Eastside Conditions/ Trip Report Thread 2018

[CS]

Yeah buddy. I need to meet you out there some day.

Yes, yes you do.

[whatsupdoc]

Great to see the east side getting some love. Awesome pics everyone. BGnight, those pics are sick.

Here's my photos from last Sunday on Feather Peak with AKbruin, franzklammer and a fourth. Sun was out for most of the approach, but the clouds rolled in as we neared the top of the line.

Approaching:






Royce Lakes area was gorgeous:

[whatsupdoc]

Finally in view of the line:




Clouds rolling in:



Booting:




It was cold and windy at the notch but AKbruin is still smiling:

[whatsupdoc]

Skiing was variable in the line. Snow was a bit punchy. The out was pretty firm as the clouds and wind didn't really allow for much softening. Still a fantastic day with an excellent crew, a classic line, and a superb setting.

AKbruin:






franzklammer:



frankklammer taking a break after the couloir:

[whatsupdoc]

Last Tuesday I went out to ski the N face of Darwin and hopefully Lamarck on the way back. We did it as a single overnight. We thought we might find some soft snow up high in between 2 small weather systems.

It was sunny for the approach. Most of the approach was pretty firm, an inch or so of snow on a crust. We got down to Darwin canyon from Lamarck Col, dropped the overnight gear, and went up to look at Darwin. It was pretty damn icy most of the way up. Ice mixed in with firm wind affected snow. Not inspiring. Ski crampons were mandatory. The apron was mostly ice and wind funk. It eventually transitioned to pretty decent dust on crust which I was OK with, but at about 13K it suddenly got deep and we were wallowing. We were getting spooked by a facet layer sitting below a crust about 12-18 inches down. We weren't seeing any hard evidence of instability, but a weak layer was enough to cause us some trepidation. We decided to turn around about 500 feet from the top. The snow was pretty good until we hit the icy apron.

It got cold as hell that night but we managed to stay warm enough in the tent. We awoke to cold temps, overcast skies, and howling winds. The wind was moving a good amount of snow so we decided to get the hell out of there. The hike up to Lamarck Col was pretty brutal. It was blow-you-over wind. The N couloir of Lamarck was being actively wind loaded so we bailed on that one as well and skied down the mellower E face back to the car. We were unsuccessful but it was an adventure. With a couple days left to ski, another small storm rolling in Thursday, and less-than inspiring conditions up high, we decided to head back to Tahoe.

Hiking the North Lake Road:



Approaching Lamarck Col:






The view from Lamarck Col:



Skiing down from Lamarck Col. It was a couple of inches of dust on a bulletproof crust, mixed in with some patches of ice:

[whatsupdoc]

Approaching Darwin:



Booting:



Skiing on Darwin:



Hiking back up to Lamarck Col the next day in screaming winds:

[whatsupdoc]

Yesterday I skied the E face of Gibbs with somethingclever and 1 other. Fun day. We left from Tahoe that morning and despite hiking shortly before 7 am, we were still a bit late. We descended at about noon and could've been an hour or 2 earlier. 10 am would have been prefect if you ask me. The snow was still really good on the upper half. It got a bit sticky down low, but it was still quite enjoyable.

Up:







Down:

[rod9301]

I think I met you in the way to round top a few days ago.


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[whatsupdoc]

Yes, that was me and my buddy visiting from out of town. Good to meet you.

I think I met you in the way to round top a few days ago.


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[BGnight]

Oh my.

[Cosmic Suncloud]

yeah

[rod9301]

Yes, that was me and my buddy visiting from out of town. Good to meet you.

Which one were you?

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[rod9301]

Which one were you?

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Tall or not as tall?

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[whatsupdoc]

Tall or not as tall?

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The shorter one


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[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Awesome to see this thread alive and well. Great photos and trips by all. The beta is very helpful.

[rod9301]

Yes, that was me and my buddy visiting from out of town. Good to meet you.

Good to meet you too.

[meter-man]

Love the East Side and the threads devoted to it!

