Jul/100
Sierra Adventure Rides
Three All-Day MTB Epics from Bishop to Tahoe
Story and photos by Seth Lightcap
Sierra Adventure Rides
Though the dirt is decent and the rocks are wicked fun, one of the best things about mountain biking in the Sierra Nevada is the fact that there is a trail for any occasion. Whether you only have an hour to cruise or you have all day and are looking for an ass-whupping, there are countless ride options.
Finding a Sierra destination for your average three-hour ride window is easy. Chances are you’ve already spent an afternoon or two on a few great ones. But what about those dawn to dark days? Where would you pedal if you had 12 hours to burn and were allergic to riding laps?
Here’s your answer. Check the specs on the three all-day epic rides profiled here. These rides are adventure testpieces that will challenge your legs, lungs, and navigation skills with big mileage, high elevation, and tricky route finding. Don’t expect your average ‘cross the dam and head into the woods’ endeavours as all of these point-to-point routes cross rugged alpine terrain via some improbable pathways. Due to the distances, these rides also require car shuttles, so read on, feel the stoke, and inspire your friends to join you on the journey.
The Coyote Flat Traverse: Bishop to Big Pine
The Lowdown
The Coyote Flat Traverse is no doubt Type II fun. How else could you describe a 35-mile sufferfest that climbs 3,000 feet over an 11,000-foot plateau and includes more sandy doubletrack and hike-a-biking than singletrack? That said, this grand tour from Bishop to Big Pine is a spectacular adventure, well worth the pain if only for the glacial views and the chance to rip rarefied singletrack from the High Sierra to the Owens Valley.
This radical journey should only be attempted by strong riders with a keen sense of direction as route navigation is by far the crux of the trip. Your pedal payment won’t be the only sacrifice as the ride requires an hour car shuttle in both directions. Don’t be put off however. Just prepare well and roll with good company.
Trail/Shuttle Info
The car shuttle begins in Big Pine where you can leave a vehicle along Glacier Lodge Road. Cruise back to Bishop and make a left on W. Line Street (168), then a left on South Lake Road 13 miles later. Park at a turnout on South Lake Road just past Bishop Creek Lodge. The ride starts about a quarter mile up the paved road where you’ll make a left onto the first obvious dirt road and cross a creek on a gated bridge. The road looks like a private driveway but it’s a Forest Service easement.
Follow the road past a home then veer left and begin climbing as the road contours up the side of the valley. After grinding up 3,000 feet in six miles you’ll be greeted by stellar views as you reach the top of the plateau. At this point a map will be key as you’ll need to navigate the jeep roads across the massive Coyote Flat. When you pass a marked landing strip you’ll know you’re on the right route.
About a 1/4-mile past the airstrip you’ll reach a critical junction. If you head left you’ll climb up over a saddle and descend fast moto-banked jeep roads for about 15 miles back to Big Pine. This alternative route stays on dirt longer but misses out on the technical singletrack that awaits if you stay right and follow the original route.
If you hang right you’ll begin trending southwest following a road along a low-lying ridge until it dead ends at a hunting cabin. Riding out behind the cabin look for a faint horse trail that crosses a creek just after a barbed-wire fence. From here get ready to hike-a-bike a fair bit as the singletrack trail gets loose and steep as it climbs and meanders across a high meadow that overlooks the Palisade Glacier. After a couple miles of on/off climbing, the trail will drop sharply into rowdy technical switchbacks that cross another meadow or two before descending into the Big Pine Creek drainage and finally to trail’s end at Glacier Lodge. Zip down Glacier Lodge Road for nine miles back to your car.
Additional Info
Do not underestimate this 35-mile adventure. It is long, arduous, and extremely remote. Getting temporarily lost is probable, if not guaranteed. Prepare for a 12-14 hour day on the saddle. Following the route description in Mountain Biking Mammoth, a guidebook by David and Allison Diller, will vastly improve your odds of success as would bringing a GPS. The plateau is quite exposed so dress accordingly and abandon plans for the ride if you wake up to mixed weather. It’s also worth noting that there is a short cut variation to this ride that will take you back to Bishop after gaining the plateau. This route drops off to the north after 11 miles.
The Black Canyon of the White Mountains
The Lowdown
OK, so this one isn’t exactly in the Sierra but rather looks out upon them. The White Mountains are the massive and under-appreciated range that looms to the east of the Owens River Valley outside of Bishop. Though well-known as the home of the Bristlecone pines, the oldest living things on earth, few people recreate the sprawling escarpments of the White Mountains as they are hard to access and not quite as picturesque as their High Sierra counterparts to the west.
Riding the Black Canyon is a top-to-bottom thrill that drops from the brushy ridge crest to the streets of Bishop, a 4500-foot plummet over 10 miles. The route starts on singletrack as it traverses into the canyon but soon joins a rocky old road that winds down the mountain. You’ll want fresh brake pads, wide tires and a couple extra tubes for this one as the narrow road is undeniably loose and ridiculously fast.
Trail/Shuttle Info
A Black Canyon descent begins with a long shuttle up to the top. The best place to leave your car is at the end of Warm Springs Road, a road found a couple miles south of Bishop off Hwy 395. Follow Warm Springs Road for approximately seven miles and park at the first major intersection. Head back to 395 and drive south to Big Pine where you’ll make a left on SR-168 going toward Westgard Pass. After 13 miles on SR-168, make a left on White Mountain Road and continue until 1.1 miles past Grand View Campground where you’ll see an unmarked dirt pull-out on the left. Park here.
