Eastern Sierras 2010-11: The Eternal Stoke

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Re: whippet - definitely could have helped. Might not have... but certainly wouldn't have hurt! They have so many other uses too, that I always carry both of mine. Sometimes I get shit for it, but I don't care. They have helped me in similar slips while skinning, and are also useful when booting steep slopes, not to mention other non-obvious uses like scratching that impossible-to-reach itch.

Jim - interestingly, I generally always carry 2 as well. Aside from scratching spots and booting, I actually tried to use my to arrest a fall for the first time on Friday. We were on a SE slope that was way too warm, and the skin track broke out and I started sliding with about 3-5 inches of wet debris relatively medium speed. I plunged in both whippet picks, but the bed surface was so wet that they literally did nothing. Like a knife through a slurpy. I just yelled "this sucks" and slid until it stopped 30 feet later. End result - whippet not exactly efficient in wet bed surface. Better avoidance is not to be on that slope in the first place (which I quickly remedied).

AK - glad everything turned out OK. Scary stuff.

[Jack Burton]

I'm the injured skied from Saturday in AKBruin's post above. I cannot say thank you enough to AKBruin, Madturtle, Julian and Issac for the speed in which they gave up on the day of fun we were all looking forward to and got to getting me safely down, thank you very much, not that there was a question but beers are on me for a while, I look forward to the next skin track we are on. As well to SAR, the ambulance crew and the doctor that spent 2 hours gently stitching my forehead back to together. I am very lucky that the incident AK wrote up was not a life changing one, but rather one that I will learn from.

I'll likely purchase a whippet and a spot tracker but will definitely pursue some base line of medical knowledge, what level of knowledge do you guys and girls have, EMT, Wilderness First responder, other?

MapleLeaf - it's possible that I could have gotten out under my own power but in this situation it was not necessary, I hit the wall hard and a concern was my neck and spinal cord, the guys rigged up a harness and tied me in to a long rope, one person on the rope just in case, me on my ass sliding down and one person on either side facing back up the hill.

[Jack Burton]

o yeah on another note the choke rock in third pillar is completely covered and the entrance to solstice looks $$$$.

[AKbruin]

Bgknight- Great photos. I assume you can drive up Buttermilks to its terminus?

I'll likely purchase a whippet and a spot tracker but will definitely pursue some base line of medical knowledge, what level of knowledge do you guys and girls have, EMT, Wilderness First responder, other?

Ha, I didn't even know you posted here. If you or anyone else knows of a 3-day wilderness first aid course around Tahoe/Reno, let me know. I was going to check to see if the local community colleges offered anything. I was totally impressed by J's handle on the situation and at the same time ashamed by my own lack of knowledge.

[BGnight]

Yeah, you can drive all the way to normal spring starting area but I went the back way so can't speak for coming from the buttermilks but others had driven that way.

[AKbruin]

^^^Thanks and sorry for spelling your name wrong.

One more question: Are dogs and/or campfires allowed in the Buttermilks?

[Gerome]

AK, There's a 9 day WRF held by the Sierra Club at the end of this month. Maybe they do a WFA as well.

Not 100% sure, but I can't imagine a reason why you couldn't bring your dog and have a campfire. I've seen other people w/ fires in the area.

[LightRanger]

^^^Thanks and sorry for spelling your name wrong.

One more question: Are dogs and/or campfires allowed in the Buttermilks?

BLM land. Basically do whatever you want.

God Bless America!

[SchralphMacchio]

please, please, please Caltrans ...
108 by next weekend, please please?

[BGnight]

Thursday didn't suck:




jimw:

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

AK, There's a 9 day WRF held by the Sierra Club at the end of this month. Maybe they do a WFA as well.

Not 100% sure, but I can't imagine a reason why you couldn't bring your dog and have a campfire. I've seen other people w/ fires in the area.

If you can swing it, take WFR. I want to take that course SO bad and have for years. I know Enginerd said it was the best course he has ever taken. I have taken the 3 day WFA, but it was so long ago (about 10 years). Definitely need to re-up.

Lots of other services offer WFR/WFA. Check WMI - they are through Nols and one of the best. I wouldn't be suprised if they offer a course in Tahoe during the summer.

[213]

213's East Side Stoke



East Side Adriatic Coast What what bitchez!

[~mikey b]

my sources inform me that 108 will be open for Memorial Day weekend - maybe even Wed or Thu

Owen and I will be headed to Sonora Pass - he's insisting that we go to Travertine - who knows where we'll end up...

[Sinecure]

Anyone from Bay Area up for carpooling to Mammoth area for the weekend? Flexible on timing, but can't leave until mid-afternoon on Friday. Return Monday or Tuesday.

[gimpy]

anyone heard if tioga might open to the top this memorial day weekend????

i just cant get myself excited for 108.

[jimw]

It's not open right now, but they were working on it today. I heard it was actually clear to the park entrance, but that parking areas may not have been plowed yet. Would be sweet if it opened, all the chutes off Dana are FAT. Fatter than I've ever seen. Plateau is super filled in too, but V-bowl is burnt. Powerhouse still goes all the way. Some of the stuff that is usually getting to be over by now is still good. For example, Gutter still goes. I just verified that for myself today. 3rd Pillar is fatter than I've ever seen, no rock in the choke and it's wide enough to make turns. Liberty looks like you could actually ride it all the way from right under the cornice. The main problem is most of those chutes have a bunch of mank in them from when it got hot on Friday, and the snow from the previous storm wet slid all over the place, and it's still kinda manky and not smooth. If spring ever actually arrives the corn could be pretty epic though.

3rd Pillar was still pretty damn good though at 5 PM Friday (at least the top)!

[AKbruin]

^^^Wow^^^

[SchralphMacchio]

seriously, epic photo Jim!

[~mikey b]

jimw ftw

[SchralphMacchio]

Freaking chewing on my nails today in suspense waiting for good news on 108 and 120.

It's not open right now, but they were working on it today. I heard it was actually clear to the park entrance, but that parking areas may not have been plowed yet.

On the NPS page, it seems to show that they are past the gate entrance. Last year they opened it right when they got to the gate, even though the ranger and entry stations were still under 8-10 feet of snow.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

[dookeyXXX]

JimW: that picture is terminal. It's looks like you're ridin' over Niagra Falls or the end of the world waterfall when it's frozen solid.

[BGnight]

CONFIRMED FROM CAL TRANS SOURCE: 120 is NOT opening to the gate tomorrow. Gay





disclaimer: this post may or may not be true and may or may not have the sole purpose of keeping people away from my lines

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Ummm, JimW for the win! That is a great picture. Basically, JimW always seems to crush Tioga this time of year.

[Franz Klammer]

EDIT: I don't care, there is nothing to ski there anyway.

[SchralphMacchio]

Ugh, I despise this weather forecast for the weekend. The highs plummeted to the upper 20's, lows in the teens! The rest of the week will be in the balmy upper 30's. And I have the entire week off work for BC skiing.

Should I just rent ice skates or skate skis for the week???