California Classic Backcountry Ski/Snowboard/Snowshoe Adventures
by Paul Richins, Jr. (updated 6/16/08)

Related articles and information--Tips for Buying Telemark Skis, Tele Tips for Freeheel Skiers, Igloo Construction Techniques, and Snow Cave Construction Techniques.

For the past 20+ years friends and I have taken many ski mountaineering trips into the remote backcountry of the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, and Trinity Alps in California. Besides the many fabulous single-day and 2- and 3-day weekend trips to such notable summits as Mount Whitney, Mount Williamson, University Peak, North Palisade, The Thumb, Mount Darwin, Mount Humphreys, Basin Mountain, Mount Tom, Mount Morgan, Mount Dade, Red Slate Peak, Bloody Mountain, Mount Ritter, Mount Dana, Matterhorn Peak, Mount Walt, Mount Tallac, Pyramid Peak,Lassen Peak, and Mount Shasta, we have taken several weeklong trips each spring. Over the course of the years, we have collected some real gems. Below is a brief summary of some of the best trips our group has experienced whether a single-day trip, 2- or 3-day tour, or a longer adventure. These Hall of Fame Classics have been fantastic experiences and each year our group proclaims that this year's trip was the best of the bunch.

The best time to adventure deep into the California backcountry for multi-day mini-expeditions is March through mid-May. The days are longer, the snow is becoming consolidated, and the spring corn snow begins to form a velvet-smooth "corn" ski surface that is ideal for increasing your enjoyment and the number of your turns. For shorter, single day or weekend trips, mid-December through mid-May is the season. I hope you take the opportunity to enjoy the backcountry on skis, snowboard, or snowshoes.

Many of these trips and much more information are detailed in my popular backcounty boarding and ski mountaineering guide book, 50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California: Mount Shasta to Mount Whitney. More articles on boarding and ski mountaineering can be seen in the E-library including an exquisite ski circumnavigation of Whitney as published in the Sacramento Bee on 2/3/05 titled, Mount Whitney: Mountain of Solutide. Also see the list of Ski Mountaineers Peaks, Snowboard Challenge, and Single-Day Gems. For a description of arguably the best backcountry skiing in California, if not the U.S., check out Ski and Snowboard Descent of Mount Shasta.

Ski and snowboard mountaineering can be dangerous. There are inherent risks in the sport including avalanches, blizzards, high winds, hypothermia, rock fall, and many other unexpected dangers. All can result in injury or death. The descriptions contained in this website cannot alert you to every danger, hazard, weather condition, snow condition, or anticipate the abilities/limitations of those using this website. When you follow any of the routes contained on this website, you assume the responsibility for your own safety.

Index of Trip Itineraries and Brief Route Descriptions:
Mount Shasta via Brewer Creek and the Wintun Glacier
Trojan Peak and Mount Bernard via George Creek
Mount Baldwin and Red Slate Mountain
Mount Aggie
Ridge Route to Ridge Lakes and Peak 8,640+ feet, Lassen National Park
Mount Shasta--Clear Creek Route
Baxter Pass, Clarence King, and Rae Lakes
Mount Gabb's North Side Glacier
Recess Peak and Mount Gabb
Red and White Mountain, Mount Izaack Walton, and Silver Peak
Traverse of the Trinity Alps
Palisade Glacier, Northwest Couloir Mount Sill, Scimitar Pass
Enchanted Gorge and Much More
Piute Pass, Ruskie Pass, Seven Gables Pass to Gemini and Seven Gables
Trans-Sierra Traverse-North Lake to Wishon Reservoir
Mount Baxter, Mount Cotter, Rae Lakes, Sixty Lake Basin
Ionian Basin for a Third Time: 5 Passes-3 Peaks
Circumnavigation of Mount Whitmey
Lassen Peak's North East Face
Thompson Peak and Caesar Cap Peak, Trinity Alps
Winter in May: Ski descents of Mounts Wallace, Powell, Scylla, and Black Giant
Sawtooth Mountain, Trinity Alps
Pyramid Peak's Southwest Bowl
Brokeoff Mountain
Lassen Peak
Mount Shasta's Cascade Gulch
Mount Stanford
Mount Crocker, and Red and White Mountain
Mount Cedric Wright, Arrow Peak Vennacher Needle via Taboose Pass to Southfork Pass
Mount Brewer and Midway Mountain via Kearsarge, Longley, Thunder, and Shepherd Passes
San Joaquin Mountain
Mounts Irvin, Pickering, Newcomb, Chamberlin, Joe Devel
Circumnavigation of Banner Peak
East to West Traverse of Yosemite National Park
Mount Lyell--Ski Ascent and Descent of the Highest Peak in Yosemite National Park
Circumnavigation of the Palisades
Circumnavigation of the Kaweahs
The High Sierra Route: An East to West Traverse of the Sierra Nevada
Black Giant and Mount Goddard via Echo Col, Muir Pass, Ionian Basin, Alpine Col, Piute Pass
Kearsarge Pass to Mount Whitney

Mount Shasta via Brewer Creek and the Wintun Glacier--6/12-13/08
Several skiers from work were interested in attempting Mount Shasta from a route other than the standard Avalanche Gulch route they had climbed in the past so I volunteered to take them to the east side of the mountain for more of a wilderness experience. This is my favorite route on the mountain as there are far fewer climbers/skiers and the ski descent is a classic 7,000+ feet. For a more detailed discussion and driving directions, see a previous account. This year, the snow conditions were ideal above 10,000 feet but the snow was sun cupped lower on the mountain challenging even the best skiers. The winter snow accumulation was well below normal so there was more exposed terra firma than snow below the 9,000-foot level.

Our party of four met at the McCloud Ranger Station Thursday morning and filled out all the requisite forms and wilderness permits paying $20.00 each for a summit pass for the privilege of ascending above 10,000 feet. We regathered about a mile from the end of the Brewer Creek Road where a small snow bank stopped our forward progress.

We hiked up the road to the trailhead and followed the trail for about a mile before it disappeared beneath the snow. From this point navigating the route was simple: look up at the summit and head in a straight line toward the top. The hiking was over easy terrain with magnificent views of the Hotlum and Wintun glaciers, and of our following-day ascent/descent route.

Our destination was a basecamp at 8,800 feet or possibly one a little higher at 10,200 feet. Where we decided to stop to camp would depend on the strength of the group. We reached a good spot to camp on the snow but next to bare ground and several large rocks to sit on at 8,800 feet. The group was slowing down and tired so we opted to camp here.

In the morning, I was up at 4:15 and out of the tent and climbing by 5:00 AM. The others decided to stay in basecamp and ski close to camp. I followed the rib dividing the Hotlum Glacier from the Wintun Glacier staying on the Hotlum Glacier side of the ridge. At 12,400 feet I crossed over the rib onto the Wintun Glacier and ascended steeply to the snow-covered saddle immediately to the right of Shasta's 14,162-foot volcanic rock-cragged summit. Above 12,400 feet, the steepest portions of the slope approached 35-40 degrees.

On the upper 2,000 feet there was still a foot of heavy snow that was deposited from the three-day storm that hit northern California over the Memorial Day weekend. This heavy snow slowed my progress but I reached the summit in six hours.

I was the only one on the Wintun/Hotlum glacier (east side of the mountain) route but several climbers with helmets and ice axes reached the summit from the west and the popular Avalanche Gulch route. They were surprised to see me with my skis and even more surprised when I explained I was skiing down in the opposite direction they had ascended. It seemed to them that I would be skiing over an abyss into the unknown.

After eating lunch and enjoying the summit views, I put on my powder tele skis (Kahru Jak) and descended the Wintun Glacier following the fall line for 4,000+ feet. I was in no hurry and stopped often to savor the descent, descending the 4,000+ feet in less than 20 minutes. What a thrill. I enjoyed being the lone skier on this vast mountain. My only wish at the time was that I had the energy, strength, and endurance to climb back up and ski back down again.

After crossing over the ridge that divides the Wintun and Hotlum glaciers near 10,000-foot level, I was quickly back in basecamp. From the summit it took only 50 minutes. We packed up for the hike out to the trailhead and our cars. A very enjoyable trip but the snow below was unusually sparse for this time of year due to below normal winter snow accumulation on the mountain and throughout California.

Summary
Route--Hotlum-Wintun Ridge
Starting/Ending Point: Brewer Creek Trailhead. On Highway 97, drive east about 3.5 miles beyond McCloud and turn left (north) onto the Pilgrims Creek Road. The first portion of the road is paved. Follow the signs to the Brewer Creek Trailhead. The roads are well marked and it will take about an hour of driving from McCloud.
Difficulty: Strenuous ascent. Intermediate skiing/boarding below 11,400 feet; advanced intermediate 12,400 to 11,400 feet; and advanced/expert (Black Diamond/Double Black Diamond) from the summit
Mileage: about 3 miles to basecamp from the trailhead and another 3 miles to the summit.
Basecamp: around 8,800 feet
Trip duration: 2 days
Best time to go: late May to mid June
Participants: Paul Richins (on tele skies), Keith Golden, David Golden, Leigh Golden (on Alpine Touring skis).
Trip duration--1-3 days
Elevation gain--7,000 feet from the trailhead.
Snowboards--Highly recommended. Great for all whether on a board, snowshoes, or using fixed-heel or free-heel skis.

Trojan Peak and Mount Barnard via George Creek--4/25-28/08
I have been told that every serious backpacker should ascend George Creek canyon at least once. I have heard the virtues of the route extolled on several occasions but upon returning from George Creek after climbing Trojan Peak and Mount Barnard, I doubt the wisdom of such foolish advice. The hike up George Creek is a slow and torturous struggle over/under/around water birch, small trees as thick as hair on a dogs back, large fallen trees, brush, more brush with thorns, and cliffs: a nightmarish challenge worth avoiding. We were lucky to cover a mile every two hours!!!