The trail starts as a northbound dirt road leaving the back of the pull-out. Pass the first faint road heading left but take the second left that quickly becomes a singletrack trail. The trail traverses across a few drainages before dropping into the Black Canyon after a couple miles. The bottom of the canyon is marked by a major intersection with a road, at which you’ll take a left and start ripping downhill. The route is obvious from here as you stay on the main road as it drops another seven miles through alternately lush then rocky, barren terrain. Hang on tight and don’t let the Sierra views distract you too much as the loose trail surface demands attention.
Additional Info
This ride is notorious for flat tires, especially if you have XC rubber on your bike. Throw on wider tires for better scree surfing and bring two tubes per person PLUS a patch kit. A mile-by-mile route description can also be found in the pocket-sized guidebook Mountain Biking Mammoth, a very worthy addition to your trail pack.
Spooner Summit to
Mr. Toad’s: Lake Tahoe
The Lowdown
The details don’t lie on this ultra-mega Tahoe Rim Trail link-up: 40 miles, 6300 feet of climbing and 7043 feet of descending. Whoa!
This ride requires some serious gusto but you get paid royally for the pain as you’ll travel through remote Tahoe high country before descending one of the most famous trails in the region, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Other than a few intersecting portions of paved road, the entire ride is on perfect singletrack with several hyper-fast sections.
The route is locally known as the “Super Punisher” but it’s doable for mere mortals if you get an early start. The first 12 miles from Spooner Summit to Kingsbury Grade are a perfect warm-up as it climbs awhile then descends awhile leaving you well-balanced for the big push up to Mr. Toad’s. The climbing on the back half is also broken up fairly well providing opportunities to rest. A quick dip in Star Lake at the base of Freel Peak is also not to be missed.
Trail/Shuttle Info
The shuttle drop-off for this ride is at a OHV parking lot just outside of South Lake Tahoe. To reach the trailhead go south on Hwy 89/50, take a left on Pioneer Trail Road, then a right on Oneidas Road. Park at road’s end. Head back into South Lake Tahoe and drive east around the lake following US 50 to Spooner Summit. Park along the side of US 50 at the Tahoe Rim Trail parking lot.
Rolling onto the trail the route is straight forward as you follow the Tahoe Rim Trail for 12 miles as it climbs and descends about 1800 feet to the intersection of Hwy 207 (Kingsbury Grade). Once across 207 the route follows Tramway Drive up to Heavenly Ski Area where the Tahoe Rim Trail picks up again.
The next 15 miles of the route are the physical and mental crux as you climb over 3000 feet up to Freel Pass (9,700′). Dropping off Freel Pass, the pain eases for a bit as you descend awhile before climbing another couple miles to Armstrong Pass (8700′).
Five miles after Armstrong Pass you’ll reach the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride turnoff, also known as the Saxon Creek Trail. Bust a right and muster some energy as you have another five miles of fast and technical singletrack to rally down to the car.
Additional Info
The sheer distance of this journey demands respect, let alone the fact that you climb 6000 feet over the 40 miles. That’s a lot of pedaling giving you ample opportunity to do stupid things like flail shifting gears and rip off a rear derailleur. Be patient climbing and don’t hesitate to put a foot down before you tie your drivetrain in a knot. The rocky sections of Mr. Toad’s are also quite challenging so keep your game tight in the last five miles. Finishing a 40-miler with a broken collarbone would put a serious damper on your day.
Oct/090
C’mon in and Shut the Door!
A Guide to Five of the Best Backcountry Ski Huts in the Sierra Nevada
By Seth Lightcap
Whether you’re a seasoned winter explorer or a four-season greenhorn, there are few feelings as joyous as skiing to the door of a snowbound backcountry hut. Just as the natural world is at its most inhospitable, wind and snow swirling in the air, here you are at the threshold of a magical landscape with little more than a sleeping bag, playing cards, and flask in hand. At night, you lounge under the coziness of a roof, warmed by a wood stove and shared with good friends. By day, you shred lonely backcountry peaks until exhaustion. Can it get any better?
Though the Sierra Nevada doesn’t have a hut in every valley like the European Alps, the handful of those that are out there have their own unique magic. If skiing backcountry all day and playing euchre by candle light sounds like a good time to you, here’s a mini-guide to five huts from Donner Summit to Sequoia National Park that fit the bill.
Peter Grubb Hut
The Lowdown: The Peter Grubb Hut has been a winter oasis for avid backcountry skiers since it was built by the Sierra Club in the late 1930s. Known for its easy access and close proximity to amazing ski terrain, the Grubb Hut on Donner Summit is well loved and very well used all winter long.
The Coordinates: The Peter Grubb Hut lies in an alpine bowl three miles north of Interstate 80 on Donner Summit. To access the hut, park at the Boreal Sno-Park, cross under I-80, and tour up the road to the north until you crest the west ridge of Castle Peak at Castle Pass. Contour up Castle Peak’s west ridge for about 1/3 of a mile then drop off the ridge to the north and you’ll find the hut in the center of the valley.
The Nitty Gritty: The Grubb hut sleeps 15 people on the upstairs wood floor and is equipped with a wood-burning stove. Food, bedding and supplies must be carried in. To stay in the hut costs $15 a night. Reservations can be made by contacting the Clair Tappaan Lodge at ctl@sierraclub.org or 800-679-6775.
Getting the Goods: The north facing back bowls of Castle Peak above the Grubb Hut hold some of the best expert ski terrain in the north Tahoe region. Several steep lines drop right off Castle Peak’s summit ridge. If you’re keen on tree skiing look no further than the moderate slopes of Basin Peak to the north of the hut.
