Moderate Winter Mountaineering Routes

Soliciting Ideas for moderate winter mountaineering anywhere in the Western 48.
Ice to 3, steep snow, and easy rock. Ridges preferred, looking to minimize avalanche terrain.

Thanks!

As I said in the other thread, the Eastside Sierra around Bishop and Lone Pine is a good region to manage avalanche hazard. Also the approach of winter storms tends to be more predictable than a region like the Washington Cascades.

Several nice granite ridges - (described in like three different guidebooks).

Main drawback of the Sierra (for us lowlanders) is that many of the peaks are higher altitude.

A couple of lower-altitude more-accessible fun-rock ridges around there for "warmup" altitude acclimatization:

• S ridge of Crystal Crag (likely could be done as a day trip from town of Mammoth Lakes, easier if get permission to use the Tamarack cross-country ski trails) -- or more ambitious would to traverse the peak N to S (but then most of the N start is not actually on the ridge, so I don't know about avalanche implications).
• NNW ridge of Little Lakes Peak. Approach is a long slog on the Rock Creek road in winter - (but not as long as for lots of other peaks around). Might be possible as a daytrip with an early start, but hauling a tent in there a ways would not be difficult, and then you'd have other interesting routes to do on other days.

Optional to continue the ridge traverse going down the NE ridge of Little Lakes Peak then up the SW ridge of Mt Morgan South (much higher altitude, and pretty ambitious to do all that car-to-car in a day from the winter trailhead). Easier descent off LLPk might be the S face (down toward the Morgan Pass hiking trail), which in the Sierra tends to consolidate soon after fresh snow. (More direct is to descend one of two gulleys on the N side - how I've done it in summer - more likely to have significant avalanche hazard in winter/spring).

Once in the Rock Creek / Little Lakes area, you'll see lots more rock ridges and snow/ice gulleys to consider exploring.

Ken

P.S. Getting there: LAX is the obvious airport (not SFO in winter or early spring). But don't overlook convenient non-stop flights to LAS Vegas -- driving time to Bishop is about the same as from LAX (in good weather). And if willing to change planes, could consider flying in to the Mammoth Lakes airport MMH.

Check this link... you will find some good suggestions.

mountainproject.com/v/best-…

How much time do you have and what time of year?

Mt. Hood is worthwhile if you get good weather and it has a maritime climate that consolidates snow super fast. There is a good new guidebook for technical routes and literally half the routes are WI3.