Backcountry Skiing -Southern California

Some Upcoming Public Avalanche Training Courses - AIARE- American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (avtraining.org) 

https://avtraining.org/upcoming-public-avalanche-training-courses/

I'm thinking about taking some rock skis up to the Baldy area for a quick recon mission *Friday* AM if anyone is interested and wants to join.  I've been there once to trail run (a couple weeks ago).  I think there will be enough snow for some fun, but with some sharks lurking.

Thanks,

Cheers,

Dave

239-233-two-zero-zero-two

Skied at Baldy on 24 Dec.  Booted from parking to about 7700 feet then switched to skinning (400 vf below the hut).  Pit around 9k on lookers right of the bowl yielded about 65cm of snow depth and mostly good coverage throughout the bowl.  Poor visibility kept me to lookers left in the trees for two laps then back to the car for a short day. Appears to be a solid zone given stable conditions and good weather; I imagine in bad weather and with some stability concerns you could probably keep it mellow on that lookers left side. 50/50 on bringing trail runners for the booting section, I didn't mind going up, but I wished I had them going down - YMMV.

 Looking for a partner(s) for next weekend in the Southern Sierra (Whitney Zone) to Mammoth Friday (31 DEC) to Monday (3 JAN). Happy to ski Baldy on the first or last day of the trip. Happy to carpool from SOCAL.  

Cheers,

Dave

239-two-three-three-2002

Dave Schultzwrote:

Skied at Baldy on 24 Dec.  Booted from parking to about 7700 feet then switched to skinning (400 vf below the hut).  Pit around 9k on lookers right of the bowl yielded about 65cm of snow depth and mostly good coverage throughout the bowl.  Poor visibility kept me to lookers left in the trees for two laps then back to the car for a short day. Appears to be a solid zone given stable conditions and good weather; I imagine in bad weather and with some stability concerns you could probably keep it mellow on that lookers left side. 50/50 on bringing trail runners for the booting section, I didn't mind going up, but I wished I had them going down - YMMV.

 Looking for a partner(s) for next weekend in the Southern Sierra (Whitney Zone) to Mammoth Friday (31 DEC) to Monday (3 JAN). Happy to ski Baldy on the first or last day of the trip. Happy to carpool from SOCAL.  

Cheers,

Dave

239-two-three-three-2002

Thanks for the beta. No sharks? If conditions allow, Ill try to head out to the bowl on the 1st

Sharks were obvious and/or easily avoided due to pretty hard surface conditions. With blower freshies on top would be harder to tell. The conditions are probably still very variable up there though due to the still thin snowpack.

I’m looking to get out locally a few mornings this coming week if anyone is interested in joining.

Ethan Ayerwrote:

Thanks for the beta. No sharks? If conditions allow, Ill try to head out to the bowl on the 1st

Where you able to get out? If so, how was it? 

I may be available the 3rd.  

Jon TenBrockwrote:

Where you able to get out? If so, how was it? 

I may be available the 3rd.  

I went out on the 31st and the 1st! I measured 2.5 ft of new snow on the leeward side. Coverage is good, skis terrible. Yesterday it was breakable crust on the southeast aspect, and I’m assuming across most of the bowl.

Was also at Baldy on 31 DEC. 

Skin from car and made it back to car on skis, probably a function of the timeliness of the storm cycle. 

I thought the skiing conditions were excellent and suprising stable. Higher temps and sun i imagine played havoc on conditions and are probably not so good except in sheltered and/or shaded aspects.

On 2 Jan skied MR on Whitney from about 13.8k feet. Skinned from car at start of the hairpin turn. The road looked drivable for a well equipped vehicle to the upper part of the turn and there were lots of tracks - not sure the legal or access issue but it would save about 2mi each direction.

Access to North Fork and MR was simple with one tricky spot at the 1st creek crossing; the access appeared best hugging the climbers right nearest the slabs (photo below). It was also the 4th time I've been through that specific area and the first time I've seen it in the daylight - WILD terrain everywhere, in the dark its just the white headlamp circle in front of you, haha. From that point i don't think i followed any semblance of the normal access and everything was easy. 

Mt Thor ice flows looked very climbable and in, don't know if it gets better. As expected, lots of variable skiing (great to terrible, mostly not good). No observable avalanche activity and didn't feel a need to even dig a pit anywhere.

Besides MR there appear to be a lot of excellent lines throughout that zone and I'll definitely be back.

Dave Schultzwrote:

Was also at Baldy on 31 DEC. 

Skin from car and made it back to car on skis, probably a function of the timeliness of the storm cycle. 

I thought the skiing conditions were excellent and suprising stable. Higher temps and sun i imagine played havoc on conditions and are probably not so good except in sheltered and/or shaded aspects.

On 2 Jan skied MR on Whitney from about 13.8k feet. Skinned from car at start of the hairpin turn. The road looked drivable for a well equipped vehicle to the upper part of the turn and there were lots of tracks - not sure the legal or access issue but it would save about 2mi each direction.

Access to North Fork and MR was simple with one tricky spot at the 1st creek crossing; the access appeared best hugging the climbers right nearest the slabs (photo below). It was also the 4th time I've been through that specific area and the first time I've seen it in the daylight - WILD terrain everywhere, in the dark its just the white headlamp circle in front of you, haha. From that point i don't think i followed any semblance of the normal access and everything was easy. 