We left Highway 395 about 5 miles south of Independence and just north of the boundary to the Manzanar, a WW II Japanese camp and drove on dirt roads to George Creek trailhead. We stopped 0.5 mile short of the trailhead due to a rough road. This is really not a trailhead because there is no real trail but rather a difficult cross-country route. We stayed on the right (north) side of the stream for the first 0.3 mile before crossing the stream. Continue on the south side until a waterfall and cliff block your way. Cross to the north side and in 100-200 yards cross back over the south side. Stay on the south side for the rest of the ascent. Other write ups recommend crossing the creek numerous times at various points along the way but the travel and terrain is equally undesirable on either side of the stream, so what is the benefit.

We camped near a small lake at 11,000 feet located northeast of Mount Barnard (13,990 feet) and used this as our basecamp for climbing Trojan (13,968 feet) and Barnard. The next morning we climbed Trojan and skied from near the summit toward the large basin below Barnard. For the second year in a row the snow accumulation was far below normal for 2007-2008 and we soon ran out of snow. We stashed the skis and climbed Barnard on rock.

On our return to basecamp there was an excellent slope covered with snow between 12,200 feet and our basecamp at 11,000 feet. We had a wonderful ski descent back to basecamp and down to near 10,000 feet before running out of snow.

The hike out was just as miserable as the hike in. I've included this trip as a warning rather than a recommended ski adventure. Perhaps, in a heavy snow year with snow down to 7,000 feet, the trip might be worth attempting. If not, climb another route.

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: George Creek Trailhead at about 6,400 feet. feet).
Difficulty: Strenuous and rugged ascent, Advanced-Expert skiing terrain
Mileage: about 6 miles to basecamp and another 6 miles round trip from basecamp to Trojan and Barnard and return. Overall round trip is about 16 miles.
Elevation Gain: 8,700 feet
Basecamp: around 11,000 feet
Trip duration: 3.5 days
Best time to go: April
Participants: Paul Richins (age 58) and Colin Fuller (age 60).

Mount Baldwin and Red Slate Mountain--February 15-18, 2008 and January 23-35, 1998
More information on this climb and ski descent of Red Slate Mountain is included in my book 50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits of California: Mount Shasta to Mount Whitney.

Day 1--Dave and I drove to Convict Lake (south of Mammoth Lakes) and hiked around the right side (northwest) of the lake along the trail crossing patches of snow and bare ground. At the upper end of the lake, we put on our skis with climbing skins and snowshoes to ascend the Convict Creek canyon following the route of the hiking trail. Near where the stream flows into Convict Lake, it passes through a narrow cliffy area. When the depth of the snow is marginal, making your way through this area can be troublesome moving from snow to rock and back. Stay above the creek to avoid this semi-difficult spot.

Ascend the canyon traveling south along the right side (west) of Convict Creek. The mouth of the canyon is wide but soon narrows with near vertical walls towering 3,000 feet overhead. Follow the route of the hiking trail until you reach about 8,400 feet. Just before reaching a relatively flat area populated by cottonwood and quaking aspen trees, cross to the left side of the stream to bypass a cliff on the right side of the stream. This treed area extends about 0.3 mile along the stream.

Above this treed area, the canyon narrows and the climbing steepens. As we ascended, we crossed several avalanche paths with rocks on the snow, blocks of ice, and wind packed and sculptured snow and ice. The canyon floor is prone to avalanches as snow collects high above and sweeps down across the cliffs to the valley. This is a particular concern above the point where the hiking trail crosses from the right side of the stream to the left side (east) at 8,800 feet. This crossing is marked by an old bridge abutment that remains after a flood and raging waters from Convict Creek washed the bridge away many years ago.

Continue up the narrow canyon to Mildred Lake. Turn left (southeast) leaving the route of the hiking trail and proceed along a relatively flat valley for about 0.8 mile. Camp near 9,900 feet where the outlet stream from Lake Wit-So-Nah-Pah meets the flat valley and Convict Creek. This is a perfect campsite with trees for protection from the wind, good access to routes on Red Slate Mountain and Mount Baldwin, and running water. Even in January and February I have been surprised to find running water in the stream at this location.

Day 2--We had planned to ascend Mount Baldwin but there was considerable bare rock and no obvious route to the large gully on the northwest face of the mountain. Since we were unsure of the exact route we decided to head for Red Slate Mountain and scope out a potential route on Mount Baldwin. Instead of ascending the stream flowing from Lake Wit-So-Nah-Pah and then up a snow ramp and the steep west slope to the summit (January 1998 ascent route), we ascended the main valley passing beneath the north face of Red Slate Mountain to a 12,000 foot pass on the southeast side of the peak. This high pass overlooks McGee Pass.

From our camp, we followed an obvious valley that curved toward the north face of Red Slate Mountain and ascended the valley and snowed-over stream feeding Constance Lake near the 11,000-foot level. Follow this valley/stream a short distance and then angle right to the glacier and steep snow slope below a 12,000-foot pass. The approach to this pass looks too steep but slopes always look steeper than they are when viewed head on. If you plan to climb Red Slate Mountain, do not angle left toward an easier and more inviting U-shaped pass at 11,600 feet. If you do you will find a large rock buttress (mountain) blocking your path to the summit of Red Slate Mountain.

From the 12,000-foot pass it is a direct climb up the southeast slope to the top. Today, there was a lack of snow on this sunny side that prevented an elegant ski ascent/descent as much bare ground was exposed on the upper 1,000 feet. We therefore decided to return to camp rather than climb higher.

Day 3--Directly across (east) from where the stream from Lake Wit-So-Nah-Pah joins the flat valley and Convict Creek at 9,900 feet, ascend a gradual snow gully. Ascend in an easterly direction to about 10,200 feet reaching a large cirque that could, but does not, contain a small glacier. Turn north (left) across this bowl and ascend a narrow ramp at the head of the cirque to the base of Mount Baldwin's large northwest gully at 10,600 feet. For the first time you can see the entire route to the summit and it is an impressive view. This large gully steepens and narrows at the top like an inverted funnel. Around 12,100 feet, the route splits giving you two options. One is to continue up steeply through the stovepipe of the funnel past a shark fin shaped rock to the peak's southwest slope several hundred feet below the summit. Alternatively, below the shark fin, angle right on a snow ramp that traverses gradually out onto the mountain's southwest slope. This route is easier but may lack snow above 12,100 feet.

The snow in the gully was many things today--hard packed, wind sculptured, icy, and powder on one side of the gully and spring corn on the other side. A good ski descent but the lack of snow on the top 400 feet was a disappointment. Later in the year with more snowfall, there is likely to be snow to the summit.

Day 4--Skied and snowshoed back to Convict Lake.

Trip Summary
Starting/ending point: Convict Lake (7,621 feet), south of Mammoth Lakes, CA
Parking: No overnight parking is allowed at Convict Lake. The Forest Service instructed us to park at the Convict Lake Resort located 0.4 mile below the lake.
Total miles: about 17 miles
Elevation gain: about 8,500 feet
Trip duration: 4 days
Peaks climbed: Red Slate Mountain (to 12,000 feet) and Mount Baldwin (12,676 feet)
Difficulty: Advanced skiing from the summit of Mount Baldwin and Red Slate Mountain. Advanced Intermediate ski terrain below 11,600 feet on both mountains.
Best time to go: January-April
Participants: Paul Richins on skis (age 58) and David Figoni on MSR Ascent snowshoes (age 47)

[Climb to the Top] [Rappel to the Bottom]

Mount Aggie--January 19, 2008
I wanted to include Mount Aggie in 50 Classic Backcounty Ski and Snowboard Summits but I did not have an opportunity to ski the peak before the book was published, so it was unfortunately left out. Ten years later, I finally made the opportunity to ski the peak and can now recommend it.

After work on Friday I drove from my office in downtown Sacramento to Convict Lake where I set up my tent on the bare pavement in the parking lot. It was 19 degrees F. On the drive I monitored the temperature with my car's thermometer and the temperature dropped as low as 10 degrees at Bridgeport. The temperature on Highway 395 near Mammoth was 14 degrees but as I drove up the Convict Lake Road ascending above the cold air sink of the Mammoth Lakes airport, the temperature warmed to 19 degrees. But by morning the temperature had dropped to a chilly 2 degrees F.

There is a large glacier moraine immediately to the southeast of Convict Lake that must be climbed. When the brush is completely covered with snow this is normally not a problem; however, today the brush was still exposed and presented some minor problems. So far this winter there has been only a couple of good-sized storms so the snow was a little thin ascending the glacier moraine but once on top of the moraine there was ample snow in the beautiful valley leading to Mount Aggie. From the parking lot on the south side of the lake's outlet stream, angle east and ascend the steep slopes of this moraine. The moraine is not as steep and a little easier to ascend at its lower east end. (When there is more snow coverage, another option is to proceed around the southeast side of Convict Lake to the end of the unplowed road and ascend directly the drainage/stream bed to the top of the moraine.) Once at the top of the moraine at 8,000 feet, head up one of two valleys. The immediate one is broad and open, and angles gradually toward Mount McGee. The second valley rests at the base of Mono Jim Peak, Little Morrison, and Mount Morrison, and eventually angles toward Mount Aggie and Mount Baldwin. Immediately after a storm, this valley would be prone to avalanches from the steep slopes above.

On this trip I ascended the valley at the toe of Mono Jim Peak and Mount Morrison. The ascent was steady but not too steep at any point. At 9,300 feet a large steep valley comes in on the right. This couloir and large open bowl crests the ridge between Mono Jim Peak and Little Morrison at about 10,700 feet. This would make for an excellent telemark descent. Near a tarn at 9,800 feet another couloir descends from the right. This couloir is narrower and steeper than the first, and crests the ridge between Little Morrison and Mount Morrison at 10,900 feet. This is a favorite of the locals, and expert skiers/snowboarders ascend to the crest and descend the northwest chute/gully back to Convict Lake completing a circumnavigation of Little Morrison.