Know Before You Go: The Grubb Hut can feel a little crammed at max capacity. If you’re a light sleeper and you think it might be a full house, bring some earplugs to guarantee yourself peace and quiet.
Benson Hut
The Lowdown: The Benson Hut is the hidden jewel of the Sierra Club’s Tahoe hut system. Perched on the Sierra Crest between Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley ski resorts, the out-of-the-way hut requires a little more gusto to get to but the surrounding ski terrain is as spectacular as the view from the hut’s outhouse.
The Coordinates: The Benson Hut is located five miles south of Donner Summit on the Sierra Crest. Park in a designated overnight parking lot at Sugar Bowl and steeply gain the ridge of Mt. Judah. Tour along the crest from Judah over Mt. Lincoln and out another three miles to the base of Anderson Peak. The hut is tucked into some ridge top trees at the foot of the north face of Anderson. You can jump start your approach by catching a one-time ride up Sugar Bowl’s Mt. Lincoln or Judah chairlifts.
The Nitty Gritty: Though there are a few downstairs bunk beds, the upstairs wood floor is the best bivy spot at the Benson with enough room to sleep 12. Expect to find a wood stove, wood, and maybe some toilet paper a previous hut-goer left in the outhouse but don’t count on much else. The Sierra Club requests $15 a night to stay in the hut. Reservations can be made by contacting the Clair Tappaan Lodge at ctl@sierraclub.org or 800-679-6775.
Getting the Goods: The bowl that drops off the crest to the east of the hut holds serious heads-up ski terrain. If you like you’re lines steep and rocky with closeout chutes on all sides don’t miss it. Gaining the summit of Anderson Peak is also epic, allowing for a steep bowl descent into gorgeous north-facing tree glades.
Know Before You Go: The ridgeline heading to the Benson Hut can be extremely dangerous in avalanche-prone conditions. Stay away from cornices and always scout your lines before dropping in. If it’s forecast to be stormy bring some earplugs as the hut will howl all night with a steady gale.
Bradley Hut
The Lowdown: The Bradley Hut is the newest of all the Sierra Club’s Tahoe huts. Constructed in its current location in 1998, the A-frame hut is well-equipped with huge tables, an efficient wood stove, and fewer mice than the other huts. Easy access makes this hut a locals mid-week favorite – leave early in the morning and the all downhill route out gets you to work, no worries!
The Coordinates: Catch the road to the Bradley Hut by parking on Highway 89 about two miles north of Squaw Valley at the Forest Road 8 trailhead. Tour up the gradually climbing road for 1500 feet over five miles to reach the hut. Aside from an obvious shortcut, the route never leaves the road as it climbs to the hut at the head of the Pole Creek drainage. The Bradley Hut sits just below and east of the Sierra Crest four miles south of the Benson Hut.
The Nitty Gritty: The cozy quarters of the Bradley Hut sleep 15 upstairs on the wood floor. Downstairs you’ll find a roasting wood stove for melting snow and several big tables for cooking, eating, and card playing. The Sierra Club asks $15 a night to stay in the Bradley Hut. Reservations can be made by contacting the Clair Tappaan Lodge at ctl@sierraclub.org or 800-679-6775.
Getting the Goods: Within five minutes ski west of the hut you’ll reach the base of several east facing bowls that dump right off the crest. Short and sweet, these open slopes are perfect for lapping up pow or late-morning corn. If you want a little steeper objective, gain the crest behind the hut and head north looking for a wild line or two that drop east through cliff bands and into Deep Creek, the next drainage north of the hut.
Know Before You Go: Unless you book out the joint with 14 buddies, get ready for company any and every night of the week during the winter. But other than a packed house of snoring telemarkers, there is really nothing to knock about the Bradley Hut.
Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut
The Lowdown: In the summer the Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut is the place where your hopes of scoring a Yosemite campsite live and die – it’s the campground reservation office right next to the general store. But in the winter, the one-room summer ranger hangout becomes a base camp for exploring a wild side of Yosemite that few ever experience.
The Coordinates: The easiest route to the Tuolumne Ski Hut goes up Highway 120 just out of Lee Vining off Highway 395. Park at the highway closure and ski up the road for 16 miles going over 10,000-foot Tioga pass then down to the hut in the meadows at 8600 feet. If breaking trail is necessary, many parties will need two days just to hit the hut door.
The Nitty Gritty: Five bunk beds adorn the Tuolumne Hut making room for ten cozy campers. A wood stove, table, electric lights and an electric tea pot round out the décor. The hut is first-come first-serve so even though there may have been no cars at the trailhead always bring a tent. Skiers arriving via other routes may have the placed packed.
Getting the Goods: Immediately south of Tuolumne Meadows lie several sweeping granite escarpments chalk full of steep chutes and big funneling bowls. Unicorn Peak has an especially nice north facing shot that dumps straight back to the hut. Venturing behind Unicorn into the Cockscomb Bowl will deliver more adrenaline pumping couloirs. Just be very, very careful of avalanche potential as the snow pack sits on steep granite slabs.
Know Before You Go: As long as you use the rodent-proof canister to store food and don’t get caught in a sketchy avalanche situation on the way to, from, or around the hut, it’s hard to go wrong at the Tuolumne Hut.
