July 7, 2007, Mammoth Crest, John Muir Wilderness

After reading about many fine adventures on this site I feel compelled to add something with a Southern flavor. Here€™s a trip report from sunny California. As a TAY cardholder I went skiing on the Mammoth Crest last Saturday. As far as conditions go we€™ve had a very dry year here so the pickings are slim right now. Suncup season has come and gone along with most of the snow. Pretty bad timing for posting my first trip report here but you people in the Pacific Northwest need to be reminded of how good you have it now. Go skiing now while you still can!
Skiing on Independence Day is a bit of a tradition around here but our ski area closed early and I ended up driving back from Las Vegas (120 freakin€™ degrees) for the Fourth. Mt. Charleston still had a patch of snow on it from what I could tell. Of course it could have been a mirage.
The hike up to the snowfield only takes about an hour from the road. I was not so surprised by the dry creeks and empty tarns I passed along the way. The wildflowers just never seemed to kick in this year. Just some LPFs. I got bit by two mosquitos and one big horsefly.
Here€™s a shot of the Crest. (see below)

Try to imagine what it looks like when it€™s covered in snow. The notch in the center is the normal starting point for skiing but not today. I found the usual patch above the lake but it looked more like September than July. The snow was soft enough to hike on and pretty smooth. Once I got to the top there was a lovely cool breeze blowing upslope off of the snow. (see below)

Staging at the top of the patch is always a pain in the ass. Finding a rock to sit on, changing into ski boots, trying not to drop anything etc. I always end up putting my skis on half on the rocks, half on the snow just to keep things from sliding away before I€™m ready. Rock skis-the ones with bindings on them. Stepping out onto the snow is always a little unnerving after a month off. The first turn is always the most important one. After I realize I€™m not going to die I can relax and enjoy the run. I found some small harder patches on the way down that could have been last years snow. Here€™s the photo proof I €œgot 'er done€ (see below)

August seems pretty certain but I may be hanging my streak on September powder. I€™ve gambled this way before and won. If I lose, no big deal. I can always start over. I€™m not going to give up the sport or anything. There it is. A little Turns-All -Year drama from California. Now turn off the computer and go outside.