Continue up the main water shed toward Mount Aggie, Mount Baldwin, and the small glacier that lies at the head of the cirque. The valley seems to continue on and on--the closer you get to the cirque, the farther away it appears. This lovely valley is perfect for skiing/snowboarding with picturesque scenery and the sheer face of one of Mount Baldwin's subpeaks looming overhead. Near 10,600 feet angle to your left and ascend steeply to the summit of Mount Aggie (11,565 feet). At the top, there are beautiful views in all directions. On this particular day the landscape and the valley all the way to Mono Lake was blanketed in fresh snow.

The ski descent was over mixed powder, wind pack snow, and breakable crust--not ideal but enjoyable. On the descent the temperature seemed to warm considerably. By the time I reached Convict Lake I felt like I was in the tropics--as it turned out, the temperature was only 20 degrees at 3:00 PM.

Immediately after a cold storm the powder in this secluded valley would be awesome, and later in the season the spring corn snow would be fantastic.

Trip Summary
Starting/Ending Point: Convict Lake, just south of Mammoth Lakes off Highway 395 (7,621 feet).
Difficulty: Advanced Intermediate ascent and descent
Mileage: about 9 miles round trip
Elevation gain: around 4,000 feet
Trip duration: 1 day
Best time to go: January-early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 58 years)

[Climb to the Top] [Rappel to the Bottom]

Ridge Route to Ridge Lakes and Peak 8,640+ feet, Lassen National Park--December 31, 2007
This is an enjoyable intermediate tour for skiers, boarders, and snowshoers. It can be completed in a single day or an overnight trip with a stay for more skiing and boarding from a basecamp at Ridge Lakes. The standard route to Ridge Lakes is to proceed up the unplowed road to the Sulfur Works and follow the route of the summer trail alongside the stream that flows from Ridge Lakes. This is the most direct route to the lakes and is popular with skiers and snowshoers, and is described in 50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California: Mount Shasta to Mount Whitney. The route described below is a more interesting with expansive views of Lassen Peak, Brokeoff Mountain, Mount Diller, Diamond Peak, and Pilot Pinnacle. It is more challenging than the standard route but can be completed by a competent intermediate snowshoer, boarder, or skier.

From the parking area (about 6,700 feet) at the south entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park (the Mineral entrance), proceed up the unplowed road for about 200 yards. Turn left up an open slope climbing steeply and angling to your right heading in a northwesterly direction. You are on the ski runs of the old Lassen ski park, a small ski area that has long since been closed. Continue climbing to about 7,500 or 7,600 feet where you will join a prominent spur ridge. Gain the top of this ridge and follow it up to the main ridge connecting Brokeoff Mountain with Mount Diller. The spur ridge tops out at 8,500 feet just south of Peak 8,640+ feet (this is the highest unnamed peak in the area).

Once on the main ridge, climb over the summit of Peak 8,640+ feet or traverse its gentle north slopes to the pass (8,320+ feet) west-northwest of Ridge Lakes. From here it is a gentle and quick descent to Ridge Lakes.
There are many ski and snowboard descent opportunities off all four sides of Peak 8,640+ feet. The northeast slope down to Ridge Lakes will hold the powder the longest and is the steepest of the descents. The southwest slope can be taken all the way down a fork of West Sulphur Creek to Sulfur Works and the unplowed park road.

Continuing on to Mount Diller there is a 1,000+ foot descent on the north side to Soda Lake (of course you will have to climb back up to return home). When there is a good base, the southwest slot between the two summits of Mount Diller is a challenge for the expert and advanced boarder/skier. This slot is avalanche prone so be careful.

Trip Summary
Starting/Ending Point: South Entrance parking lot to Lassen Volcanic National Park (6,700 feet).
Difficulty: Intermediate ascent and descent
Mileage: about 4+ miles round trip
Elevation gain: around 2,000 feet
Trip duration: 1 day
Best time to go: December-May
Participants: Paul Richins (on tele skies), and Judi Richins and Dave Figoni (on snowshoes).

[Climb to the Top] [Rappel to the Bottom]

Mount Shasta, Clear Creek Route--April 28-30, 2007
The winter snowfall was well-below average in 2006-07 allowing the roads on the east side of Mount Shasta to open up about a month earlier than they would in a normal snow year. The Clear Creek Route opens up 2-3 weeks ahead of the Brewer Creek Route so it is a good choice if you cannot wait for the Brewer Creek Road to melt out. Brewer Creek is the better of the two routes with superior snow conditions, a better descent route, and, believe it or not, it is somewhat less windy. Ski and Snowboard Descent of Mount Shasta has details of the Brewer Creek Route.

Day 1: We drove until a snow bank block our progress. We parked alongside the road and noted two other vehicles were also parked. We walked and then skied/snowshoed up the road for about 2.5-3.0 miles to the trailhead near 6,000 feet. There was only about 1-2 feet of snow on the ground at the trailhead with many bare spots. We followed the route of the trail through the trees and onto the ridge overlooking the Clear Creek canyon. The route opens up in a short distance as the trees become more widely spaced giving way to open snow slopes. On the leeward side of the ridge it is as if a highway had been built and all the trees cleared for the ascent as there were trees all around but it was clear sailing with wide open spaces along the route. Near the 8,000-foot level traverse left into a large open bowl above the tree line and east of the four springs (8,200 feet) that are marked on the map. Follow this bowl/basin to its head where it ascends steeply to a ridge and the face of Shasta near 11,000 feet. There are camping opportunities in this basin near the springs in low-growing shrubs, at 9,200 feet, and in a protected bowl at 10,400 feet near the foot of the Watkins Glacier. We were aiming to camp at 10,400 feet but settled for a camp in the middle of the basin at 9,200 feet.

Day 2: We were up at dawn and headed for the summit after a quick breakfast. Crampons were added to our boots and the skis and snowshoes placed on our backpacks. I have been on this route 3 other times and each climb has been very windy. Today was no exception as the wind never let up the entire day. Consequently, the snow did not soften for the descent so I was skiing on brick-hard snow. Above the 10,400-foot bowl, the route steepens gaining the ridge and face of Shasta. The route from the ridge continues another 3,000 feet to the summit and is steep, or at least felt steep, on the ascent and descent due to the less than ideal icy snow conditions. We stayed on the summit for 45 minutes talking with other skiers that had ascend the standard route via Avalanche Gulch and Red Banks and taking photos. The ski descent was disappointing as my skis chattered across the hard snow/ice all the way down to 11,000 feet. Finally the snow softened to spring corn and I had a good descent to basecamp.

That night around dusk we heard voices and saw four climbers and one skier descending. Darkness was rapidly approaching and they seemed to be in no hurry and were progressing down the mountain at a snails pace ever so slowly. Surely there basecamp was nearby. But no, they continued past our camp and down out of sight into the darkness. The next day on our way out we followed their tracks and determined that they did not have a camp, but must have hiked out to their car in the dark.

Day 3: We had a leisurely departure from basecamp and reached the car by 11:00 AM.

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: about 3 miles from the Clear Creek Trailhead (~5,600 feet). On Highway 97, drive east about 3.5 miles beyond McCloud and turn onto the Pilgrims Creek Road. The first portion of the road is paved. Turn left onto the dirt road to the Clear Creek Trailhead and follow it to the trailhead or until snow blocks your way. The roads are well marked.
Difficulty: Strenuous ascent, Advanced-Expert skiing terrain
Mileage: about 6 miles to basecamp and another 2.5 miles to the summit, 17 miles round trip.
Basecamp: around 9,400 feet
Trip duration: 2.5 days
Best time to go: May
Participants: Paul Richins (on tele skies) and Dave Figoni (on MSR Ascent snowshoes).

[Climb to the Top] [Rappel to the Bottom]

Baxter Pass, Clarence King, Rae Lakes--April 7-12, 2007
For the past two years there has been an abundance of snow in the Sierra with 150-180% of normal snow depths. However, the 2006-07 winter season was a different story. Based on snow survey data for April 1, 2007, snow depths were dreadful: only about 35% of normal. Even above 10,000 feet there was little snow. On the south facing slopes there was no snow regardless of the elevation. On the more shaded slopes there was some snow but in most places it was not continuous enough to allow for uninterrupted skiing as rocks and outcroppings poked through the thin layer of snow. The valleys and gullies had the best snow but this too was sparse. On this 6-day trip I ended up skiing only a couple of hours total and carrying my skis the rest of the time. The hiking and backpacking season will begin early this year.

Day 1--From Baxter Pass Trailhead (6,000 feet) (above Oak Creek Campground) I hiked up the trail to Summit Meadow and camped near 10,800 feet. There was little snow until I reached about 10,000 feet. From this point I put on my skis and skins and continued to Summit Meadow fighting the willows that poked through the snow. This was far different experience than two years previous when I encountered deep snow at the first stream crossing at 6,800 feet. On this occasion, instead of following the route of trail as it traversed the steep canyon walls, I ascended directly up the bottom of the canyon and followed the stream that was covered in snow.

Day 2--I had planned to climb both Black Mountain and Diamond Peak and get in some good ski descents but the snow was so sparse that I skipped climbing these two peaks. Instead, I ascended the switch backs in the snow-free trail to Baxter Pass. It was a beautiful day and the views of Black and Diamond were breathtaking. The best ski descent of the trip was from Baxter Pass down to Baxter Lake. This always seems to hold the snow and I have not been disappointed skiing from the pass to the lake in the past. About a mile below the lake I had to take off my skis and walk due to lack of snow.