The Pear Lake Hut
The Lowdown: Tucked into the heart of the Southern Sierra within Sequoia National Park, the Pear Lake Hut is a touring skiers delight as the surrounding high alpine terrain offers lifetimes of amazing peaks, passes, and plateaus for exploring. Extremely popular, and rightfully so, the Pear Lake is a true “destination” hut.
The Coordinates: The route to the hut starts at the Pear Lake trailhead near the Wolverton Ski Area in Sequoia National Park. Follow the summer trail for six miles as it steadily climbs through dense timber before punching up and over “The Hump” and back down to the multiple lake basins to the west. The hut lies about a half mile below Pear Lake at an elevation of 9,200 feet.
The Nitty Gritty: The hut sleeps ten people but don’t dare expect a bed unless you have a reservation. The Sequoia National History Association holds a lottery for reservations the first week of November each year. Once full on a given day, the waiting lists start to queue up as cancellations do occur frequently. And as usual, the finer things in life don’t come cheap – weekends cost $38 a night, weekdays $30.
Getting the Goods: Less than a mile south of the hut lay the most immediate objective: a glorious north facing cirque rimmed by Alta Peak and Winter Alta that holds snow late into the summer. If you’re looking for a longer tour, head west into the Tablelands, a high plateau littered with intermediate slopes and passes. Hook north from the Tablelands and you’ll join the famous Sierra High Route.
Know Before You Go: The Pear Lake Hut comes complete with amazing backcountry access, warm bunks, a full-time hut-meister, and a few common sense rules and regulations. Unless you want to sleep in the snow when you arrive, get a reservation and read up on the hut specifics at www.sequoiahistory.org.
Oct/090
Winter Mountaineering: Getting Out in the “Off” Season
By SP Parker
Photo: SP Parker
Learning the techniques for climbing thin ice on Chouinard Falls, Lee Vining Canyon.
Don’t put your summit fever away for the year. Once temperatures drop and snow falls, your climbing rack can be put to good use aiming for the cold-capped peaks of winter. Sure, winter in the mountain ranges of California can be cold and stormy but winter mountaineering provides the chance to explore the state’s peaks at a time when few folks reach them.
The Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions bless Californians with a playground where blue skies are the norm and brief storms can dump tons of fluffy white sand in the sandbox, so to speak, overnight. Meanwhile, California rarely endures the weeks of bad weather common in many other of the world’s mountain ranges.
Since the stakes are higher in the inclement conditions of winter, you need to be prepared with solid equipment, the right skills and a proper mindset. Make an investment and approach it with a ready mind and credit cards standing by.
Equipment: The Difference Between You and a Popsicle
Your local gear shop will be happy to help and glad to see you coming. To deal with extreme and fickle conditions, you’ll need more technical gear than you would in summer. In fact, aiming for peaks in the winter requires more gear, period.
Safety Starts with Being Warm and Dry
Having proper footwear is essential. Don’t skimp on footwear when the weather gets so cold that even the mercury shivers. If you are truly serious about winter mountaineering, fork out for high-end plastic boots. Plastic boots stay drier and insulate better. However, some people are very happy with leather boots. Whichever you choose, look for boots that don’t pinch, bind or bang up your shins. Buy boots a little loose since your toes will stay warmer if they have room to wiggle. Avoid the temptation to fill the space by wearing extra socks, which can cut off circulation to your toes. Frostbite damaged toes are souvenirs that can’t be returned or repaired.
Hands also need good insulation. Mittens will keep you warmer than gloves, although you’ll compromise dexterity. Wear a pair of liner gloves inside your mittens. That way, you can quickly pull off the shells if necessary and then yank them back on before the cold settles into your bones. Make sure that your mittens and gloves have an attachment system, such as a wrist loop, or clip to the jacket. Too often, gloves get sucked away by a strong wind, never to be seen again.
You should also invest in technical undergarments. Buy a stash of synthetic or wool (the new crop is made of soft, superfine weaves) under layers in a variety of thicknesses. Experiment with layering undershirts and bottoms. Eventually, you’ll find the right combination to keep you warm, but not too warm, in a variety of conditions.You’ll also want to buy a good waterproof, windproof jacket or shell, pair of pants and gaiters (to keep the snow out of your boots). Look for outer layers that are made of Gore-Tex, HyVent or similar windproof/waterproof materials. These fabrics will help you stay warm, even in a serious winter tempest.
Bivy or Bust
If you plan on overnight expeditions, there is great gear available to keep you cozy and protected from the elements while you sleep.
A down sleeping bag is highly preferable since it is warmer and less bulky than a synthetic bag. But just how warm a bag will you need? Manufacturer’s ratings are pretty subjective and everyone has a different metabolic rate. One person’s oven might be another person’s freezer. Women will likely want to invest in a bag tailored to the female form. Once you have found a bag shape that fits you well, look for a version with a water-resistant shell. Your breath will probably condense overnight in the tent. Besides, at some point somebody will spill their hot chocolate or soup on your bag.
Find a tent that is easy to pitch in strong winds and can support the weight of a night’s snowfall. Do your research; sit in the tent before buying it and ask yourself if you can live in it for a few days. For snow camping, color is an often overlooked feature, but it matters when the landscape is white and conditions are bleak. Yellow or orange are good choices for visibility, and also offer warmth and cheer when you’re tent bound. Finally, look for a tent designed for four season use and make sure that it features plenty of tie downs. A poorly made tent that lets snow or moisture seep in will make for a miserable night’s rest.
