May 3-10, 2008, near Bishop and Lee Vining, CA
5/3/08
US elsewhere
4120
2
Brad T, Nick C, ScottK and I spent the last week touring and skiing in CA near Bishop and Tioga Pass. We spent the first part of our trip touring up and over Piute Pass, Alpine Col, and Lamarck Col. Weather was unsettled and rather than sunshine and corn snow, we experienced a little bit of everything. Sunny one hour, snow and high winds the next marked the tour. But we were greeted with outstanding views of the high peaks and complete solitude.
We headed down to Bishop and spent the next couple of nights at the Trees Resort and met a couple of fellow Seattleites and a new friend from the Bay area, Julian (good to meet you Julian). We day toured out of South Lake for two days and explored the basin next to Ski Mountaineers Peak and Mt Thompson, and then Mt Gilbert. Coverage below Mt Gilbert was excellent so we bagged Mt Gilbert and skied from just below the summit to the East Couloir, and down to South Lake. This run presented some nice 40 to 45 degree slopes, and lots and lots of corn. These two days alone made the trip worth the effort.
We next headed north the Tioga Pass for some area exploration and skied False White mountain. Another excellent day under sunny skies with warm temps. The Mobile station at the bottom of the hill on 395 has the best gas station food on the planet (really), and is worth a stop if you're in the area..
Overall, coverage was marginal above 12K feet, and good to outstanding from 11.5K to maybe 9.5K. Best aspects tended to be north to east facing, although we found pockets of good snow on all aspects. Skiing in the South Lake area was superb. Scenery everywhere was excellent.
Recommendations- The Mobile station at Lee Vining (Hwy 120 and 395, Whoa Nellie Deli), and Amigos and Erick Schat's Bakkery in Bishop. Cheap accommodations- The Trees Motel in Bishop (nice lawn with BBQ), and Yosemite Gateway motel in Lee Vining (great views of Mono Lake).
We headed down to Bishop and spent the next couple of nights at the Trees Resort and met a couple of fellow Seattleites and a new friend from the Bay area, Julian (good to meet you Julian). We day toured out of South Lake for two days and explored the basin next to Ski Mountaineers Peak and Mt Thompson, and then Mt Gilbert. Coverage below Mt Gilbert was excellent so we bagged Mt Gilbert and skied from just below the summit to the East Couloir, and down to South Lake. This run presented some nice 40 to 45 degree slopes, and lots and lots of corn. These two days alone made the trip worth the effort.
We next headed north the Tioga Pass for some area exploration and skied False White mountain. Another excellent day under sunny skies with warm temps. The Mobile station at the bottom of the hill on 395 has the best gas station food on the planet (really), and is worth a stop if you're in the area..
Overall, coverage was marginal above 12K feet, and good to outstanding from 11.5K to maybe 9.5K. Best aspects tended to be north to east facing, although we found pockets of good snow on all aspects. Skiing in the South Lake area was superb. Scenery everywhere was excellent.
Recommendations- The Mobile station at Lee Vining (Hwy 120 and 395, Whoa Nellie Deli), and Amigos and Erick Schat's Bakkery in Bishop. Cheap accommodations- The Trees Motel in Bishop (nice lawn with BBQ), and Yosemite Gateway motel in Lee Vining (great views of Mono Lake).
Ah, the Eastern Sierra in the Spring. So much fun there oughta be a law; don't tell anyone or there soon will be. The Tioga Pass Mobil Station is the best backcountry skiing gas station in the world, even if liability made them close access to the massive high trapeze (yes, they used to let customers play on the trapeze) a few years back. The microbrews on tap, killer fish tacos, outdoor barbecue grills, sand volleyball court and Van Morrison and Dumpstafunk on the speakers, all in view of Mount Gibbs and the Ellery Chutes, are so freakin' choice it's beyond words for day skiing apres-fun & sun. A moment of silence, though, for the passing of the Tioga Pass Resort cabins being open in the winter. That was gettin' away with something. We were lucky enough to catch the Dana Couloir in thigh deep powder once, just two pairs of tracks, and a car shuttle from the super cool staff at TPR out to the gate picked us up below Ellery Bowl. By the way - for anyone using John Moynier's really helpful book Backcountry Skiing Calfornia's High Sierra, Falcon Guides, one note of caution about the Dana description - given that typically it will be midday or later when one gets to the Ellery Bowl if they are done together as mentioned as an option in the book, it should be noted that the crux of the day may well be Ellery Bowl, as it usually would be expected to have warmed enough to sluff really big, and boy is it steep and exposed to rock bands if your sluff knocks you down. That gets zero cred in the description in the book. The marquee peaks out of Bishop get all the attention, but the tours out of the June Lake area and Tom's Place are terrific as day shots, as is Dunderberg from Virginia Lakes, all with great lawn chair/cooler/hibachi with view of the route car camping. Required PNW BC skier field trip.
Glad to hear that you had an enjoyable trip. Although the snowpack was "light" this year in the Sierra, you found some great terrain. The Mobil deli is a great place to stop after a spring tour at Tioga.
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