Memorial Weekend TR 2006 (not for dial-up)

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 01:50 PM

Date: May 26-29, 2006

Location: Eastside of the Sierras

Weather: Mixed bag…sun, wind, graupel, snow, etc

Partcipants: mmcpheet, bcd, powderjunkie, puff nattie, bcrider, mtnrider, kidwoo, Split-It

Gameplan: 4 days of corn harvesting, ski bumming

Pics: bcrider, mmcpheet, bcd,

As tradition would have it, Memorial Weekend 2006 was spent bumming around the eastside of the Sierra. Good times, good times.

Day 1
5-26-2006

Rumor had it that Sonora Pass opened on Thursday so it only made sense to play hooky from work on Friday and get a jump on the crowds. Mmcpheet and I made it there for the second year in a row to the day.

The drive in on 108 from 395.

The frontside of No Name Peak.

On the skin track...

and up the bootpack to the ridge.

Leavitt Peak

senior powderjunkie

puff nattie...

rippin' the ripe corn

mmcpheet likes it too.

As does PJ.

Next on the menu.

closer.

Skins back on.

mmcpheet crosses some scree to our second run....

and takes another corn sample back to the lab.

PJ is next.

Puff Nattie is close behind.

Smiles all around at the bottom.

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 01:53 PM

Then it's back to setting a new bootpack for more corn fun.

mmcpheet

Some pretty rocks that needed to be climbed.

Looking down.

Zzee powderjunkie.

Time to ride, mmcpheet gets it on.

PJ

bcrider

puff nattie

PJ slashing above Sardine Falls.

puff nattie out-running wets slides...

and blasting through the suncups!

The exit was short and sweet.

mmcpheet really enjoyed it.

As least his boots got clean.

We hitchhiked back up the road to our cars. Note to self…make sure you have your car key if leave your pack with the others.

Sonora Pass Rocks!

After the sweet day we headed south…

to check out the Dunderburg/Greenstone chute run.

Winds were howling and we couldn’t make it to the camp ground so we aborted the mission.

Still a fun drive and we got to see a cool sunset.

We decided to keep heading south to Mammoth and meet up with bcd. Thanks again for the hospitality bro!

**Telenater** · 06-01-2006, 01:59 PM

Damn, that looks like fun. Going up this weekend?

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 01:59 PM

Day 2
5-27-06

The next morning we decided to show Sonora to bcd since he had never been there.

Being the first weekend the pass was open…we weren’t the only ones there. Is this the backcountry or the ski resort?

Mother Nature had different ideas for the day and wouldn’t cooperate. It was colder than normal and cloudy so the snow wasn’t getting soft.

We tried to kill some time and make the most of it. We ran into lhs and kidwoo too.

bcd climbs the snowbank…

and then a tree.

I went for a mixed route.

The snow just wasn’t getting soft so we pulled the plug. We thought we’d try our luck at Virginia Lakes since it looked to be clearer to the south.

We chose South Peak out of Va Lakes for its aspect as because it doesn’t sit as far back in the range (where the weather was worse).

bcd and mmcpheet on the way up.

Sucker hole.

It didn’t help…the snow was still bulletproof…but the view was worth it.

bcd on top.

Lundy baby!

bcd drops in on 1mm of ripeness.

He still makes it “look” fun though. (south chute of Dunderburg in the background)

Deep!

At the bottom we checked out the other lines there. Some of you should recognize the next two pics.

We got a look at the infamous Bloody Couloir on the way home too.

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 02:02 PM

Day 3
5-28-06

Sunday we headed south towards Bishop to the South Lake area. We didn’t really have a specific objective but when this came into view our decision was made.

Mt. Johnson on the right.

Here is a picture of the peak from 2004 (almost to the exact day). Coverage sure is better this year. 8)

And the summitpost page.
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/r...t-johnson.html

Mt Tom from 395 on the way down.

Mtnrider heading around South Lake.

Playing with the slow shutter speed…I think it worked.

The sights.

bcd don’t need no stinking snow.

mtnrider and bcr

Mt Hurd

bcd and South Lake

More incredible views. Mt Johnson is in the left hand corner, bcd is crossing the lake below.

Unnamed gnar between Mt Goode and Mt Johnson.

Getting close…

closer…

and finally up.

bcd sets a good bootpack.

bcr

At the saddle we took a break and looked to the west, bcd gets a front row seat.

Steeleman could probably name all these peaks…the only one I recognize is the Black Giant (upper right).

mmcpheet and mtnrider nearing the saddle.

bcd and I set off for the summit up the northwest ridge.