Over-snow Transportation
In most conditions you’ll need to use either snowshoes or skis to access the winter backcountry. Snowshoeing is easy and inexpensive. The newer generation shoes with Lexan frames and hypalon decks are far more user-friendly than the old wooden Alaskan-style shoes. Look for snowshoes with metal side rails on the base and a metal claw under the toe since these features will keep you from slipping when traversing or climbing straight up a steep slope.
While snowshoeing is beginner-friendly, skiing in the backcountry requires real skills and technique. Try renting first to find what equipment works best for you. The retail price of a full setup will put a major dent in your credit card limit so get it right the first time.
If you are a downhill skier consider a randonnée ski setup (also know as an AT or alpine touring setup). This skiing style allows you to release your heel for uphill climbing and lock it down for the downhills. Randonnée boots are usually softer than downhill boots so take them out for a day at your local resort to get familiar with them.
Telemark gear provides another skiing option, but you’ll need the requisite skills to take it to the backcountry.
Whatever you choose, the bottom line is to be conservative. You will be carrying a heavy pack and if you are on skis this will affect your skiing enormously. You will not get in the turns you usually do. And if you fall often, any time or energy advantage skiing provides will be burned up. If you doubt your skiing ability, take snowshoes.
Finally, always bring crampons and an ice axe, even if you think they may not be necessary. These traditional winter climbing tools may be unnecessary in soft snow conditions, but for firm snow they are a definite must.
You may need a bigger pack to carry all this equipment. If so, find one that will fit all your gear while carrying it as snugly as possible to minimize pack swing while skiing or snowshoeing. Remember the first law of backpacking: “Gear always expands to fill available space.” Don’t buy a pack bigger than you can reasonably carry when loaded.
Skills
There is no substitute for the combination of preparation and experience. The best way to begin is to take winter mountaineering and avalanche courses from a recognized guide outfit (see sidebar for a list of Nor Cal region guide services). You’ll learn heaps and meet great people, possibly some future adventure partners. Next, go with competent friends and learn from them while you rack up a few ascents and some hard-earned experience.
Avalanche Safety
In winter months, avalanches are a primary concern. The danger of encountering one rises quickly after a storm. An avalanche course that teaches you avalanche assessment is the single best investment you can make for safe winter travel in the backcountry. Just remember that avalanche assessment is tricky; in a given situation, you may never know if you made the right choice or simply got away with something. Experience is ultimately the best way to become proficient at recognizing danger. Before you head out every season it’s a good idea to read and review avy science books. One of the most popular and concise is Snow Sense by noted avy forecasters Jill Fredston and Doug Fessler. No matter what, you should definitely take an avy course from certified instructors (look for AMGA or IFMGA certification) for on-the-snow practice and understanding.
Tuning Up for Exertion and Elevation
Climbing lore has it that in the 1970s, British climbers Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker slept in a frozen meat locker to test their gear and toughen up before climbing the Himalayan peak of Changabang. You don’t have to go to that extreme but you will want to be in good shape. Running is a good way to build cardiovascular fitness. To better simulate a long climb like Shasta, crank away on a Stairmaster to build the quad strength needed for steep climbing.
For high elevation climbs, acclimatization is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, this is largely a function of time rather than exercise. A sure formula for failure is to jump in the car from sea level and then start hiking at 8,000 feet early the next morning. Before long your head will be spinning you’ll feel ready to throw up. To avoid feeling this bad, let the body adapt to the lowered oxygen levels of elevation in smaller chunks. Altitude sickness can hit hard so monitor your body. If you don’t feel well, go lower and wait. Most people don’t have major problems but it is possible to develop pulmonary or cerebral edemas, which can result in death.
The Right Mindset
Perhaps the most important thing to bring on a winter mountaineering is the right mindset. Don’t push for a peak in winter with an “at-all-cost” approach, which can backfire. Above all, be careful. If you don’t like the conditions – head home. The mountains will still be there whether you tag the top this time or the next.
Originally from New Zealand, SP Parker has lived in the Eastern Sierra for 25 years. Certified in rock, alpine and ski disciplines by the American Mountain Guides Association and with international IFMGA certification, he runs a guide service based in Bishop and leads trips throughout the Sierra and worldwide.
Oct/090
Go Hike A Rock!
Story and photos by Rick Deutsch
Of all the possible adventures in Yosemite National Park, possibly the most spectacular is the hike from the valley floor to the top of 8,842 foot Half Dome. The picturesque monolith is the most climbed mountain in the Sierra Nevada, with about 50,000 ascents per year. Reach the top and you’ll understand why so many love the rugged challenge. Yes, the view from the top IS incredible. Still, this is a big hike–a full ten to twelve hour day for most, comprising about sixteen miles round trip.
The final 425 feet to the top is a harrowing climb of the nearly 45 degree granite shoulder of Half Dome. This is accomplished with the aid of two steel cable handrails. The National Park Service puts up the famous “cables” on Half Dome for the duration of the summer – usually early June until mid October. Many first timers will find the cables to be extremely intimidating. Those with a fear of heights will have to dig deep to surmount them. However, with training and preparation, the Half Dome hike is a very rewarding day trip that just about any reasonably fit hiker can finish. Complete the journey and you will see why some consider it to be the greatest single excursion in any National Park in the country. For many it is a kind of personal Mt. Everest, a challenging pilgrimage to be undertaken every season
The trail
The start of the trail is next to the Merced River at Happy Isles. There are variations, but the most scenic route is 15.5 miles and over the Vernal Fall Bridge, up the Mist Trail, through Little Yosemite Valley, then on to Half Dome. The return is via Nevada Fall and the John Muir Trail. The actual apex of Half Dome is only two miles from Happy Isles on the valley floor—as the crow flies. However, your path will cover many more miles as you weave a circuitous route around the back side of the monolith while gaining nearly a mile in elevation. The trail is well marked; just follow the crowd! Upwards of 800 people do this hike on a summer weekend.
