Ski terrain around Pear Lake hut?

Hello,

I'm headed to Pear Lake hut this weekend. I'm wondering if anyone here has explored ski terrain west of the hut across the Tablelands? I was thinking it could be possible to head up into the tablelands and ski Deadman Canyon or Cloud Canyon or to ski off of Coppermine or Triple Divide Peak. Info is scarce but I'd love to hear about anyone's experience skiing back there.

Hey Doug,

Last winter I worked as a hut keeper at Pear Lake.

The ski terrain is amazing.

if you want to DM your phone number I’d be happy to talk about it.

best,

Ben

Thanks, Ben, just messaged you. Looking forward to hearing about it.

Doug, 

I didn't see your message, so thought I might as well share a few nuggets for everyone. 

The Pear Lake Winter hut is managed by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.  Booking your bunk not only enables an amazing personal experience, you're also supporting a vital non-profit whose mission supports visitor services and experiences in the Sequoia NP.  I can't plug this org enough, check them out.   SPC manages PLWH bookings and Hut Keeper employees.  Hut keepers are not there to serve guests, rather I'd summarize their duties as to :  Orient visitors and enforce the rules of the hut.  Hut Keepers are there to look out for the hut and to ensure that guests don't leave a mess.  There are a lot of guests coming and going and while most of them have good intentions, the effort of life in a rustic hut seems too much for some.  

As far as I recall, the PLWH was conceptualized in the early 1930s in collaboration between the just formed NPS and the Sierra Club as one of a series of huts that would be skiable one to the next.  Ahh, such a forward thinking group!  Alas, PLWH was the only one of these to actually be built and didn't see much use until after the conclusion of WW2.  Built of local rock and western white pine / LodgePole, the building is 90+ years old!  It is used as a summer wilderness ranger cabin working the Pear Lakes basin. 

The hike to PLWH  is aprox 7 miles long and aprox 2500' up.   I did the hike many times last year and would suggest that it splits into three main sections.  

section 1-Wolverton to the top of the Hump:  This sections starts flat, goes through 2 intersections (panther pass and the watchtower) :  stay on course for the Hump.   Conditions on this section can run the gamut from bone dry, hockey rink, or skiable snow.   Most of the time I would walk to the top of the hump in approach shoes, but as spring snowfall accumulated, I did also ski car to car.  Micro spikes can be handy.  

section 2 -Top of the Hump to 1/2 mile before Pear Lake:  More often than not, dropping in past the hump was where it really started to feel like winter.  Depending on the conditions, I might choose to walk down in my ski boots the few hundred vertical to Heather Lake before skinning the rest of the way.  There are a few ups and downs that make booting preferable in often breakable crust with snow-shoe and foot prints.  

section 3:  The last 1/2 mile:  In the summer it's easy to see the Ranger Cabin sign and trail that divert from the main trail.  In winter with full snow conditions it's easy to miss this and wonder around aimlessly, or at the worst wind up at Pear Lake.  Not such a bad fate except for many people this happens in the dark and at the peak of their building fatigue / exhaustion.   As a hut keeper it was common to have people arrive after night-fall and with members of their group spread out over a long distance and with the weaker members abandoning their packs along the way.  You really want to finish strong on this approach and carry redundant and well researched mapping resources.  

Between the Hump and then Hut you'll start to appreciate the terrain that is considered local to the hut.   First you'll see Aster and Emerald lakes basin which is skied less than other areas.  You'll also be looking East toward the table lands and beyond.  It looks vast and is.  

If you arrive in the daylight you'll notice right away 'The Front Lawn.'  It's maybe a 400' descent right out the front door that is a must do warm up run if conditions are right.  From the top of the Lawn it's possible to see many other ski options looking toward the Table Lands at The Right Pass, slopes below the Matterhorn, Skiers Alta, and slopes above Pear Lake. 

The name of the game at Pear Lake is to consider the snow conditions and find a slope aspect and angle which will be the best objective for your desired ski experience.  There are plenty of options around the compass out there to facilitate preserved pow (if it exists), spring corn conditions, and everything in between.  For a good skier, there is a lifetime of terrain out there.  For a beginner, lots of options also exist, but take care to remember that you are in the wilderness and the prospect of a rescue is limited.  Sometimes just being at the hut and sipping tea by the pellet stove is reward enough. 

It's no secret that classic and frequently skied runs include:  N and S faces of Winter Alta, W face of Right Pass, Table Lands ridge and down to Moose Lake or Little Moose Lake.  About the furthest I ventured from the hut was to Big Bird Peak and Peak 11462.  From up there you're looking out at Valhalla and the backside of Angels Wings, etc.  The views from Table-Lands ridge of the High Sierra are unparalleled. 

One Hutkeeper I know skied Silliman back and forth from the hut in fat conditions.  

You're right that it would be possible to ski past all that and out to Cloud Canyon , etc.  Those are the objective for many on the classic Trans Sierra tours which start or end at Wolverton.  For me, with so many books to read and guests to wrangle, I never mustered the motivation to pursue such an epic out and back.  

When you leave Pear Lake remember:  the Hut Keeper probably doesn't want your left-over 30 pack of flour tortillas, or your instant oatmeal packs.  You might however tempt them with your left over coffee beans or that gourmet salami chub you couldn't stomach.  

For the climber, the trail to the PLWH holds an irresistible draw:  The Watchtower.  Unfortunately, this trail is closed (for good reason) in the winter, but once you get around past Emerald Lake there are good views of the formation.  Last autumn Katie and I did go and climb Big Time and it's highly recommended.  

I'm not sure what happened with that DM, but feel free to try again and I'm happy to chat sometime. 

Thanks Ben, great info to have for future seasons, appreciate it!