a pair

[CS]

Well, after going through all those reports....this is barely even worthy.

But, hell, I live on the wrong side of all these awesome mountains so dammit I'm going to share my short trip.

Went with old school mag Bullet up for an overnighter at Laurel Lakes last Thursday and Friday. Did some exploring up at Bloody Lake and then did Bloody Couloir on Friday. Was a bit warm, but when your forays into the mountains are rare, you take what you get and just enjoy the ride.

Not exactly an alpine start...




Heavy packs and slushy approach




And there she is.




We dropped the overnight gear and watched a group from Tahoe boot up the couloir, then headed up and over the ridge into the basin just West of us to see what was up there.




After going up and over a few rollers, this came into view.....so close, yet so far away for our flatlander legs.






The ski back down to camp was actually pretty fun.





Bill on the shoulder headed back to camp






Home for the (windy) night




To the goods!



Group in front of us with a couple dogs. Those dogs got after it.




Onward and upward








After what seemed like the forever bootpack we finally made the ridge and the summit








And finally some skiing. Surprisingly, the first pitch was a bit moguled out, but still fun steep turns.



At the second rock section, just above the apron. Bullet does his best slutting, and my slow shutter speed ruins the money shot.




And that's that. A great couple days in the mountains and I got to get a line I've been wanting for a long time now. Hopefully I can make it back to the East side before it all melts.

[~mikey b]

https://youtu.be/crECtMJQ3OA

[AKbruin]

CS: Great photos! Way to tag an uber classic that basically stares at you (while you stare back at it) all the way from Mono Lake to Mammoth.

MTT: Possibly. But shouldn't the two Mt. Morgans be closer to one another? There are some cool mountain names in the Sierra (Cloudripper, Julius Caesar, Tinemaha, Gemini, etc.) but many more seemed named after 19th century b-list celebrities or are just bland descriptors--e.g., consider how many Red, White, or Black Mountains there are in the Sierra.

[bodywhomper]

this thread continues to deliver.

this view of darwin/mendel is one of my favorite views in the sierra

[enlosandes]

Outstanding TR's all season and especially this spring.

Caught this shot on my drive home, it seems Mini Morrison is holding a pot of gold.

[somethingclever...]

AK and Whatsupdoc: Hell of a run for both you guys. Enjoyed the day last week.

Doc starting the harvest:



Ak carving corn like a groomer:

[Powcruzer]

AKB serves up the multi-day tally...and it is good. Day 6? All you hadda do was ask that bigger ski be bigger fun on the corn harvester. And good to see someclever threw down for some eastside flip flops

[Powcruzer]

AK and Whatsupdoc: Hell of a run for both you guys. Enjoyed the day last week.

Ak carving corn like a groomer:

Kinda looks like a groomer. 'cept with big vert and turns earned. Well, freakin done.

[Skiwald]

Goddamn! So sick! Heading down there to join the fun this Wednesday and Thursday.

[Powcruzer]

CS

Dude. More than barely worthy. After all its the bloody. Way to get after it. Not dropped that line in ages and its a freakin classic in all respects. Stoke appreciated. No doubt traded ski boots for flip flops after great run rocking the hiwi shirt

Btw how far up that deteriorated road did you get and in what vehicle?

[somethingclever...]

And good to see someclever threw down for some eastside flip flops

Haha that's right. Fresh flops and sun hat cost roughly the same as ski crampons. It has almost certainly been the right call.

[TEXASS]

Finally after seasons of barely scraping by the whole ski world is in Envy. Damn good line on Bloody , and as stated AK has killed it

[CS]

CS

Dude. More than barely worthy. After all its the bloody. Way to get after it. Not dropped that line in ages and its a freakin classic in all respects. Stoke appreciated. No doubt traded ski boots for flip flops after great run rocking the hiwi shirt

Btw how far up that deteriorated road did you get and in what vehicle?

Thanks, we hit snow right around the first of the switchbacks on the road, at an elevation of around 7700 feet. We went up in Bullet's Range Rover. I think he said it had around 10" of clearance.

[jorion]

It sounds like the road will be open to big Virginia Lake this weekend per this. Does anyone know if the lower campground is closed? Or what the situation is for sleeping in cars on the road? Hoping to head there Thursday night and do some mellower stuff than most of the superhumans that are posting here.

[enlosandes]

It sounds like the road will be open to big Virginia Lake this weekend per this. Does anyone know if the lower campground is closed? Or what the situation is for sleeping in cars on the road? Hoping to head there Thursday night and do some mellower stuff than most of the superhumans that are posting here.

There is a really cool car camping spot about .75 mile up the road from 395, along the creek. Turn off the Virginia Lakes road right after you pass the creek and the road makes a hard right. You can't miss it.

[fogey]

Most recent (May 4) Inyo County road report is here (along with a few pictures along the South Lake road): https://www.facebook.com/InyoCountyS...70273289821907