You should try to begin your hike by 6 am. The goal is to be at the cables by 11 am. Arrive much later and you will be greeted by a long line, resembling a caterpillar slowly going up the cables. It is much easier if you can go at your pace versus standing hundreds of feet up the cables waiting for the human logjam to clear. Bring a flashlight in case your hike takes longer than you hoped. There is no ranger or other authority on Half Dome to restrict hikers. Lastly, there are several well maintained trail toilets along the way. Practice the “Leave no Trace” principles of hiking.
Some of the major trail attractions and their particulars are listed below:
Oct/092
Doug Robinson and the Extreme Bohemians
Photo: Doug Robinson
In March of 1970 Doug Robinson skied the entire John Muir Trail from Whitney Portal to Yosemite. His partner for this adventure was Carl “Peanut” McCoy, former downhill ski racer and son of the Mammoth Mountain McCoys, builders of the well-known ski resort. Spending weeks unsupported in the winter wilderness was a radical undertaking, but for Doug the journey was a natural progression. Increasingly Doug was pursuing a lifestyle of full time, hardcore adventure in the Sierra.
Doug met Carl just a few months earlier in Cardinal Village, a winter “hang” on the east side of the Sierra near Bishop Creek. In his subsequent write up entitled “Four Feet Over Sierra” (which later appeared in an early issue of Powder magazine) Doug wrote:
“Cardinal Village sheltered a herd of mountaineering armadillos migrating from the broken dreams and dirty needles of the Haight-Ashbury to live in the shadow of our vision of verticality in the Sierra winter of 1970.”
More than just a glassy-eyed hippie, Doug was a writer/philosopher/athlete at the center of a powerful outdoor sports movement unique to California. True, a trend towards environmentalism and a ‘back-to-the-land’ consciousness was flowering all over the country back then, but what Doug and his friends like Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Chuck Pratt, Galen Rowell and Dennis Henneck were exploring was different—it was altogether more hardcore, more extreme. Each had spent many days lashed to vertical Sierra rock, thousands of feet off the ground. Each had become adept at rugged existence in a harsh alpine environment—and all had made a lifestyle of testing themselves in the Sierra.
Photo: Doug Robinson
In the Footsteps of Muir
Like John Muir nearly a century before, baby boomers like Doug Robinson and his group were increasingly looking for something intangible and finding it in the high Sierra. Doug wrote:
What can I say about the Sierra Nevada, where I have lived the clearest hours of my life for as long as I can remember? That it laid hold of my senses and compelled me years ago to live at its feet, in sight of its
very blue-edged crest, and that in order to be commanded by a fuller expression of Sierra wildness I find myself on this late day of March 1970 pulling north on skis across the Kern Plateau. Six days out of Whitney Portal, four feet over the Sierra, bound for the spring wilderness of the high country, hoping for Yosemite later. Yosemite, the northern terminus of the John Muir Trail which we will alternately follow and abandon for another 200 miles through the longest unbroken stretch of high mountain wilderness this side of Canada.
Doug and Carl knew they weren’t the first to ski the John Muir Trail, and that snow surveyors like Dave McCoy, Carl’s father, had toured the winter Sierra a generation before. However, Doug and Carl were part of a new movement at the vanguard of the largest surge of devotees to explore the Sierra backcountry in history. In striving for “Sierra wildness,” Robinson and his cohorts were thrilled to be heirs to the legacy of Dave McCoy, Orland Bartholemew and other snow surveyors, as well as Sierra pioneers like Norman Clyde, Jules Eichorn, John Salathe and John Muir himself. For Robinson and fellow devotees this was a humbling prospect, and an exciting one. Rather than dismissing the Sierra pioneers as eccentric loners as many in previous generations had, the extreme bohemians like Robinson cast them in a different light: they celebrated them as some of the first people to come under the spell of a truly wild and magical place.
Tools of the Movement
By the early ‘70s, a Sierra movement was in full swing and Doug was in the center of it. For them, Sierra wildness meant letting the mountains determine the next step. Taking a purist approach, the goal of the game was to use boldness and athleticism to chart a minimalist course. Hiking the John Muir Trail in summer was one thing, but skiing great distances in the winter Sierra upped the ante quite a bit more, and was therefore more worthy. Similarly, to climb the sheer face of Half Dome in Yosemite was hard enough, but to do so without hammer and pitons (Doug and Galen Rowell made a hammerless ascent of the face of Half Dome in 1973) was taking it to a whole new level.
To succeed in this demanding game, the Sierra devotees passionately developed equipment. For skiing the John Muir Trail, Doug relied heavily on Carl’s valuable connections within the ski industry. Working at Mammoth Mountain with inventor Hub Zemke, Carl completely reconfigured the mountaineering ski. Using an aluminum honeycomb construction for structural support instead of wood, and wrapping it in fiberglass, Carl arrived at a design that was significantly lighter than previous models. This revolutionary design had already been successfully applied to racing skis, but Carl and Doug were the first to use it specifically for ski mountaineering in the Sierra.
Photo: Doug Robinson
Half Dome Goes Clean
The Half Dome climb started out as an assignment for National Geographic, and represented a big break in Galen Rowell’s budding photojournalism career. Assisting his friend in a story for a major magazine was a fun prospect, but pushing the frontiers of hammerless, or “clean” climbing, had Doug brimming with fear and excitement. At the time, climbing the face of Half Dome without hammer and pitons represented a quantum leap in boldness.