I put the skis back on at Dollar Lake and skied around the right side of the lake and up to Arrowhead Lake. At the midpoint of Arrowhead Lake I veered right (west-northwest) through a gap to a hidden valley and ascended southwest up a steep gully to a notch in the ridge. This notch opens up into Sixty Lake Basin and provides a classic route to this most interesting and beautiful basin. Follow a series of tarns to the main string of lakes in the basin and turn north for a short distance until you come to the point where the trail crosses to the east side of the stream linking the lakes in Sixty Lake Basin. At this point veer left and come to a lake to the west of the main string of lakes in the Sixty Lake Basin. From here, climb steeply up the inlet stream and follow the right hand forks in the stream to a tarn at 11,000 feet. I camped at this lovely spot with views of Mount Cotter (12,721 feet) and the top of Clarence King.

Day 3--After spending a couple of hours taking photos of the frozen, snow-covered 11,000-foot tarn and Mount Cotter, I walked around its north side and ascended steeply following the inlet stream that was flowing into the tarn from the northwest. This was a rest day of sorts as I moved camp only about 1 mile to the 11,640+-foot tarn directly below the east face of Clarence King. This is on one of the routes to climb Clarence King and is one of the most beautiful spots in the Sierra. My goal for the day was to move camp to this largest tarn directly below the the east face of Clarence King so I could get sunrise photos of the frozen tarn and the alpenglow on the east face of Clarence King the following morning. I had come prepared with my tripod, two cameras (digital and film) and three lenses.

That afternoon I found running water at the head of the tarn in some cliffs. I continued to climb above the tarn to just below the crest of the south ridge of Clarence King. In a normal snow year, the rock cliffs blocking progress to the ridge would have been covered in snow and would have possibly provided a snow ramp to the ridge. That was not the case this year so I stopped just short of the ridge but I had a nice ski descent down a steep chute to three tarns south of my camp. It was a short traverse and climb back to my tent and tarn.

The peak 0.9 mile south of Clarence King looked like a great ski opportunity if there had been more snow. It could be ascended from the south ridge of Clarence King or its more direct northeast ridge. The ski descent would be down the heart of the southeast face/bowl that funnels into a narrow chute near the bottom. This would be avalanche prone after a storm and unstable snow conditions. There was some avalanche debris visible at the bottom of the funnel.

Day 4--It was cold during the night, possibly dropping into single digits F. It was cold and breezy in the morning. I was up at sunrise and got my photos--I was pleased. I used a fisheye lens for the first time and those shots were unique and exceptional. After photographing the area for two hours I ate breakfast and headed down to the lower lakes in Sixty Lake Basin, through the slot from Day 2 to Arrowhead Lake and on to Rae Lakes. It was a good day and I camped on bare ground below the John Muir Trail near the Rae Lakes Ranger Station. Mr. Ranger was not present, but then, I did not expect to see him/her. The point of land I was camped on provided exceptional views of Painted Lady, Dragon Peak, Mount Gould, and Mount Rixford across the frozen waters of Rae Lake.

I explored the upper end of Rae Lakes and came across ski tracks from a party of 2-4 that had dropped into Rae Lakes from Dragon Lake. They came and went a day or so earlier.

Day 5--I had planned to get some sunrise shots of Painted Lady and Rae Lakes but when I awoke at 6:00 it was starting to snow lightly. In hindsight I should have stayed for another day to get photos of the clearing storm that evening and the next morning but I head out toward Baxter Lake instead. I had planned to ascend the pass between Diamond and Black and descend to the Baxter Pass Trail at Summit Meadow but the storm limited visibility and strong winds were blowing.

I hiked and skied to Arrowhead Lake, Dollar Lake, and traversed into Baxter Creek drainage. By this time it was snowing in earnest, the visibility was limited, and the winds were strong. So at 11:00, I found a safe clump of trees about a mile below Baxter Lake and camped. I would stay and wait out the storm. That evening around 7:00 the weather started to clear. After an enjoyable dinner, I went on a short walk in about 4-5 inches of fresh dry powder. I thought, tomorrow will be perfect for ascending Baxter Pass and hiking out.

Day 6--During the night the wind picked up and another storm hit. All night I could hear the winds howling in the cliffs above the canyon and rushing through the taller trees, but the tent was safe and calm in a clump of shorter trees. By 8:00 in the morning the storm started to lift and there was adequate visibility to start out. The day continued with off and on snow flurries but the visibility remained good and the winds were light.

I ascended Baxter Pass and descended to explore the north snow gully on Diamond Peak. I considered climbing and skiing the north gully but it was quite narrow in the top 1/3. With more snow under normal snow conditions, the gully would be wider and more conducive to a ski descent. Here, too, avalanche conditions need to be observed.

I was able to ski down through the willows to around 10,000 feet and hiked out. An enjoyable trip but tiring as I had to work much harder than normal, hiking and carrying my skis rather than a quick descent on the snow. Two years previous, I was able to ski nearly down to the 7,200-foot level before I ran out of skiable snow.

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: Baxter Pass Trailhead on the North Fork Oak Creek (6,000 feet)
Passes: Baxter Pass (12,200+ feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced-Expert skiing terrain
Mileage: about 42 miles
Trip duration: 6 days
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 57 years). I normally take my American Eskimo Dog, Prince, but he died in 2006 from old age.

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Mount Gabb's North Side Glacier or Father's Day on Mount Gabb--June 17 and 18, 2006
Day 1--A snow pack 180% of normal made skiing so late into the spring possible. Not only was it possible, it was a highly enjoyable way to spend a Father's Day weekend on skis. I left the Mosquito Flat trailhead at 6:15AM on Saturday carrying my skis on my backpack. I hiked up the trail past Heart Lake, Box Lake, and Long Lake (10,560 feet) crossing large patches of snow. The lower lakes were free of snow but Long Lake was still mostly covered with snow and ice. The snow became continuous above Long Lake but heavily sun cupped. By the time I reached Gem Lake (10,900 feet), I was seriously considering turning back because of the ugly nature of the fluted and sun cupped snow making skiing and walking tedious. However, by Dade Lake (11,600 feet) the snow had improved and I could see that the ski descent from Cox Col on the return would make the trip worthwhile.

I ascended toward the base of the great north face of Bear Creek Spire (13,720 feet) and then angled right toward North Col/Cox Col (13,040 feet). I crested the divide by ascending the second notch north of Bear Creek Spire. The wind was chilling on the pass but it soon warmed as I descended the southwest side on corn snow. I made a high traverse heading northwest toward Gabbot Pass (12,240 feet). To my surprise, plenty of snow remained on these southwest facing slopes. Steep cliffs pushed me down to about 12,000 feet just short of Gabbot Pass. At this low point, the wind had fashioned a small bowl and flat area. Here I stopped to camp, just above a tarn at 11,800 feet. I had a prime view overlooking Lake Italy (11,202 feet). Lake Italy, one of the longer lakes in the Sierra Nevada, was still covered with snow and ice.

Since it was only 12:30 in the afternoon I decided to climb Mount Gabb rather than wait until morning. The ascent over Cox Col went faster than I had expected and I was full of energy. After setting up camp and eating a bite for lunch, I headed to Gabbot Pass and the upper glacier on the north side of Mount Gabb. I skied down the north side of Gabbot Pass to about 11,900 feet and turned left (southwest) to ascend the glacier. There was avalanche debris all over the glacier from snow and ice peeling off the steep granite slabs over head. I stayed back away from the steep walls to my left and angled toward the headwall and the Shark Fin on the right. The left side of the headwall had also avalanched, so I angled up and to the right to gain the headwall and the crest of the broad ridge leading to the summit.

The climbing was rigorous and continuous. There was snow to within about 100 feet of the summit. I stashed my skis in the rocks and scrambled to the top. It was 4:30 PM. What a great view especially of Recess Peak, which Colin and I had climbed three weeks previous, and Upper Mills Creek Lake where we had camped. See trip summary below. Just like many of the other lakes in the region, Mills Creek Lake was still frozen with snow and ice. The lower glacier route, starting from Upper Mills Creek Lakes and joining the upper glacier route around 12,900 feet, would also be an excellent ascent and descent route.

Returning back to my skis, it was a swift and enjoyable ski descent along the upper ridge and then down the headwall to the glacier and back to my camp. Skiing was over steep terrain for advanced skiers. I was exhausted returning to my camp. I had climbed over 5,400 feet and traveled about 11 miles.

Day 2--I slept until 7:00 AM before getting up and fixing breakfast. Actually, I fixed breakfast while lounging in my down bag. Oh, the comforts of down. The high ridge comprising Mount Abbot and Mount Dade blocked the early morning sun from reaching my camp so I was in no hurry to arise. When I left camp, the snow was still rock-hard from the night's freeze. I put on crampons and headed to Cox Col. The ascent went quickly as I was looking forward to the ski descent on the east side of the pass. When Colin and I had been over the pass three weeks earlier, the ski descent was probably the best I have experienced in the Sierra.

Instead of cresting the ridge at the customary Cox Col, I climbed the ridge about 300-400 yards to the north of Cox Col gaining the high shoulder around 13,200 feet. The snow was ideal at this point on the ridge and I skied the fall line from the shoulder. The skiing down to Dade Lake was pretty good considering how late in the season it was. On the descent I passed three skiers ascending to Cox Col for a return ski descent to their camp at Treasure Lakes. The sun cups finally took there toll on me at Gem Lake so I shouldered my skis and hiked out. A worthwhile ski adventure for the Father's Day weekend. I will visit my father this coming weekend to make up for missing Father's Day 2006!

