socal 2018

[sticksplitman]

Anyone been in the local mtns? On my drive south earlier this week on 395 I noticed badden and san g are holding. Just wondering if anybody has went for a tour. I'll be going camping this weekend to check out the conditions. I'll report back once I get back.

[sticksplitman]

Socal is defiantly holding for a low snow season!!!! Go looking you will find it!!!

[sticksplitman]

https://youtu.be/LU6K1wceZlI

[justinthomas]

Never been out there but it's on my list. Let me know if you go again this spring would love to tag along.

[1000-oaks]

Damn, way more than I expected, need to get my ass in there.

[sticksplitman]

Never been out there but it's on my list. Let me know if you go again this spring would love to tag along.

Get ready for a gruel. Might go check another zone this weekend if the weather looks good.

[sticksplitman]

Damn, way more than I expected, need to get my ass in there.

Let me know if you go!!!

[scotts]

Three of us skied the bowl between SanG and Jepson last Sunday. Snow line was about 9.5k' so we only got about 1500' of skiing, but half of it was buttery smooth corn.

[1000-oaks]

Headed up to San G Saturday morning to hopefully score a few patches, overnighting at Dry Lake View Camp (at least according to my permit). Anyone else going to be up there scraping the last dregs?

[1000-oaks]

So I hit San G via South Fork weekend of 5/5, first overnight tour.

Pack is pretty damn heavy, definitely need to sort out the kit. It was a trial-run for the Sierra though, so I packed as if I'd be camping on snow.


View from Poop-Out hill, top of Snow Summit and Sugarloaf in the background.


Late start meant hiking by headlamp, and already burned through all my water (5L) by the Ten Thousand Foot Ridge switchbacks.


Spent Saturday night at Dry Lake, met a group of super friendly hikers. Lodgepole Spring was dry, but melted snow with a hiker from 29 Palms in the morning. Bushwacked up this slope toward chutes, Jepson Bowl was too far away to attempt and still get back to the truck by dark.


Spoke with a splitboarder hiking down, he said the corn was excellent below the choke in this chute. Guy is a beast, he hiked up from the SF trailhead early Sunday morning, booted the NE chute on San G, and dropped here. He said hard snow at the top was steep and spicy, and he had his axe at the ready. Said the dismount and hike over the choke was just as sketchy.


Surprisingly, no running water to be found anywhere above South Fork creek, hoping the sun works its magic while I'm on the snow.


Got out the 'pons and booted up the snow in the middle of the spine looker's right. Stability seemed very good, but this route was out of the way of anything coming loose in the sun above. Coverage was surprisingly good on both sides of the spine, and even in the trees looker's right.


This sun mask for women is excellent, doesn't impede breathing at all. Could do without the hearts but dig the OD green/black. Beats pink with dots or powder blue.


2PM transition at the choke, out of time to climb higher. Maybe 38 degrees just below the choke, definitely did not want to drop a ski, leashes next time. Corn was incredible. The cold front earlier in the week froze the top 5" into solid boilerplate (firm enough to put body weight on ice axe and not penetrate), and then a few inches of fresh fell, which was quickly converted to perfect corn by four days of sun. About four feet of sno-cone below the ice layer to the ground. Once the ice thaws and the pack goes isothermal again, wet slides will definitely be a possibility.


Success.


Got a better look at this chute (A on below photo) on the hike out, for future reference this is the one to hit. No chocolate chips, glorious corn almost to the top of San G.


FYI, the best dry access to these chutes is through the tall trees over my right shoulder (looker's left). Instead of hiking on steep loose football-sized rocks and through ground cover out in the open, there's hardly any brush and nice soft dirt between the rocks under the trees. And shade.


Chute A holds snow really well. B is the one I hit down the finger looker's right of the choke, mostly because that's where the splitboarder dropped. Faux sense of safety, I know...paranoia being solo and ten miles from the road. C also looked tasty. Will get an earlier start next time, and spend more time on snow.


Jepson Bowl (I think) way in the back, looker's left.


The line looker's right of Jepson looks fantastic, especially considering it's May and how little snowfall SoCal received this year. Elevation magic.


Passed by Dry Lake to pick up the camping gear, then about half a mile down realized I left sunglasses at Dry Lake. Stashed pack and sprinted back up. Brutal, when you're already completely beat. Back to truck about 9:30pm, hiking in the dark is kind of nice but the reduced visibility slows you down on rough trail.

A #$%@# whole lot of work getting in there and out this time of year, but overall a great trip.

[1000-oaks]

Close-up of that Jepson line, the terrain back there is amazing.

[mcski]

Nice trip!

[whyturn]

Well played my friend

[wolfelot]

Wow. Nice. I’m shocked how much snow was there still. What were your elevations?

[happytimefunbox]

Epic

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using TGR Forums mobile app

[Rideski]

Heavy duty

[1000-oaks]

Wow. Nice. I’m shocked how much snow was there still. What were your elevations?

Trailhead is 6,880ft, ~6.5 miles to Dry Lake at 9,078, about another two miles to skiable snow at base of chutes at 9,900, booted to about 10,750. Chute A was continuous snow from ~11,000. The avi path to the East of chute A looks good on Google Earth, but I never got a look at it.

[406]

Nice, seems every time I have tried skiing off the peak conditions are very firm or sun cupped.

[1000-oaks]

Like these in 2005?
http://www.skibuilders.com/gallery/p...onioMtn002.jpg