By the late ‘60s, Doug’s friend Yvon Chouinard was producing hand-made hard steel pitons for use on Sierra granite. These pitons were specifically designed for the sheer granite cliffs of Yosemite by the eccentric Swiss blacksmith John Salathe in the 1950s. Deeply obsessed by Yosemite climbing, Salathe realized that traditional soft iron pitons as used in the Swiss Alps were less than satisfactory in the bullet-hard granite of California’s soaring walls. Utilizing hardened steel, Salathe invented the reusable piton for granite that is still in use today. As an early member of the “extreme bohemians,” Yvon chose to continue the tradition. However, Chouinard saw that piton use was becoming problematic, as they were environmentally destructive, and with repeated use chipped and “scarred” the rock.
Chouinard, who later made millions as founder of Patagonia, Inc., began producing hammerless protection for use in Sierra granite after Yosemite wall guru Royal Robbins imported some crude prototypes from England. Essentially aluminum chocks that were wedged into cracks in the granite and clipped to a climber’s safety rope, “nuts” (as they were called) were perfect for the Sierra movement. Robinson in particular became a passionate advocate for their use in Yosemite granite. He coined the term “natural protection,” referring to the environmental benefits of hammerless climbing, and penned a now famous introduction to their use in the Chouinard Equipment catalog.
But Doug and Yvon were spreading more than just environmental goodwill. As Sierra climbers began to utilize natural protection, they quickly realized that true boldness was a prerequisite for their use. Unlike hammering in a steel piton, which was a secure method given a little muscle, nuts had a learning curve. They required finesse and lots of practice. Mistakes could be deadly, as some climbers discovered too late. Robinson worked his way through the grades, ascending an 800-foot wall and then a 1,200-foot wall using only hammerless protection. By the time Galen’s National Geographic assignment came around, Doug was a master of the game, and he even invented his own specialized “tube chock” for protecting wider cracks.
Robinson christened the game “clean climbing,” and it changed rock climbing forever. For the extreme bohemians, clean climbing was an exciting evolution, another step towards the ideal of Sierra wildness.
Photo: Mike Farrell
The Extreme Bohemians
The Sierra devotees of the early 1970s weren’t the first to sing the praises of the Sierra Nevada, but they sparked an unprecedented outdoor sports movement that continues to this day. In addition to better mountaineering skis and hammerless protection, they also popularized the use of curved picks on ice axes for ascending frozen waterfalls. In essence, they felt that the Sierra was challenging them to find something important within themselves. Never coming to any absolute conclusions, they were forever on to the next adventure, developing increasingly sophisticated gear and clothing along the way.
Because of their deep pilgrimages, succeeding generations of Sierra enthusiasts know that an energizing world of mystery and boldness lies beyond the RV camps and national park bus tours. Today, every REI and mountain shop — indeed, probably every wilderness sports store in the world — is filled with gear that directly evolved from their study, their “deep play” in the Sierra. Modern adventure sports are a direct descendent of their willingness to take calculated risks for a peek into a rarefied world. Referring to the power of his Sierra-driven lifestyle in the ‘70s, Doug wrote:
Waking these early morning hours
With mind abroad on the Sierra night,
I have dreams of granite glory
Consistently coming up.
Yet they drown each time
In return to present beauty.
My head is filled and scoured
Time upon time
By tumbling creek
Or trailing shooting stars to fluorescent death.
Against fresh feelings
Ego hasn’t a chance.
A perfect pentagon of stars hangs in Contact Pass.
Ego dissolves in Darkness
Soluble in starlight.
Doug has been a professional mountain guide for 35 years. He is the author of A Night on the Ground, a Day in the Open, a book covering his many adventures in the Sierra and elsewhere. Recently Doug signed to make
a “Peak Experience” series of videos. Plenty of climbing, skiing the backcountry and just plain steeping in the spirit of the wilderness, he says. Look for Half Dome, The Las Vegas Red Rocks, and The Roof of Yosemite to come out next summer. Details soon at www.movingoverstone.com
Oct/090
DESTINATION MAMMOTH—AUTUMN SPLENDOR SANS THE CROWD
By Pete Gauvin
Now is one of the best times to visit the Eastern Sierra for a dose of alpine solitude and adventure. The twilight of summer and the onset of fall is arguably the most peaceful time of year in this bold landscape tucked away from California’s swarming population centers by a little range of hills called the Sierra Nevada.
The summer crowds have begun to retreat to the suburbs of SoCal. The trans-Sierra passes have yet to be closed by snow, making the drive hours shorter for central and northern California residents via Tioga Pass through Yosemite or Sonora Pass to the north. The furnace-like heat of the Great Basin has been turned down to pleasant to encourage vigorous mid-day activity. And the aspen-lined canyons are choked with autumn color as an invitation to the high country.
There’s no shortage of accessible lands for active individuals to stoke their fires. Approximately 98 percent of the land in Mono County is public. Among these lands are Inyo National Forest, Mono Basin National Scenic Area, Devils Postpile National Monument, and the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness areas.
Bring your mountain bikes, backpacks, climbing gear, kayaks, or just a pair of trail shoes, and you’ll find outdoor nirvana in this expansive, stunning playground of alpine splendor and high-desert lonesomeness. You’re certain to find energy in the landscape.