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: Mosquito Flat Trailhead (10,300 feet), on the Rock Creek Road south of Toms Place, Highway 395.
Passes Crossed: Cox Pass (13,040 feet) (0.2 mile NW Bear Creek Spire), Gabbot Pass (12,240+ feet)
Summit Ascents: Mount Gabb (13,741 feet) via the upper glacier on the north side of the peak
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 18.0 miles
Elevation gain: about 7,000 feet
Trip duration: 2 days
Camps: Below Gabbot Pass at 12,000 feet
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 56 years)

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Recess Peak and Mount Gabb--May 26-30, 2006
Day 1--I picked up Dr. Colin Fuller from the medical clinic on West Line Street in Bishop at 3:30 PM on Friday and we drove to the end of the Rock Creek Road. Actually, the road was blocked by snow about 1.1 mile from Mosquito Flat. We parked at the Hilton Creek trailhead near the pack station and walked up the snow-covered Rock Creek Road to Mosquito Flat. We continued up Rock Creek and Little Lakes Valley to the head of Long Lake where we camped for the night. A cold front from the Gulf of Alaska was forecasted to move into the Sierra Nevada with winds up to 90 miles per hour over the ridges Friday night and Saturday morning. With such ominous forecast, we cautiously camped in a protected location in the trees. During the night and into the next morning there were winds but fortunately nothing like what was predicted by the US Weather Service.

Day 2--Saturday morning dawned clear and windy. We ascend via Gem Lake (10,900 feet) and Dade Lake (11,600 feet) rather than past Treasure Lake. This turned out to be a more direct and more enjoyable route. From Dade Lake we climbed steeply toward the north face of Bear Creek Spire (13,720 feet) and then angled to our right to the North Col/Cox Col (13,040 feet), located immediately north of Bear Creek Spire. By the time we were below Bear Creek Spire and Cox Col the wind had died down but storm clouds were rolling across the sky. We put on crampons and climbed steeply, carefully kicking steps in the hard snow to Cox Col. With the cold front, the corn snow of spring had turned brick hard. We actually ascended through a gap about 200 yards north of the low point on the ridge.

From the pass we headed northwest to Gabbot Pass (12,240+ feet) dropping to about 12,000 feet before climbing to Gabbot Pass. Before reaching Gabbot Pass, the visibility dropped and it began to snow. We stopped at the pass for a snack but our respite was short-lived driven along our route by the winds and cold temperatures that had dropped into the teens. We skied down the northwest side of Gabbot Pass inching our way slowly along the icy snow and over the rock-hard sun cups. The poor visibility and flat light made the skiing perilous. In the steep section near 11,600 feet we took of the skis and put on crampons and angled to the right and then left to Upper Mills Creek Lake where we found a small portion of open water on the lake. This spectacular location was our camp for the next two nights.

We were tired and went to bed at 7:30 The sun was still up but it was 20 degrees as the snow fell gently on the tent and the frozen snow-covered lake. Around 7:00 AM the next morning, before the sun hit our tent, the thermometer showed 0 degrees F. During the night the temperature likely dropped to 5 degrees below zero or slightly colder.

Day 3--The morning dawned clear, calm, and cold. Today would include an exploratory trip to determine if we could reach the summit of Recess Peak. We had three concerns about the route we had selected to Recess Peak's summit block. Below Lower Mills Creek Lake, between 10,000 and 9,600 feet there was a great cataract with down-sloping granite slabs lining the canyon. We were concerned that the slabs would not be covered with adequate amounts of snow and this could block our progress to the mouth of the Second Recess at 9,400 feet where we hoped to turn southeast up the Second Recess. The second concern was whether there would be adequate snow coverage on the steep northeast slopes ascending out of the bottom of the Second Recess. And lastly, we were not sure whether we could make it over the Recess Peak Pass (0.2 miles southeast of Recess Peak) due to a heavily corniced ridge.

The first obstacle was the granite slabs and waterfall in the rugged canyon. The granite slabs were covered, not with snow, but with glare ice making a traverse of the granite slabs dangerous. We decided to look for an alternate route through the cliffs that blocked our progress into the Second Recess. Near 10,400 feet, as we descended below Lower Mills Creek Lake, we left Mills Creek and traversed left (traveling northwest, then west, southwest, and finally south) around the nose of the ridge that separates Mills Creek from the Second Recess. We gradually lost elevation and continued to around 10,000 feet where we found a gully between the cliffs that descended unobstructed in a southerly direction to the stream in Second Recess. We crossed the stream in the bottom of the Second Recess at 9,500 feet on a snow bridge and ascended in a southwest direction to the small unnamed tarn (11,240 feet), cirque, and glacier directly below the steep northeast slopes of Recess Peak. The route was covered with ample snow and we climbed quickly to the tarn.

From this vantage point we could see that the pass on the southeast shoulder of Recess Peak, that we would have to cross, was heavily guarded by impressively-large cornices that may have approached 30-50 feet high. However, it looked like we could sneak up a narrow chute on the right side and fight through a cornice or we could ascend in the center where the cornice appeared the smallest. Even though large blocks of snow were deposited below the cornice, we felt comfortable ascending directly up the middle to the crest of the corniced ridge. The weather was cold so we felt the cornices would not break loose due to the warmth of the sun. Colin lead, kicking steps in the steep snow. He worked his way over the cornice and I followed. From the pass we dropped our packs and skis. It was an easy and enjoyable climb to the summit of Recess Peak.

We returned to our packs and skis at the pass, down climbed the cornice, and skied quickly down to the 9,500-foot level in the bottom of the Second Recess. The descent took minutes compared to several hours on the ascent earlier that day. We climbed out of the deep canyon of the Second Recess following the gully we descended in the morning. We were soon back at our camp at Upper Mills Creek Lake. The day was strenuous as we climbed more than 5,200 feet. It had taken us about 10 hours but were pleased with our success. The temperature was dropping rapidly and it was 20 degrees when we finally got into the tent around 8:00 PM. We topped of the day with a delicious dinner of Knorrs soup, freeze-dried vegetables, cooked and freeze-dried chicken with noodles. We had cookies and dark chocolate for dessert. We heated water for our meals with a JetBoil stove arranged to hang from the ceiling inside the tent. With a built-in heat exchanger, this stove is exceedingly efficient using little fuel.

Day 4--In addition to climbing Recess Peak, one of my goals for the trip was to ascend and ski the upper glacier on Mount Gabb's northeast slope. This is a classic glacier route leading to the summit. We picked up our camp from Upper Mills Creek Lake and headed toward Gabbot Pass. I had hoped to leave the north side of Gabbot Pass at 11,900 feet and ascend the glacier to the broad northwest ridge and continue to the summit. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my ice ax and left it in the car--what a serious mistake. With that in mind, Colin convinced me not to try the route because of the unusually cold and icy conditions on the mountain. Under normal spring weather conditions, the slopes would warm and the hard icy snow would quickly turn to spring corn by late morning. That certainly was not the case today with the arctic blast hanging over the Sierra. This appears to be an excellent, perhaps the best, route to the summit with an exceptional ski descent. On June 17, 2006, I returned and ascended Gabb by this route. It was an enjoyable ascent and descent. See trip summary above.

We continued to Gabbot Pass and headed southwest to climb the main snow-filled gully bisecting the southeast face of Gabb. This route was steeper than the glacier route on the north side and Colin and I climbed to within about 300 feet of the summit. Near the top, the gully steepened and the snow gave way to wind-packed snow and ice. Without an ice ax the exposure on the upper slopes was a concern. Finally, I decided to turn back short of the summit. Without an ice ax, I was uncomfortable and felt that I could not stop a fall on the hard snow and ice with only my ski poles. I will return next spring to climb the upper glacier on the peak's northeast slopes--a truly classic ski descent route somewhat like the glacier route on Red and White Mountain described below. However, this route appeared to be superior because there had skiable terrain to the summit of Mount Gabb.

We returned to our backpacks at Gabbot Pass and ascended to the base of Bear Creek Spire and Cox Col. The ski descent of the other side of the pass was probably the finest and fasted ski descent I have experienced in the backcountry. The snow base was firm and icy. Over this slick hard base was several inches of new powder snow. The skiing was fast, probably the fastest I have ever experienced with a 40-pound pack. The skiing was effortless as Colin and I raced down the fall line slamming turn after turn. The descent from 13,000 feet to Dade Lake was over much too soon. The conditions were ideal. It is too bad that other skiers had not made the effort to ascend into the cirque below Bear Creek Spire for an unforgettable ski descent. We did not start to see tracks of other skiers until we reached Chickenfoot Lake just below Morgan Pass. We continued down past Gem Lake to Chickenfoot Lake were we camped for the night. The weather was warming slightly and the night was mild by comparison to the two previous nights were the temperature dropped below zero.

Day 5-- We were up early and skied out to the car by 9:30 that morning. A successful trip and one that will be long remembered and soon repeated to visit the upper glacier on Mount Gabb.

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: Rock Creek Pack Station (9,900 feet), on the Rock Creek Road south of Toms Place, Highway 395.
Passes Crossed: Cox Pass (13,040 feet) (0.2 mile NW Bear Creek Spire), Gabbot Pass (12,240+ feet), Recess Peak Pass (12,240+ feet) (0.2 mile SE Recess Peak)
Summit Ascents: Recess Peak (12,813 feet) and an attempt on Mount Gabb (13,741 feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 29.0 miles
Elevation gain: about 14,100 feet
Trip duration: 3 full days and parts of 2 other days
Camps: Long Lake (10,560 feet), Upper Mills Creek Lake (11,167 feet) (2 nights), Chickenfoot Lake(10,789 feet)
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 56 years) and Dr. Colin Fuller, MD (age 58 years)
Wrinkles: I took crampons but forgot my ice ax. The lack of an ice ax prevented us from reaching the summit of Mount Gabb due to steep and icy conditions near the top. We turned back around 13,400 feet not far from the summit.

