Eastern Sierras 2010-11: The Eternal Stoke

**hutash** · 06-01-2011, 12:15 PM

Schraph, if you do bail and head to JTree, and you head home up the coast give me a shout in Ventura if you need a place to stay.

**hutash** · 06-01-2011, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Dark Star

Hey AK B, the attached shot must be of you and your crew. We saw you as we skied out from the Demon. Figured it would've been a better ski, but I guess not. The Demon was a melt-freeze crunchy top, legit amazing pow in the middle, confused pow/porn/crust on the out that was pretty fun, with sloppy but smooth buttery turns back to the car. Too bad the weather made us bail back to Tahoe with Tioga, Sonora and Ebbett's all open, but a couple of pow days was pretty fun too

The rodeo sure seemed like it was going off Friday night, and yeah, that fire looked a little rowdy heading out from the Milks Saturday.

Maybe a window down there th/fri?

That was our group (which I was not a part of at that point, I bailed on the apron due to altitude issues). The skin track was from another group who headed up the right hand chute and skied the south face, where they reported they found some good conditions.

**Franz Klammer** · 06-01-2011, 01:10 PM

"Is there an end in sight? [...] An even wetter system arrives for the weekend and may end up bringing a good 4 to 8 inches of snow above 9000 feet Sunday into Monday."

SchralphMacchio, thanks for the beta. I am almost crying here knowing that my season is over as I am going to Europe for a month. But then I have to remember how awesome this Eastern Sierra season has been! Wood, Kid, Dana, Esha, Solitude, Valentine and countless powder days on the Crest and Sherwins ... not to mention all those touring days in SoCal and Europe.

**Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer** · 06-01-2011, 02:20 PM

Schralph - thanks for posting up and hang in there buddy. One day hopefully the weather will relax a bit.

**SchralphMacchio** · 06-01-2011, 03:35 PM

Well the wind let up around 630 am into a gentle breeze with occasional puffs and I got rolling around 8, thinking that the bluebird sky and cool wind would time perfectly for a descent of NE terrain off University around noon. Booting right from my tent (snow goes about to the camp bathrooms) and skinning up to Robinson Lake the weather was perfect and I was feeling like I might actually be able to make a push to 13+ feet. FYI the lower pitch out of the parking area to each of the three benches is gonna be a dry hike really soon.

I got into the upper cirque and after being blown away by the intense terrain in there, the stratospheric clouds started thickening. Took a break below my line at 12100 and didn't notice the temps cooling and wind gently picking up. What was a mix of dry chalky pow and transitioning porn on my approach was slowly becoming firm sastrugi and nasty crust. Got up to 12700 or so, within striking distance of the main col of University (13,400?) when I had to make a call about the snow condition. Didn't think there was any point waiting it out as the clouds didn't seem like they would let up and my legs were really feeling fatigued from 5 days of touring. Needed to save my energy for the fuct up hard snow on the exit and bailed. That line is pretty dang fat but it might get spicy up top in the chokes when winter finally ends. Once I got to 11k things got nice and carveable ... Sucked to get denied on getting to the crest but it was the right (safe) call and a 3 mile 3500' run back to the car is nothing to complain about!

Nice bluebird weather and cold breeze down here at 9200' but not so much at 13k.

Well my eastside trip is done and I'm out for turns until 6/18. Hopefully we get a spring and stuff doesn't get too cupped out! J tree tomorrow and wedding stuff for a few days then back to work! Will hope to get whatever photos etc I have into a TR in a week or two.

Cheers, viva la eastside

**Franz Klammer** · 06-03-2011, 09:47 AM

Not the biggest fan of POV, the best parts (Dana, Wood, Solitude, Kid) are missing and I fucked up the camera angle at the end, but perhaps some people are interested in it regardless:

**AKbruin** · 06-03-2011, 10:30 AM

^^^Nice vid, FK. I like the Wolfmother track, which reminds me of my favorite ski flick trailer.

**SchralphMacchio** · 06-03-2011, 04:41 PM

nice dynamic skiing flo! way to capture a miracle mayuary!

**SchralphMacchio** · 06-03-2011, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by hutash

Schraph, if you do bail and head to JTree, and you head home up the coast give me a shout in Ventura if you need a place to stay.