Here’s a sampling of ways to spend it, utilizing the Mammoth/June Lake area as basecamp:
Hiking/Backpacking
San Joaquin Ridge is an easy but spectacular warm-up hike beginning just above the town of Mammoth Lakes. This 4.8-mile round-trip hike begins at the 9,265-foot Minaret Vista, which offers superb views of the 13,000-foot spires of the Minarets, Mount Ritter and Banner Peak. The views only get better as you hike along the ridge toward Deadman Pass. You’ll walk on the Sierra Nevada Divide separating the east and west watersheds, while 11,053-foot Mammoth Mountain dominates the skyline at your back. A couple moderate climbs bring you to a 10,255-foot knob, where you a can survey a 360-degree panorama from the Yosemite high country to the White Mountains down south.
For a longer dayhike, an overnight backpacking trip, or the beginning to a longer high-country adventure consider the trail to Shadow and Ediza lakes, which lie at the base of Ritter, Banner and the Minarets. Beginning at Agnew Meadows Campground, it is 3.6 miles to larger Shadow Lake and an additional three miles to Ediza. Make your camp at Ediza, which offers a serene setting that is awe-inspiringly close to the serrated summits of the Minarets.
Mammoth Mountaineering
Supply in Mammoth Lakes is a good place to get other suggestions on many other hiking opportunities and pick up any last-minute gear needs.
Mountain Biking
Mammoth Lakes is the epicenter of mountain biking in the eastern Sierra, and at times the whole country. Riders can choose from the pay-to-play high-adrenaline excitement of Mammoth Mountain Bike Park (800-228-4947),
where the US Mountain Bike National Championships will be held Sept. 23-26, or pump up their lungs and quads on the ample single-track and fire roads stretching from the sage to the summits.
For spectacular fall color in a little-visited area northeast of Mammoth Lakes, try the Sagehen Loop, a remote and scenic 20-mile ride through Jeffrey pines, alpine meadows and aspen groves. The ride begins at the Sagehen Summit (8,000 feet) on Highway 120. The turnoff for 120 from Highway 395 is five miles south of Lee Vining. For a good route description, see “Mountain Biking Northern California’s Best 100 Trails” by Delaine Fragnoli and Robin Stuart. Plenty of water is recommended.
Another out-of-the-ordinary two-wheel adventure is a ride to the ghost town of Bodie, elev. 8,369. It’s a better way to appreciate the austere landscape surrounding this once bustling gold mine town of 10,000 hearty souls and imagine what it must have been like to live in this high, lonesome country. A state historic park, Bodie is masterfully kept in an “arrested state of decay.”
On Highway 395 north of Mono Lake and Conway Summit, park at the junction with Bodie Road (Route 270). From here it’s a rolling 13 miles to Bodie, the last three on dirt road. If you want to do a more strenuous
loop ride and you have an extra car to use as a shuttle, park it in Bridgeport (7 miles north on 395 from Bodie Road) and follow the directions above. After exploring Bodie, follow Geiger Grade and Aurora Canyon Roads, both dirt, north 17 miles to Bridgeport.
Paddling
For low-stress paddling, the lakes of June Lake Loop (June, Gull and Silver), Lake Mary near Mammoth, and Convict Lake further south are popular lakes to canoe and kayak. Rentals are available at several of the lakes. The saline waters and tufa towers of Mono Lake, accessible to paddle craft on its southwest side off Highway 120 east, offer a one-of-a-kind paddle experience.
Climbing
If you don’t know that fall is perhaps the best time to visit thesport-climbing mecca of the Owens River Gorge, 30 miles south of Mammoth, and the famous boulder fields of the Buttermilks, west of Bishop (another
14 miles south), you’ve never been plastered to the rock during the height of a summer’s day in the Owens Valley.
Nestled between the Sierra and the White Mountains at an elevation of 5,500 feet, the Owens River Gorge offers dozens of excellent crags on volcanic tuff. Most of the more than 500 routes involve endurance climbing
up vertical and slightly overhanging faces with square-cut edges and incut pockets for holds. Consult Owens River Gorge Climbs by Marty Lewis for thorough descriptions of the various climbing areas and routes within the
Gorge. Wilson’s Eastside Sports in Bishop and Mammoth Mountaineering Supply are good sources of expert local information on the myriad climbing opportunities in the area.
Hot Springs
When you need a break from working your muscles, soak ‘em in one of a ‘Mother Lode’ of hot springs east of Mammoth Lakes in the valley, from unregulated and undeveloped springs like “Crab
Cooker” and “Pulky’s Pool” to the conventional public swimming pool at Whitmore Hot Springs. Most of these sites are accessed via a network of dirt roads by turning left onto Benton Crossing Road from southbound 395; keep your eyes peeled for the “little green church.” See Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest by Marjorie Gersh-Young for further descriptions and a map.
Perhaps the most interesting geothermal oddity you could ever immerse yourself in is Hot Creek (turn east on Hot Creek Hatchery Road from 395 three miles south of Mammoth Lakes). Small fissures in the streambed spew hot water into the cold main flow. Swimmers experience rapid contrasts from the hot and cold mixing. Be careful where you dip your toe – most but not all danger areas have been fenced off for those who don’t recognize that steaming vents and boiling water are scalding hot.
Sustenance
For strout coffee and a spirited vibe, visit the Loony Bean in Mammoth Lakes. For unexpectedly good grub on your way to and from the East Side, stop in at the Mobile gas station on Tioga Pass just west of the junction with Highway 395. Undoubtedly, it will be the best meal you’ll ever have from a filling station.