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Mount Izaack Walton, Silver Peak, and Red and White Mountain--May 6-12, 2006
Subtitles for this trip could easily be, "Traverse of the Silver Divide" or "3 peaks and 9 passes in 7 days". With a heavy snow pack of approximately 180% of normal for the Sierra Nevada in the winter season of 2006, we had ample snow coverage over the entire route. On the west side of the Sierra crest near Peter Pande Lake there was about 12-15 feet of snow at the 9,600-foot level. On the east side of the Sierra crest there was about half this amount at the same elevation.

Day 1--The first day was a half day as we drove to McGee Creek Trailhead and started about 1:00 PM. We walked up the trail for about 1.5 miles before putting on our skis a short distance before the trail crossed McGee Creek. An avalanche had deposited large amounts of snow and ice at the point where the trail crosses the stream so we were able to easily cross the stream on this bridge of snow and ice. There was ample snow coverage from this point on. We followed the stream and camped just below Big McGee Lake.

Day 2--We followed the route of the trail to Little McGee Lake and McGee Pass. From the pass we skied down to Tully Lake and camped. There was little open water; however, we found water at the outlet of the lake. At 4:00 that afternoon we set off to climb Mount Izaak Walton by ascending Rohn Pass and then Walton Pass before ascending the ridge to the summit. We retraced our route and were back in camp by 7:00 PM.

Day 3--From Tully Lake, we followed Fish Creek to Tully Hole and descended to Cascade Valley at 9,200 feet. Here we left the valley and climbed steeply alongside a side stream flowing from Squaw and Warrior lakes. Near 9,700 feet we angled right and followed the stream flowing from Lake of the Lonesome Indian. We continued to climb west of the lake to 10,400 feet before cresting the ridge and dropping to the 9,600-foot level about 0.5 mile south of Grassy Lake. Here we headed west-southwest to Peter Pande Lake. This made for a picturesque campsite below Graveyard Peak and the rugged Silver Divide crest. Our goal for the next day would be Silver Peak.

Day 4--We skied across Peter Pande Lake and ascended the short distance to Anne Lake. We continued west and then northwest following a gentle valley containing Anne Lake's inflowing stream. We followed this valley to the dividing ridge between Anne Lake and Bettlebug Lake. Here we crossed the dividing ridge around 10,800 feet and made a long traverse through this magnificent basin south and west of Silver Peak. There is a natural bench around the 10,800-foot level that we followed before gaining the gap in the southeast ridge (the gap closest to the summit of Silver Peak). I carried my skies to the summit hoping to ski from the top but the slopes were extremely steep and the runout below was even steeper. With a menacing cliff band below, I decided not to ski the upper portion of the mountain. Instead, I started skiing a couple of hundred feet below the summit down to the saddle in the ridge. Colin and I made a magnificent traverse under the Silver Divide crest and back to the ridge above Anne and Peter Pande lakes. After a two-hour rest we returned to Lake of the Lonesome Indian to camp for the night.

Day 5-- On this day we crossed 5 passes on our way to Red and White Lake. From Lake of the Lonesome Indian we ascended to Papoose Lake, Chief Lake, and Warrior Lake. We ascended to Silver Pass and traversed into the basin above Warrior Lake climbing to the crest of Warrior Ridge (a pass). The snow conditions were excellent in these expansive basins. A camp at Chief Lake would provide exquisite skiing on all types of terrain from Chief Lake up to Silver Pass and Warrior Ridge. From Warrior Ridge we made a high traverse to Walton Pass and then descended to Big Horn Lake and Rosy Finch Lake before climbing to Rosy Finch Pass and descending to Grinnel Lake. We ascended past Little Grinnel Lake to Pace Col and down a steep slope to Red and White Lake. There was no water at the lake but we were able to find a stream flowing into the lake by digging down through the snow to running water.

Day 6--Since climbing and skiing the steep east face of Red and White Mountain in May of 2001, I wanted to ascend the glacier on the north side of the mountain. In the morning we purposefully slept in to give the sun rays time to reach the the steep north slopes and soften the snow surface on the glacier. From Red and White Lake we ascended the north side glacier to the skyline at 12,500 feet just left (northeast) of the summit. The glacier also crests to the right (or northwest) of the summit. This time of year the glacier is not as steep as reported by some summer climbers and was possibly 30 degrees at its steepest point.

From the 12,500-foot ridge we traversed out onto the east face climbing steeply on snow and rock. The snow was soft and we wallowed in the snow up to our mid-thighs. In 2001 when I climbed the east face, a large avalanche started from these slopes so today we were careful to stay close to the rock ribs and climb in areas protected from potential avalanches. For details of my 2001 climb and the two avalanches on the east face, see the summary below, Mount Crocker, and Red and White Mountain.

Today it was a safe climb and we reached the summit to sign the summit register. While on top, we noted that a steep uninterrupted finger of snow reached to the summit on the east face. Except for the potential of avalanches on this route, this would make an idea ski descent from the top of Red and White Mountain. We easily descended back to the 12,500-foot level were we had stashed our skis and backpack. From here we had a fast and enjoyed ski descent of the glacier back down to Red and White Lake. After a short rest we moved camp over McGee Pass to Big McGee Lake.

Day 7--We followed the outlet stream of Big McGee Lake down into the valley and back to our car at the trailhead thankful for such a rewarding and enjoyable backcountry experience. On this trip, as is the case on most of our other winter/spring ski trips, we saw no other party in the backcountry. We saw some ski tracks several miles up McGee Creek but they did not go beyond a half day traveling distance from the trailhead.

Summary
Starting/Ending Point: McGee Creek Trailhead (7,840 feet) located between Mammoth Lakes and Toms Place off Highway 395
Passes: McGee Pass (11,800 feet), Rohn Pass (11,240+ feet), Walton Col (11,720+ feet), Silver Pass (10,920 feet), Warrior Ridge (11,560 feet), Walton Col (a second time--11,720 feet), Bighorn Pass/Rosy Finch Pass (11,240+ feet), Pace Col (11,600+ feet), McGee Pass (a second time--11,800 feet)
Summit Ascents and Ski Descents: Mount Izaak Walton (12,077 feet), Silver Peak (11,878 feet), and Red and White Mountain (12,876 feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 56 miles
Elevation gain: about 17,500 feet
Trip duration: 5 full days and parts of 2 more days
Camps: near Big McGee Lake (10,472 feet), Tully Lake (10,400 feet), Peter Pande Lake(10,000 feet), Lake of the Lonesome Indian (10,200 feet), Red and White Lake (11,014 feet), and Big McGee Lake (10,472 feet)
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 56 years) and Dr. Colin Fuller (age 58 years)
Wrinkles: We took crampons and ice axes but due to mild weather and spring snow conditions, the crampons were not needed. I used my summer sleeping bag rated to 15 degrees and was warm.
Tent: We tested a Black Diamond single-wall tent on the trip. See my review of the performance of the Lighthouse tent.

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Traverse of the Trinity Alps--April 27-May 1, 2006
March and much of April 2006 saw steady flow of cold winter storms raking across the Trinity Alps and the Sierra Nevada. Many of the storms originated in the Gulf of Alaska so the snow level was relatively low for this time of year. In the Alps, the snow pack was about 170% of normal making this trip possible so late in the year. I made the crossing of the Alps using telemark skis with plastic Scarpa T-2 boots. David Figoni was on MSR Denali Ascent snowshoes with Asolo leather boots. We had originally planned to complete the trip starting at the Swift Creek Trailhead and finishing at Canyon Creek Trailhead but deep snow on the Swift Creek Road prevented vehicle travel the last three miles to the trailhead so we switched the direction of the trip and started at Canyon Creek Trailhead.

Day 1--We left Red Bluff and headed for Weaverville where we self-registered for the required wilderness permit. We continued to Junction City where we turned north up Canyon Creek Road to the trailhead at 3,000 feet. We made good time hiking up the trail to lower Canyon Creek Falls. Occasional patches of snow were encountered. Shortly above the falls we put on skis and snowshoes as the snow was deep and continuous. We followed the route of the trail to the middle Canyon Creek Falls where we angled right and then left away from the trail following a small side stream. This detour away from the trail is the most direct route and avoids steep bluffs the trail traverses. Near the upper Canyon Creek Falls angle away from the trail again avoiding bluffs near the stream. This will take you directly to lower Canyon Creek Lake.

We skied snowshoed across lower Canyon Creek Lake and then across upper Canyon Creek Lake continuing another 0.2 mile to a side stream and waterfall where we camped near the 5,800-foot level. We crossed a number of large avalanche paths below the lakes and there was about 6-7 feet of snow at the lakes.

Day 2: The narrow canyon above Canyon Creek Lakes was filled with avalanche debris (blocks of ice and snow, broken trees, etc.) from numerous avalanches that had scoured both sides of the steep-walled canyon. We were cautions and concerned, and moved steadily and quickly through the most threatening avalanche zones. Halfway up the canyon, near 7,000 feet, we reached a steep headwall. This obstruction is created by the rugged spur ridge from Wedding Cake. Continue up the heart of the valley / canyon to the headwall. This appears to be a dead-end route but at the last moment a ramp angling right up a steep snow slope appears. Climb the ramp to less steep terrain above.

The canyon steepens and the last several hundred feet below the Thompson-Caesar Cap Col is rigorous climbing. We ascend alongside a rock rib. The ice among the rocks makes for more difficult climbing but the rock bluffs provide some safety from sloughing snow and potential avalanches. David slipped here but quickly regained control after dropping about 20 feet on the ice. We continued to the 8,400-foot gap in Sawtooth Ridge and looked down on Grizzly Lake. There was only a small bit of open water near the lake's outlet--the rest of the lake was completely covered with about 10-12 feet of snow and ice.

