April 13-16, 2004, South Lake,Sierra Nevada

Arrived in Bishop on the13th and stopped into Wilsons Sporting Goods and learned that the road to South Lake was opening today by noon.  Jill and I began heading west. Bishop is about 4600 feet and within 22 miles we were at South Lake at 9600 feet.  Nice and direct and the elevation gain is impressive.  All the campgrounds were still closed but the fishing resorts were preparing for the fishing opener the last weekend in April.  Snow was visible about 8500 feet and the parking area at 9600 feet allowed us to put on the skins and start going vertical. We again began our tour a wee bit late so decided to climb the ravine south of the parking area and gain the ridge heading towards Chocolate Peak.  The wind was howling in the open but in the trees it was pleasant.  Along the high peak near Mt. Gilbert and Mt. Thompson we could see a weather front approaching.  Within an hour our sunny, blue skies started to become overcast and there were flurries in the air.  As the winds increased with the intensity of the snow, we decided to pull the skins and dart among the trees in corn as we descended to the camper. The views were hidden as we crawled into the security of the warm camper.  While brewing a cup of coffee, the skies began to clear and the sun reappeared. The views across South Lake were stunning.  Time to return to Bishop and rendezvous with our Seattle friends.

April 14, the group was up a bit earlier than yesterday and arrived at the South Lake parking area about 9am.  The winds were gusting over 25mph and expected to increase.  Jill and Carol had less enthusiasm then the high testosterone group and decided to do some female bonding once the clouds rolled into the area.  The male contingent slowly eased onto the southern edge of the partially drained and frozen lake.  After a few brief steps we decided that harscheisen were required to traverse the frozen side hill portion of the lake.  Bryan, Craig and I fitted the harscheisen while Paul used his crampons to navigate the section.  The lake was beautiful with its frozen and cracked ice sculptures plus rock island protruding thru the frozen surface added an artistic landscape.  We meandered westward and arrived at the inlet stream for the Treasure Lakes.  Here, we met Dave King, a local, whom Jill and I met the previous day.  Dave has been touring the Sierras for decades and provided an enormous amount of beta.  In fact, he decided to join us for another run up the crest.  We followed his tracks up a serpentine stream bed and through a maze of boulders to the Treasure Lakes basin.  The snow was perfect corn.  As we gained the top of the ridge below Mt. Gilbert the winds began howling and it was time to cruise thru the trees, boulders chutes and back to the lake. The chicks on sticks really missed us SURE. We drove back to or campsite in the Buttermilk area and shared a few beers over conversations of where to ski in the morning.

April 15, the group decided a return to South Lake would be smart.  We headed in the general direction of yesterday’s tour but then made a line towards the base of Mt. Johnson at 12,868 feet. Paul topped out at Gilbert Col and made some beautiful survival turns on the firm surface.  Looked like a tele skier making beautiful parallel turns on ice.  After about a 300 foot drop, Paul joined the smart folks waiting on the corn surface and a barking episode ensued.  We returned to the top of the ridge we visited yesterday but today was calm and clear.  I think it was because of the good karma of the chicks on sticks. It was another great Sierra corn day.  The amount of terrain available at South Lake could take a week of touring.  A storm cycle was predicted the following few days so we decided to sleep in.

April 16, the storm arrived in the Sierras and it was a rest day.  We headed to Schats Bakery to gorge.  Then it was over to Keough Hot Springs to cleanse the body.  Bishop was sunny all day but the storm was raging in the mountains. The forecast was for another three days of unsettled weather so Jill and I decided to travel to Mexico to get some reasonable dental work and prescriptions.

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