Eastside Conditions/ Trip Report Thread 2018

[AKbruin]

(Part 2 of 2)

On Friday, franzklammer flew into Reno from Connecticut at midnight, arrived in a Topaz Lake motel at 2 a.m., and was picked up by yours truly at 5:30 a.m.

After years of staring at Gibbs from 395, we finally skied its east face. It was about a 2-mile dry hike from the car to snow, but there is a trail for 80% of the way, and it was smooth sailing.


franz joins another group from the Bay Area.


In terms of coverage, north of Mammoth looks good. South of Mammoth, meh.


We got transitional powder to corn for 3,500' to 3,800' of the descent.


This is a great line.




Yesterday, whatsupdoc and another friend joined us for my second attempt at Feather this year, and third since last year.

Telescoping poles: Bad!
Voile straps: Good!
(This happened about 4 miles into a 18.5 mile day.)




Unfortunately, the weather turned to flat light and wind just as we started booting the couloir. So enjoy the skinning photos.


Does flat light look better in black and white?


Here's a photo of the line from Dade last June.


whatsupdoc.


franzklammer




After post-ski beers and chips, franzklammer drove straight to Reno, where he had a midnight flight (middle seat) back to Connecticut. He literally texted me a few minutes ago that he had finally taken a shower.

[BGnight]

Nice pics Frank! Feather was my first ever solo overnighter. Need to get back there. It's been about 10 years. From all the TR's I've seen from the weekend on instaclaim it looks like everyone found all kinds of different snow. Mostly variable/transitional. I should have joined you on Gibbs!

[meter-man]

Sick weekend fellas! Nicely done.

[CS]

The scale on this is mind boggling.




All these reports have me stoked on getting out at the end of the week!

[gimpy]

Ding ding ding!!!

[CS]

Ok, I'm a relative East Side newb... so, that said, what line is this?

[AKbruin]

Kidney Chute. It's a SE aspect, so ski it early this time of year. Mt. Dana is on the left. Dunderberg is peaking out just above the chute.

[JAREDS]

anyone know how twin lakes is looking? wondering about kettle peak this weekend.

[CS]

Kidney Chute. It's a SE aspect, so ski it early this time of year. Mt. Dana is on the left. Dunderberg is peaking out just above the chute.

Ah, ok, I knew I had seen and heard of it.

And I thought that was Dana there on the left. Thanks!

[bodywhomper]

Nice! Feather in a day can be big! We encountered really deep rotten snow on the approach which made for really slow going (we hung out for several days). Did you all approach through CoCo col?

[Jack Burton]

Few shots from the Buttermilks on Sat & Sunday.
Wahoo gullys lived up to it's name on Saturday, conditions were ok, very firm snow was not far under a bit of pow up high. Always fun to be out and see the array of lines, approach was darn good over the weekend.
,
There's a east face off a ridge of Humphries that sure looks fun, guessing south side of Peaklet is the way to get there
.

Sunday we skied a melllooowww line on the east face of Locke that held nice corn

[mr. hankey]

anyone know how twin lakes is looking? wondering about kettle peak this weekend.

Just saw a post from the "backcountry skiing california's easern sierra" facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/Backcountry...fQA9Mq8RNHOxDY

There's a pic with the hulk in the background and it looks like they either skied the main kettle chute and face above, or maybe even the pencil couloir further up the canyon (or both?). as well as other stuff further up the main cayon. looks like lake level is dry.

[SS]

Admittedly lurking on this site thank you all for the updates. Does anyone have a good photo of the north face of gibbs preferably from a below average year? Skied Kidney years ago but never got a good shot. Can't wait to be out there in a couple weeks!

[BGnight]

Mank on crust if you must know:

[mr. hankey]

BGnight, Is that Baldwin?

Chill, great shots man. South lake stuff looks like it’s in great shape.
This pic is priceless:

Long lake, up to Bishop pass. Blurry shot of Mt Goode to the right. Yes, I'm carrying a dog
Attachment 232327

The 11 essentials:
1)map, 2)compass, …..11)something fuzzy and cute, perhaps a yappy little dog that fits in a backpack
I’m sure there’s a story behind it, where somehow that picture make sense… See that’s why the Hankey’s are cat people. You can leave those f*ckers at home the whole weekend and they could give a flying f*ck that you’re gone, and no f*cking way would they go out in the snow with me Those dogs though… “blah blah blah, yap yap yap, carry me on your backpack”… Can’t win with dogs man. Except Gimpy’s dog Buddy. That dog “rode” harder lines than I have, so I gotta respect that. RIP.

But seriously, thanks for the great pics. (Trifecta!!!).