From the col, we traversed northeast across the glacier to the saddle (near 8,000 feet) in the ridge about 0.5 mile north of Caesar Cap Peak. From this saddle, I ascended Caesar Cap Peak following the ridge to the summit. From the top, I was rewarded with spectacular views of Mount Shasta (in the distance), and Sawtooth Mountain, Mirror Lake, Sapphire Lake, Thompson Peak, and Sawtooth Ridge (in the immediate foreground). It was a fast and enjoyed 15-minute ski descent from the summit to the outlet of Grizzly Lake descending high above the right side (east side) of the lake. We camped near the lake's waterfall outlet. It was still winter at Grizzly Lake--there was 10 feet of snow around the lake and this large body of water was completely covered with snow and ice except for a small opening near the outlet.

There is a 70-foot,free-fall waterfall at the lake's outlet. Not much water was flowing over the falls and there was a massive pile/pinnacle of snow and ice nearly reaching the outlet. The water fall fell only a short distance before disappearing into the gigantic snow and ice popsicle that had formed in place of the falls.

Day 3: From our camp at Grizzly Lake we regained the 8,000-foot saddle north of Caesar Cap Peak and crossed the glacier below Caesar Cap Peak heading east toward an 8,000-foot notch in Sawtooth Ridge. The correct gap is located about 0.5 mile east of Caesar Cap Peak and drops down to Mirror Lake. For some reason we skied and snowshoed past this gap and ended up at a notch in Sawtooth Ridge directly south of Little South Fork Lake. This nondescript gap is located about 0.2 mile west of peak 7,892 feet and took us down to the middle of Sapphire Lake. It was on these steep slopes we spotted a bear running full speed across and then straight down the mountain toward Sapphire Lake. Apparently it wanted no part of us.

Looking down from the lofty gap in Sawtooth Ridge, I was concerned that we could trigger avalanches as we descended. To reduce this risk, I made several sharp traverses across the head of several steep chutes with my skis and triggered a number of surface avalanches. When the snow stopped running, we descended the avalanched slopes that were now a bit less dangerous. At the bottom we skied and snowshoed across Sapphire and Emerald Lakes, and then proceeded to slowly make our way down Stuart Fork crossing countless avalanche paths before reaching Morris Meadow and the junction to Deer Creek around 7:30 that evening. It was a long and tiring 11-hour day. An interesting part of the day was that there were bear tracks everywhere in the Stuart Fork canyon and in Morris Meadow. When we were not sure were the trail might be under the deep snow, we looked for bear tracks and followed them. They always seemed to know where the trail was. With all the bear activity, we hung our food in a nearby tree that night. This is the first time in 35 years that I have felt the need to hang my food while on a winter/spring ski trip.

This turned out to be the most strenuous day for several reasons. First, we missed the correct gap in Sawtooth Ridge to descend to Mirror Lake and ended up going too far across the glacier and descending extremely steep terrain to Sapphire Lake. On this descent we saw a bear running full tilt across the rugged mountainside. Whereas we were barely hanging on to the steep mountain, the bear was completely at ease on the ridge's steep slopes. The other difficult portion for the day was the 4-mile section below Emerald Lake to Morris Meadow. In this short section we may have crossed 20 avalanche paths and associated debris, some more than 200 yards across. Crossing these avalanche paths was tedious and slow as we maneuvered ourselves across these immense piles and canyons of snow and ice.

Day 4: We were up by 5:30 the next morning and off by 7:00. We quickly climbed to the saddle in the ridge separating Morris Meadow and Deer Creek. Although there was ample snow in the meadow, the steep hillside we climbed to the gap was mostly free of snow. From the saddle we traversed into Deer Creek and followed it for the next 4.5 miles before leaving the creek to climb to Seven-Up Pass (7,500 feet). The first two miles were the most strenuous due to avalanche debris and difficult creek crossings because of high water flows. At Willow Creek we had to hike up the stream for 15 minutes before finding a snow bridge to cross the stream. Near the creek draining the Black Basin we crossed to the southwest side of Deer Creek and continued up to the upper meadows where the trail branches to Luella Lake and Seven-Up Pass. The terrain above Black Basin was much more enjoyable and the velvet-smooth corn snow leading up to Seven-Up Pass would have made a superb ski descent. This fine snow continued to the summit of Seven-Up Peak and I had an enjoyable ascent and ski descent of the peak. As a high schooler in the 1960s, I climbed Seven-Up Peak. Nearly 40 years later I found myself ascending the peak on skis to enjoy a superb ski descent.

From Seven-Up Pass we descended to Granite Lake and camped.

Day 5: It was a relatively easy day skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking out to the trailhead and road. There was continuous snow to the foot bridge across Swift Creek but once on the other side of the roaring creek, the snow became patchy and we removed our skis and snowshoes. The trailhead parking lot had several feet of snow and patches of snow remained along the road for the upper two miles. We walked down the road where we were greeted by my parents who were there to pick us up and take us back to my car at Canyon Creek Trailhead where the traverse of the Trinity Alps had began 5 days earlier. Mom had baked apple pie and we celebrated the successful crossing of the Alps with several large pieces of freshly-baked apple pie. What a delicious and fitting end to an epic journey crossing the Trinity Alps on skis and snowshoes.

Summary
Starting Point: From Weaverville, drive west on 299W to Junction City and proceed up the Canyon Creek Road to the Canyon Creek Trailhead at 3,000 feet.
Ending Point: Swift Creek Road about 2 miles below the trailhead (about 3,500 feet)
Passes: Thompson/Caesar Cap Col (8,400 feet) and Sawtooth Ridge above Sapphire Lake (7,700+ feet), Seven-up Pass (7,500 feet)
Summit Ascents and Ski Descents: Caesar Cap Peak (8,966 feet), Seven-up Peak (8,132 feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 37 miles
Elevation gain: about 13,700 feet
Trip duration: 5 days
Camps: 0.2 mile above upper Canyon Creek Lake (5,800 feet), Grizzly Lake (7,100 feet), Morris Meadow (about 4,300 feet), and Granite Lake (5,900 feet)
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins and David Figoni
Wrinkles: We took crampons and ice axes but due to snow conditions, the crampons were not needed.

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Palisade Glacier, North Couloir and Northwest Couloir Mount Sill, and Scimitar Pass--June 4-6, 2005 and May 10-12, 1997
This trip, so late in the season, was made possible by the heavy snowfall this winter coupled with a wet and cooler than normal spring. There was considerably more snow on the ground in June 2005 than May 1997. An interesting note is that in May 1997 there was a 20 to 30-foot drop at the bergschrund between the upper snow field in the U-Notch couloir and the main Palisade Glacier. In 1997, we had to traverse the snow bridge on climbers right to cross the 'schrund. On the June 2005 outing, there was very little drop and only a small gap in the 'schrund between the upper snow couloir and the main glacier. In fact, skiers were able to descend the U-Notch couloir and continue over the 'schrund to the Palisade Glacier without breaking stride.

Day 1--Hike up the North Fork Big Pine Creek Trail passing First Lake, Second Lake, and Third Lake. After ascending several switch backs in the trail above Third Lake, leave the main trail at the sign for Palisade Glacier and Sam Mack Meadow. The trail was clear of snow with only occasional patches of snow. At the trail junction, I put on my skis and skins and there was continual snow from this point on.

After crossing the stream near the trail junction, ascend a gully bearing toward Thunderbolt Peak. At Sam Mack Meadow there was about 4 feet of snow on the ground and the stream running through the meadow was just opening up. Traverse the meadow and angle slightly left up a long and sustained gully that heads toward the U-Notch. This gully leads to Sam Mack :Lake. Near the upper end of the gully angle left out of the ravine and gain the moraine at the base of the Palisade Glacier and the lateral moraine that divides the Palisade Glacier from the Thunderbolt Glacier. I camped on this lateral moraine near 12,000 feet with wonderful views and photographic opportunities of the U-Notch, V-Notch, Thunderbolt Peak, North Palisade, and Mount Sill.

That evening, five climbers from the China Lake Search and Rescue passed my camp returning from climbing North Palisade via the U-Notch. They planned to climb Thunderbolt Peak the following day but I did not see them. Possibly the windy weather drove them off the mountain. That night the wind blew continuously shaking the tent regularly. I spent a restless night with many interruptions by noisy gusts of wind against the tent.

From the Palisade Glacier, I saw ski tracks in the Thunderbolt couloir, U-Notch couloir, and V-Notch couloir. However, no skiers had ventured up/down the Northwest Couloir on Mount Sill.

In May 1997, Colin Fuller, Bob Carlson, and I, climbed and skied the Northwest Couloir on Mount Sill (several times) and the U-Notch couloir (once).

Day 2--Ascend the lateral moraine toward the base of the U-Notch couloir and traverse southeast across the Palisade Glacier to the northwest couloir leading to the notch (13,800 feet) between Apex Peak (sub peak on Mount Sill) and Mount Sill. Cross the bergschrund and ascend a 35-degree snow and ice slope. From this notch, descend the North Couloir of Mount Sill or what is referred to as the L-shaped snow gully. This too is about 35 degrees. Alternatively, cross the Palisade Glacier and ascend Glacier Notch (0.3 mile north of Mount Sill) (13,080 feet). This is a class 3 pass and crampons on ice axe maybe required.

After skiing down the North Couloir (with full pack) and finding a way through the headwall above the Sill Glacier, I made a high traverse across the Sill Glacier traversing below Mount Sill, Mount Jepson, and the impressive vertical rock buttress that divides the Sill Glacier from Norman Clyde Glacier and Scimitar Pass. I bypassed the notch in the buttress that leads to Scimitar Pass and descended around the lower end of the buttress to the gully below the north face of Norman Clyde Peak. I set up camp in this large valley near 10,500 feet. I picked a spot behind a large boulder to protect the tent from the gusts of wind that intensified during the night. I was tired from the day's work and the lack of sleep the night before, so I was in my sleeping bag and asleep by 6:00 PM.

