East side into High sierra Alpine routes? May 23-30
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I am preparing a list. Get 20 routes or peaks, and do... some of them |
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Laurel Peak is a choss pile. Don't waste your time. |
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If you're going to up by Whitney, why not do the East Face or East Buttress? I'd check with the Whitney Portal Store for conditions for the Mountaineer's Route, which is the standard descent. The alternate is the long descent down the trail. |
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NOAA is predicting up to another 10" of snow this week in the Sierra, so you're likely to hit snow even if it warms up next week. |
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Awesome info. |
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Any thoughs/guesses on what other Palisades climbing (U-notch, V-notch, Temple Crag) might be like? Not sure if the additional snow would be a good thing for the snow/ice routes, and if the additional snow would be a huge pain for routes like the Swiss Arete or 5.7/5.8 stuff on Temple Crag... |
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Agassiz is a great summit, and a little snow might be nice to alleviate the talus. It's actually hard to recommend much without some knowledge of current conditions, this being a really odd snow year. Ordinarily, something like the North (or West) Ridge of Conness would be a good rec from about mid June/early July onward, but with the snow coverage being so minimal, it's hard to know what's in shape and what isn't, especially with the recent storms, and the one on the horizon. |
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Gabriel Pramuk wrote:I am preparing a list. Get 20 routes or peaks, and do... some of them What I have done: 5.0-5.7- Temple Crag, Crystal Crag, Emerson, Bear Creek Spire, harder- PSOM slab, sport stuff in the gorge. On the list for this trip. Russel, Whitney 3rd/4th class routes, maybe traverse. Lone Pine Peak, easy 5th class ridge Laurel Peak 5.easy Maybe Crystal Crag again. ~5.7 And maybe hang out at Lover's Leap after May 30th for a couple days before driving home. Want to do stuff like: Conness Matterhorn Matthes Crest Cathedral SE Any recommendations on cool stuff that might be a little lower and snow free? Faster approaches? Or recent Beta on the "want to do" stuff? It will be my girlfriend and I. I would be leading full time. So I am not exactly looking to get on Positive vibes... yet Any long alpine routes in the Tahoe area?A little snow might make talus treacherous...those all sound, including the above posters, sound like good options for you, conditions giving. North Peak to N Ridge Conness sounds like a good call if your partner is not leading so that you can move fast. Lots of fun, aesthetic, and great views...plus, no major talus to deal with..but someone else will have to chime in if its even accessible for cars right now. If you do NPeak/Conness traverse, I would return through a notch above WNW side of saddlebag rather than the SupperTopo way...saves a lot of time and energy. LPP, while probably in good condition, sounds like it could be an epic if you're leading everything. |
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Ryan-G wrote:North Peak to N Ridge Conness sounds like a good call if your partner is not leading so that you can move fast.They tend to delay the opening of the road to Saddlebag Lake even after after Tioga Pass is open, so check first. |
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Sorry for the wishy washy answers. It's been a very abnormal year precip-wise. |
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I know. Odd year for sure. I wouldn't mind some easy mixed routes actually, as long as the snow is reasonably solid. Maybe it will get some spring freeze thaw up high after this next little cycle. |
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fossana wrote: They tend to delay the opening of the road to Saddlebag Lake even after after Tioga Pass is open, so check first.True, that. Skiers delight, but not climbers..but unfortunately we won't be skiing Conness area this opening, even with this latest unsettled weather. Early alpine...lemons to lemonade! |
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How about the couloirs on North Peak? I think most guides protect these mostly with rock gear in the side walls, and then there is a few pitches of rock at the top. |
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or Dana Couloir? |
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not an ice climber so I shouldn't probably say anything...but I think the couloirs are probably in bad shape, i.e. rock fall. U looked horrendous last year |
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Ryan-G wrote:not an ice climber so I shouldn't probably say anything...but I think the couloirs are probably in bad shape, i.e. rock fall. U looked horrendous last year Why not E Face of Whitney?The couloir is likely a snow climb right now and I don't think it has been warm enough for major freeze/thaw cycles as of late. The last two years are very different in precip patterns given the last month. Both the E Face and E Buttress are going to be in winterish condition and the E Face will be slower to melt b/c it gets less sun. |
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any guesses about whether the temple crag routes are "wintery" as well? |
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The weather has been seriously unsettled for a week+ now. I would guess that everything in the high country will be a little wintery at least. |
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I thought the recent precip didn't impact the the south/central/east sierra as much. might have to change my climbing plans. if it did dump, not sure i would want to climb a colouir anyway since its probably sitting on ice, unconsolidated, and the weather is supposed to warm up nicely next week. Someone post a photo?! |
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I posted some Sierra pics from yesterday on this thread. |