Thanks D, but I'm going home on Monday morning via (gulp) I5. Jtree was awesome and empty, only a few climbers on the big routes in Hidden Valley. I'm in Palm Springs right now for a wedding, and 101 is a long ways out of the day ... but hmmm, if I head out of here Sunday to Ventura then I could stop by Pismo for some Clam Chowder and then Arroyo Grande for some wine on the way up ...

anyways, to not cunt this thread, eastside on last Sunday afternoon. Not as precipitous as my 3rd pillar kick, but hey this time I generated an entire windstorm over MoMart!

Thankfully a friend took that on his own camera ... since Saturday I've clicked off 547 frames between skiing hiking and checking out rocks etc. And I still have a wedding to go to! Not going to be posting TRs for a while until this gets sussed out.

**~mikey b** · 06-03-2011, 06:38 PM

No Weekend Opening For Passes

http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/loc...or-Passes.html

June 03, 2011 04:52 pm
Tina Falco, MML News Reporter
Sonora, CA-- Due to another wet weekend, two area mountain passes will remain closed.

That's according to Caltrans Spokesperson Chantel Miller who says the closure of Highway 108 Sonora Pass and Highway 4 Ebbetts Pass will be in effect until Monday when maintenance crews can reassess the roads.

The National Weather Service says that Saturday, a quarter to three quarters of an inch of rain is expected in the Sierra Nevada.

On Sunday, an additional quarter to three quarters of an inch of rain is likely in both the Motherlode and the Sierra Nevada. The possibility of showers will also continue on Monday.
Snow levels will remain above 7500 feet with several inches of accumulation expected on Sunday.

Highway 120 Tioga Pass has still not opened for the summer season.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com

**Franz Klammer** · 06-03-2011, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

^^^Nice vid, FK. I like the Wolfmother track, which reminds me of my favorite ski flick trailer.

That's also my brother's (Hansi Hinterseer) favorite track so that's why I chose it.

**UPGRAYEDD_2505** · 06-05-2011, 05:21 PM

Well, the winds abated a bit on Friday and made touring enjoyable, although it wasn't tee shirt weather. Pretty cold and cloudy, but the snow was wintery and pretty darn rippable!

All the heavy hitters

were up above S. Lake.

More stoked than you:

$$$

**Franz Klammer** · 06-06-2011, 01:03 AM

^^ That's the cover shot of the bcd and n8 greenberg book!

**SchralphMacchio** · 06-06-2011, 06:13 PM

nice one P, and nice meeting you last week! thanks for the onion valley beta ... small world.

**stoepstyle** · 06-06-2011, 07:16 PM

Coming home to California in a few days. Looking to tour in the Lundy and Monument Peak areas to scout them as possible places to build a hut, and to ski 3 days at Mammoth hopefully between the 10th and the 20th. I would bring my friend but he has no money so I have no partner. Also my friend just lost my splitboard up on Mt Baker so I have no touring equipment at the current moment. Might get a hookup from a friend of mine going to Europe. Anyone going to be in the eastside area between the 10th and the 20th?

**UPGRAYEDD_2505** · 06-06-2011, 08:47 PM

Yea Franz, I guess I should've posed some dudes in that photo to recreate the cover more accurately

.

Nice meeting you shralph; the best way to garner unsolicited beta is to go to a coffee shop and start pulling out topos!

**Slaag Master** · 06-06-2011, 09:03 PM

lets hear it for the eternal stoke!

**Franz Klammer** · 06-07-2011, 12:40 AM

Oh Eastern Sierra, how I love thee. Please stay truthful to me even though I have to leave you for a few months.

**Franz Klammer** · 06-07-2011, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by potatoeskillme

I took a pano on my way home from Mammoth yesterday... Click for bigger.

I am trying to figure out where exactly this photo was taken. Can someone help me? Thanks!

**powdork** · 06-07-2011, 01:01 AM

nice video.
schralph was that picture or others in the time frame of the atmosphere thing?

**powdork** · 06-07-2011, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by Franz Klammer

I am trying to figure out where this photo was taken. Can someone help me? Thanks!

fish springs?

**SchralphMacchio** · 06-07-2011, 02:27 AM

Originally Posted by powdork

schralph was that picture or others in the time frame of the atmosphere thing?

not sure what you mean? It was windy as hell right there @ Conway Summit, enough to tear your eyes without glasses after a few seconds. I opened the liftgate and the suction from the wind pulled some stuff sacks out of my car and launched them into oblivion. Woulda been after we finished deep stormy laps at Ginny Lakes, so probably around 6PM or so on Sunday May 29.