Sorry I didn’t take any more pics of the ascent…I was too gripped and had to focus on the climb. Here is what the last stretch up the northwest ridge looked like in May 2004 (and summer). Photo by Matthew Holliman .

mmcpheet and mtnrider decided to drop from the saddle and snapped this of us on top.

bcd on the summit.

Do you see what I see…

bcd checking out the register. The last entry was in October 2005. Hard to say if the peak has been climbed since then or not. Some folks don’t sign them and snow can hide the registers in the middle of winter. Still pretty cool to be off the beaten path. 8)

bcr on the summit.

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 02:04 PM

The view was awesome and it was a great feeling to be on top of this beauty…but now its time to get down. The conditions weren’t exactly ideal but they could have been worse. The snow was very firm due to the cold snap we’ve had. No concern od avy’s or wet slides but you sure didn’t want to slip or loose an edge.

bcd leads the way.

bcr

deeeeeeeeep......

My turn to take the lead.

Not the prettiest turns or most direct route but we made it down in one piece which is the largest goal.

bcd past the exposure, the snow softens…

and the ripping begins…

bcrider

mmcpheet goes next.

mtnrider

Looking back.

bcd on the lower slopes.

mmcpheet

mtnrider

bcrider

hot action!

following bcd is always interesting.

This time of the year the creeks start to open up so we had to get creative.
lining up...

...and more hot action!

I landed and then slid into the drink…bcd nails it.

Back at the trailhead this crew was “sending it”.

Thanks again guys for a really great day!

**bcrider** · 06-01-2006, 02:14 PM

Day 4
5-29-06

Monday I was on the “one and done” program but it was our forth day in a row so I guess I can’t complain.

We headed back to Sonora and ran into kidwoo and Split-It from TGR at the trailhead.

kidwoo and No Name Peak

Split-It and mmcpheet on the ridge.

kidwoo getting his corn harvesting on.

Split-It doing the same.

I found a cool little chute on the way out but mmcpheet had some technical difficulties with the camera.

I always enjoy this section of Monitor Pass on the way home too.

Thanks again for a fun morning yo. Great to meet you all!

And there you have it, another great Memorial Weekend in the Sierras.

G · 06-01-2006, 02:34 PM

awesome.

**Baconzoo** · 06-01-2006, 02:46 PM

HOT cold ass action!

**adam** · 06-01-2006, 02:51 PM

Yes!

**Hutch** · 06-01-2006, 02:56 PM

Awesome TR. Killer pics - looks fun! Thanks for sharing.

**BushwackerinPA** · 06-01-2006, 03:11 PM

Thats hot , made me very jealous of anyone living where there still is now to be skied...I should of stayed in Utah.

**kidwoo** · 06-01-2006, 03:11 PM

fack yeah!!!!!!!

Regular footers always have the advantage. You are aware of that right?

**SkiCougar** · 06-01-2006, 03:39 PM

dammit ! all that snow to be skied and me chained to the office 'til end of june ! this work thing is really getting annoying.

**lemon boy** · 06-01-2006, 04:00 PM

wicked nice.

**yogachik** · 06-01-2006, 04:03 PM

Awesome TR, great pics - amazing what you guys do!

I think I went to high school with this guy:

**cl1953** · 06-01-2006, 04:04 PM

A very memorable TR. Great pictures. I'm glad that someone gets to have snow fun. 90 hot and humid degrees here.

**Squirrel99** · 06-01-2006, 04:08 PM

Q-u-a-l-i-t-y!

sierra corn...we could use some of that!

**kidwoo** · 06-01-2006, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Squirrel99

Q-u-a-l-i-t-y!

sierra corn...we could use some of that!

I'm going to ask a really stupid question here but it's truly born of ignorance.

Is sierra spring skiing really any different that all the badass cascade spring skiing you guys get?

If anything, I'd think you guys have the upper hand with the monster volcano descents and theoretically wetter winter snows.

Everybody always talks about the sierras being so great in spring but I keep thinking about oregon/washington this time of year.

**bklyn** · 06-01-2006, 04:21 PM

Oh so nice. You guys make me want to move out of NY.

**PNWbrit** · 06-01-2006, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by kidwoo

I'm going to ask a really stupid question here but it's truly born of ignorance.

Is sierra spring skiing really any different that all the badass cascade spring skiing you guys get?

If anything, I'd think you guys have the upper hand with the monster volcano descents and theoretically wetter winter snows.

Everybody always talks about the sierras being so great in spring but I keep thinking about oregon/washington this time of year.

I think Squirrel is still drying out from the weekend.

Unfortunately we've not been getting many cold clear nights just lot's of our world famous grey and rain - it doesn't make for great corn.