AK nice job on feather. And reminding me #ifieverwanttodoWilliamsonreadAKsTRsoiwont

Just checked the Yosemite page for Tioga opening date. No update yet:
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm
“Tioga Road:
Plowing begins on or around April 15. We will begin posting updates shortly thereafter.
Note: April 1 snowpack is 67% of average.
Updates, if any, about allowing bicycles on Tioga Road prior to opening, will appear here.”

[1000-oaks]

Finally getting junk together for overnighters, how do you guys handle food storage in the alpine, assuming the bear are coming out of hibernation? Lug a bear canister, or hope they stay at lower elevations?

[AKbruin]

Did you all approach through CoCo col?

Not sure. We went through this saddle, which I think is the standard route:

Admittedly lurking on this site thank you all for the updates. Does anyone have a good photo of the north face of gibbs preferably from a below average year? Skied Kidney years ago but never got a good shot. Can't wait to be out there in a couple weeks!

I'd feel pretty confident that Gibbs's north face will go into May. The hike back to the car will be a bitch though.

And reminding me #ifieverwanttodoWilliamsonreadAKsTRsoiwont

Nah. Don't let my kvetching dissuade you. But I'd wait for a big year and then do it in mid-March. If there were snow from or at least close to Bairs Creek (after the downclimb from the notch), it would have been dramatically easier.

Finally getting junk together for overnighters, how do you guys handle food storage in the alpine, assuming the bear are coming out of hibernation? Lug a bear canister, or hope they stay at lower elevations?

I've only used a bear canister in Yosemite. If I'm right at or above treeline and I'm not in a super popular backpacking area known for its bears (e.g., Lyell Canyon), I don't sweat it. So far, no bears.

[Meadow Skipper]

Mank on crust if you must know:

Heh. Sure looks nice though.

[bodywhomper]

Not sure. We went through this saddle, which I think is the standard route:

yea, that's probably the same col/route. at first glance, i thought that was merriam peak, but it's just another sierra beauty.

strong work!

1000-oaks, you might want to call the ranger station about requirements for a bear can. because you might need one at least in your vehicle if you get a permit from a manned station. personally, my mild concern is more about marmots, and i've buried my food bags in the snow with a few big rocks on top to mark the spot and make it slightly harder for a marmot to dig up. i hate bear cans.

[chill winston]

I’m sure there’s a story behind it, where somehow that picture make sense… See that’s why the Hankey’s are cat people. You can leave those f*ckers at home the whole weekend and they could give a flying f*ck that you’re gone, and no f*cking way would they go out in the snow with me Those dogs though… “blah blah blah, yap yap yap, carry me on your backpack”…

Haha yeah the wife got us a dog (for the kids) then took the kids to Mexico for a week during corn season and left me home with a five month old puppy. Fack!

Can’t win with dogs man. Except Gimpy’s dog Buddy. That dog “rode” harder lines than I have, so I gotta respect that. RIP.

Ah Buddy. Had some great times skiing with bcrider, Gimpy and Buddy back in the day. I have a great old pic of Buddy dropping the cornice on twin peaks I’ll have to dig up.

Btw nice job guys on Williamson and also on Feather in a day. Yuge

[powdork]

Buddy is a big part of why I got Nacho

[jrf]

Great beta guys thanks.

FYI on Williamson I’ve done it once with a group that had been up before and we went via the south drainage - longer distance probably but easier approach.

Where would you say snow line is south of Bishop now, about 10k?

[sruffian]

Have the next two weeks off and my primary touring partner bailed on a week on the east side.

If anyone wants to meet up Monday - Thursday next week or Tuesday - Friday of the following week (May 1st), hit me up. Mainly looking for day trips to ski couloirs, though I have enough days coming up that I'd be willing to adjust plans. Familiar with the area and many drainages yadda yadda

[mr. hankey]

Where would you say snow line is south of Bishop now, about 10k?

Not sure how far south of bishop you're talking... But at Bigpine last Friday it seemed to be about ~9k on northerly aspects (Kid Mtn). On Easterly/SE aspects of Mt Alice(?) it seemed like ~10k. I posted pics last Friday that i took from ~8400ft on the south fork trail. it's a page or two back there. Even slightly north of bishop at Rock creek it was only ~1ft on the road to Mosquito flat and that's ~10k. E face of Starr was getting burned down low. Chill Winston's pics of S lake looked good.

[gimpy]

Perfect corn on south.
Every other Aspect still in transition. Upper exposed north blown clean to bulletproof. Green creek road is open. I heard tioga might pop next weekend. Most aspects should b cycled by next week so objective touring should b worthy.











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