Mt Thor ice flows looked very climbable and in, don't know if it gets better. As expected, lots of variable skiing (great to terrible, mostly not good). No observable avalanche activity and didn't feel a need to even dig a pit anywhere.

Besides MR there appear to be a lot of excellent lines throughout that zone and I'll definitely be back.

Were you the solo skier on DPS skis doing multiple laps in the bowl? Great beta on the Whitney Portal trailhead. 

Ethan - yea, was me up there with DPS skis. I linked up with a friend in the morning for a couple laps, he headed out and I did a few more. 

Were you the group of three coming down from the summit?  If so, we crossed paths just after he headed back and I was on my way back up; cool to see you guys and good job getting to the summit.

Sounds like you've been up there a bunch, at some point can you ski fall line all the way back down to the parking from the trail/road or does it not fill in enough between 6-7k feet?

That was my first time skiing to the car actually,  and only my third time skiing Baldy Bowl. I don’t think there’s any weary way farting back besides hugging the ski hut trail.

Took the dog skiing today up Hwy 2.    Still lots of people up there playing in the snow.   Lots of snow at Waterman.  I ended up skiing the opposite side of the road from Waterman only because it rarely has enough snow so I thought I’d take advantage.  Good coverage and great views.   Looked like lots of people skinning up Waterman as the face had lots of tracks and looked like pretty good snow.  

31 Dec it may have been good with some avy risk, but it rained enough and refroze into a crust the night of 31 Dec,  so Jan 1 sucked,  along with massive crowds.

Also I got Caltrans to fix their website for the east end of Hwy 2.  It was mistakenly saying the closure was at vincent gap (5 miles from Big Pines),  but actually the closure is at Sleepy Hollow, 2.6 miles short of vincent gap.   Now it says:

SR 2 [IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM ISLIP SADDLE TO 2.3 MI WEST OF BIG PINES (LOS ANGELES CO) - DUE FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

Dave Schultzwrote:

Sounds like you've been up there a bunch, at some point can you ski fall line all the way back down to the parking from the trail/road or does it not fill in enough between 6-7k feet?

fall line from the baldy bowl would put you into an extremely tight cliff band that terminates in a waterfall (san antonio falls).  this has been the site of multiple rescues over the years involving folks who got sucked into the fall line while descending.  

it is possible in a high snow year, and fun, to traverse following the summer trail below the ski hut to 7250' , and then ski the fall line from there to the road.  

@Brian - skiing from the trail fall line down to the road is what i was asking about.  Seemed almost filled in enough late-Dec, but good to know it goes.

Was back up in the Whitney Zone this past Saturday (8 JAN) looking to get on the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak, but pace and blasting from sea level to 10k without much sleep proved to be too much.  Condition report: road is about 66% skinable and 50% skiable. There were two cars parked at the upper gate, still not sure on the ethics or legality of driving that road. There was an incredible mixed bag of snow conditions, mostly all bad. Spring corn in the area will be amazing but I would not venture up there now except for climbing objectives with a ski approach.

Any update on Baldy, San G, or San J coverage?  I imagine the warm days have put a dent in the coverage but am curious what folks are finding. Maybe packed snow enough for trail running?

Cheers, Dave

There is a great fall line run between the top of chair 4 and Mount Harwood.   It rarely has good conditions due to its south facing aspect but when I was on patrol at Baldy in the 90’s I would keep an eye on it and jump on it when it was in.   It is almost a plum line from the backbone to the parking lot.   

Dave Schultzwrote:

@Brian - skiing from the trail fall line down to the road is what i was asking about.  Seemed almost filled in enough late-Dec, but good to know it goes.

Was back up in the Whitney Zone this past Saturday (8 JAN) looking to get on the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak, but pace and blasting from sea level to 10k without much sleep proved to be too much.  Condition report: road is about 66% skinable and 50% skiable. There were two cars parked at the upper gate, still not sure on the ethics or legality of driving that road. There was an incredible mixed bag of snow conditions, mostly all bad. Spring corn in the area will be amazing but I would not venture up there now except for climbing objectives with a ski approach.

Any update on Baldy, San G, or San J coverage?  I imagine the warm days have put a dent in the coverage but am curious what folks are finding. Maybe packed snow enough for trail running?

Cheers, Dave

Baldy Bowl is in a fantastic corn cycle right now with great coverage. In a week, it will still be skiable but might want to bring your rock skis as it starts to melt.  Its the best skiing in Socal right now.

Ethan Ayerwrote:

Baldy Bowl is in a fantastic corn cycle right now with great coverage. In a week, it will still be skiable but might want to bring your rock skis as it starts to melt.  Its the best skiing in Socal right now.

Ive moved to LA for work  from CO. Ive been struggling to find groups and people to do some touring with in these mountains. Anyone know of facebook groups or anything of the like to find skiing partners or at least guides? ive been itching to do some touring as i just got a new setup, but obviously dont want to tour alone, especially in unfamiliar terrain. edit: and reading posts like this really just make my mouth water all the more

Richard Rubinoffwrote:

Ive moved to LA for work  from CO. Ive been struggling to find groups and people to do some touring with in these mountains. Anyone know of facebook groups or anything of the like to find skiing partners or at least guides? ive been itching to do some touring as i just got a new setup, but obviously dont want to tour alone, especially in unfamiliar terrain. edit: and reading posts like this really just make my mouth water all the more

Where do you live in LA?