Anyone know when Tioga will open from the east to the Pass? I seem to recall that Caltrans District 9 FB page had that info in the past, but now I'm not so sure....

YNP's page isn't all that helpful: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

ETA:

Inyo County Sheriff's OfficeLike Page
Yesterday at 8:54am ·
Inyo County Road Status:
South Lake Road, OPEN
North Lake Road, CLOSED
Sabrina Road, OPEN
Horseshoe Meadows Rd, CLOSED at the gate
Rock Creek Lakes Road, OPEN
White Mountain Road, OPEN
Whitney Portal Road, OPEN
N. Eureka Valley Road, OPEN
Onion Valley Road, OPEN

[bluesbrother49]

Did some Virginia laps yesterday and Esha today. Great corn on both, very top is finally starting to corn up. Big thunderheads forming this afternoon, rumor has it lower gate on Tioga pops tomorrow. I’ll try and post something if I get any more info than that. This thread is great, my favorite.

[bobz]

Person at Mobil station wasn’t hopeful on the road to Tioga-east being open until mid-May. More authoritatively, she also noted that Woah Nellie opens tomorrow (Friday). And I heard rumor that Ellery Bowl is kind of a mess due to a big slide there.

I had a nice run down from Black Mtn left of Mini-Mo via Old Man’s Bowl yesterday. Excellent corn in the main bowl, once off the loose slush on the north-facing bit from the summit. On snow continuously from top to the dirt road at around 8500’, though the latter section in the gulley below Mini-Mo was a comical mess of slushy debris.

Thinking of checking out Kidney tomorrow.

[jorion]

Anyone know when Tioga will open from the east to the Pass?

From Monday:


From Caltrans: "Crews have removed snow up to the Yosemite National Park gate. Rock and debris removal and repairs are in progress. Avalanche and rockfall danger is high. There is no estimated date for reopening the highway at this time."

http://www.monolake.org/today/roads

[1000-oaks]

A buddy and I are finally geared up for a quick overnighter next Sat-Sun (driving up Friday night), does anyone have a recommendations for somewhere with a short approach? Coming from SoCal, but realize we're going to have to go wherever the snow is. Onion Valley would have been good in a better snow year, maybe north face of Mt Gould still has something? South Fork Bowl on Kid Mountain? Gotta go further north?

Meadow-skipping terrain is fine, this is just a cherry-popping shake-out weekend.

[406]

^^^Rock Cr road plowed? If you can drive up the road, easy skin into scenic area. Not sure on snow coverage.

Edit to add, someone mentioned south lake road is open, skin into one of the lakes below Bishop pass. Very scenic.

[jorion]

Thinking of checking out Kidney tomorrow.

How does one access Kidney with V Bowl burnt? That 4wd road on the map that leads to Gibbs Canyon? That still looks like a looong approach. Am I missing something?

[BGnight]

How does one access Kidney with V Bowl burnt? That 4wd road on the map that leads to Gibbs Canyon? That still looks like a looong approach. Am I missing something?

The Horse Meadows trailhead (I think that's name) from there you trail hike up into the canyon until you hit snow. I've done it cross country from another spur road in that are too and it's not too bad. It's a pretty hike regardless. Snow might be getting patchy in lower canyon but it's easy to find way in/out.

Looks like dodgy weather for high elevation corn until at least Wednesday. I doubt high, N. facing corn won't happen until it gets really warm again. I hope we get one more miracle powder cycle that actually sticks to the rain layer this season. (maybe rain layer cycle first with some warm days). I mean, corn is good and all but there's nothing like getting pow in north facing coolys in May. Interestingly, a majority of my best eastside pow days are in May.

[rod9301]

Did some Virginia laps yesterday and Esha today. Great corn on both, very top is finally starting to corn up. Big thunderheads forming this afternoon, rumor has it lower gate on Tioga pops tomorrow. I’ll try and post something if I get any more info than that. This thread is great, my favorite.

I had a bit of extra time today and I drive to McGee trail head, looking for a way to cross the Creek into the esha canyon.

I walked the Creek for about half a mile, couldn't find a way across, and I was running out of time.

Where did you cross?

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