Day 3--I was up at 5:30 and climbing by 6:00 AM. I followed the valley and drainage toward Norman Clyde Glacier and the North Face couloir of Norman Clyde Peak. At the base of Norman Clyde Peak, angle right and continue across the large cirque passing below Palisade Crest. Ascend the left to-right angling ramp leading to Scimitar Pass (13,451 feet). On the June 2005 trip, I saw many recent snow slides in the center of the ramp. Avoid this avalanche potential by ascending Scimitar Pass on its right (climber's right).

I saw one set of ski tracks in the area and they too ascended to the top of the pass. The ski descent was superb. I was back at my camp by 11:30 AM. I packed up the tent and other belongings and headed out, arriving back at my car in four hours. A superb ski trip. The South Fork Big Pine Creek and the Scimitar Pass area is an overlooked gem and secret from those that prefer to visit the North Fork Big Pine Creek and the U-Notch on North Palisade.

Summary
Starting Point: Glacier Lodge Road/North Fork Big Pine Creek Trailhead (7,677 feet)
Passes crossed: Northwest Couloir/North Couloir Mount Sill (13,800 feet) and Scimitar Pass (13,451 feet)
Ski descents: North Couloir Mount Sill and Scimitar Pass
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 26.5 miles
Elevation gain: about 10,400 feet
Trip duration: 3 days
Camps: Palisades Glacier (12,000 feet) and below North Face Norman Clyde (at 10,500 feet)
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 55 years) and Prince (American Eskimo dog, age 14 years)

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Enchanted Gorge and Much More--May 17-23, 2005
Day 1: Parked at the intersection of Highway 168 and North Lake Road; walked to North Lake and Lamarck Lakes trailhead and skied via Grass Lake toward Lamarck Col and camped at 12,200 feet, 0.8 miles NE of Mount Lamarck. Skied the “Northeast Couloir” of Mount Lamarck and returned to camp via the gully above Upper Lamarck Lake.

Day 2: Moved camp to the uppermost lake in Darwin Canyon; climbed and skied the North Face of Mount Darwin.

Day 3: Skied to Mount Goddard via Darwin Canyon, Darwin Benches, Evolution Basin, and “Wanda Pass” (12,450 feet) on the Goddard Divide. Camped on the summit of Mount Goddard after leaving most of our food at the head of lake 11,951 east of Mount Goddard.

Day 4: Skied the East Face of Mount Goddard and made camp at the lake just north of Scylla. Climbed and skied Scylla.

Day 5: Skied down the glacier NE of Scylla, then descended the Enchanted Gorge to the 8,200-foot level. Walked and bushwhacked up the creek west of Wheel Mountain to the 9,500-foot level. Put on the skies and ascended to camp at 11,650 feet near the lake 0.9 miles N.N.E. of Wheel Mountain.

Day 6: Climbed and skied Wheel Mountain, then crossed a saddle (steep) on the Black Divide at 12,500 feet halfway between the words “Black Divide” on the USGS 7.5 minute map. From the lake just north of the saddle, climbed Mount Duncan McDuffie, then descended the “north couloir” to camp at the large lake 0.5 miles north of Mount Duncan McDuffie.

Day 7: Climbed Black Giant, then skied out via Echo Col, Moonlight Lake and Blue Lake. Drank margaritas in Bishop!!

Summary
Starting Point: The junction of Highway 168 and North Lake Road (9,000 feet)
Passes: Lamarck Col (12,960+ ft), “Wanda Pass” (12,440+ feet), Black Divide at 12,500 feet, Echo Col (12,400+ feet)
Summit ascents and ski descents: Northeast Couloir Mount Lamarck (13,417 feet), North Face Mount Darwin (13,831 ft), East Face Mount Goddard (13,568 feet), Scylla (12,956 feet), Wheel Mountain (12,774 feet), Mount Duncan McDuffie (descended the north couloir) (13,282 feet), Black Giant (13,330 feet)
Trip duration: 7 days
Participants: Dave Giese, Tahoe City and Ken Duncan, Palo Alto. For info about the trip, contact Ken Duncan at sierra_crest@hotmail.com

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Piute Pass, Ruskie Pass, Seven Gables Pass to Gemini and Seven Gables--May 14-17, 2005
On this ski trip we planned to climb Gemini, Seven Gables, and Mount Senger. To reach these distant peaks we crossed four passes in two days--Piute, Pilot Knob, Ruskie, and Seven Gables. There was still ample snow and we did not have to remove our skis for the entire trip into these lovely peaks.

Day 1--We drove to the intersection of the Sabrina Lake Road and the North Lake Road (South of Bishop) and parked in the overnight parking area. The North Lake Road was gated and blocked by snow drifts. On the first day we skied/ascend Piute Pass, crossed Pilot Knob Pass (located immediately east of Pilot Knob) and skied down into French Canyon where we camped at 10,200 feet. (For more information about this pass and route, see Trekking California. Several of the treks described in this guidebook pass through this region.)

Day 2--We quickly ascended to Merriam Lake. Above the lake we followed the drainage toward Feather Peak. About 1 mile north of Merriam Lake we ascended up a wide gully heading abruptly east out of the Merriam Lake valley. This was the perfect route over this rugged divide. The gully was shaped like a natural but gigantic snowboard terrain park constructed for snowboarders at a ski resort--but on a grand scale. There are several passes that can be used to cross this divide but this pass was the superior route. Strough Pass would be ok but the approach to the pass is somewhat out of the way. Merriam Pass and the pass north of Aweetasal Lake were guarded by cornices, cliffs, avalanches, and difficult terrain on their north sides--avoid these passes. La Salle Col and Feather Pass may have been passable but we did not get a look at their north sides.

After ascending Ruskie Pass, the skiing down into Seven Gables Lakes was supreme on perfect spring corn. We ascended Seven Gables Pass were we stashed our pack at the pass and climbed Gemini. There was snow to the summit but we were able to dig through 2 feet of snow to find the summit register. We signed in below RJ Secor (5X) and Tina Strough. They had climbed the peak the previous fall. We were able to ski from near the summit back to our packs in a matter of a few minutes. We set up camp directly below the south face of Seven Gables near 11,700 feet. We planned to climb Seven Gables peak in the morning.

Day 3-- Around midnight a strong storm wracked our tent with strong winds and snow. There was little we could do but wait for the weather to lift. Going in, we knew the weather would be unstable for the entire week but we hoped for the best, thinking the weather pattern would not be intense. We obvious were wrong. Around 2:00 PM the next day the weather began to lift so we decided to head out without climbing Seven Gables. The upper slopes and summit rocks were coated with fresh snow and ice, and more weather was predicted. Our decision to leave turned out to be a good one because by the time we reached Piute Pass on Day 4 the winds were picking up and another storm had arrived.

We retraced our route over Seven Gables Pass and Ruskie Pass. The ski descent of Ruskie Pass was most enjoyable as we descended the natural steep-sided gully with glee. The storm clouds lifted and I was able to capture some impressive photos of the clearing storm with Colin skiing the chute.

We continued to Merriam Lake where the temperature was plummeting. We ate a quick bite to eat at the lake but the cold urged us down the mountain. We descended to French Canyon and camped near the confluence of Piute Canyon and French Canyon near 9,600 feet.

Day 4--The night was clear and cold. In the morning we headed up toward Piute Pass hoping to make it over the pass before the next storm arrived. It was beginning to snow lightly and the wind was picking up as we crossed the divide. In 2 more hours of skiing past Piute Lake and Lock Leven Lake we were soon back at the car with the storm clouds and winds close behind.

Summary
Starting Point: Junction of Lake Sabrina Road (Highway 168) and the North Lake Road (9,000 feet)
Passes crossed: Piute Pass (2 times) (11,423 feet), Pilot Knob Pass (11,520+ feet), Ruskie Pass (2 times) (12,040+ feet), Seven Gables Pass (2 times) (12,040+ feet).
Summit climbs and ski descents: Northwest slope of Gemini (12,880+ feet).
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 46 miles
Elevation gain: about 10,800 feet
Trip duration: 4 days
Camps: French Canyon (at 10,200 feet), below the south face of Seven Gables (11,700 feet) confluence of French Canyon and Piute Canyon (about 9,600 feet).
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins and Dr. Colin Fuller

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Trans-Sierra Traverse-North Lake to Wishon Reservoir--April 22-29, 2005
On this extraordinary east to west crossing of the Sierra Nevada, we climbed Mount Henry, Finger Peak, and Tunemah Peak logging 76 miles while climbing about 19,300 feet with 21,300 feet of ski descent. The winter of 2004-05 was a heavy snow year (160%-200% of normal), consequently we did not have to remove our skis for the entire traverse of the Sierra Nevada except for steep snow climbing over Snow-Tongue Pass, Mantle Pass, and on the steeper sections of the three peaks we climbed. Deep snow coverage continued to the summits of all three peaks providing spectacular ski descents. For more information on portions of this route, see the articles below: "Ionian Basin for a Third Time: 5 Passes-3 Peaks--May 7-15, 2004" and "Black Giant and Mount Goddard via Echo Col, Muir Pass, Ionian Basin, Evolution Basin, Alpine Col, Piute Pass--April 23-May 1, 1995".

On this trip we had unsettled weather for the entire 8-day trip. It snowed every day except on the fourth day and eight day. On the seventh day it snowed about a foot and visibility was so poor we could not see more than 100 feet much of the day and had to use the GPS and compass to cross Mantle Pass. We a had similar storm when we climbed Mount Henry.

Day 1--On Friday afternoon, we started at 3:30 PM and skied to just below Lock Leven Lake in light to heavy falling snow.

Day 2--We crossed Piute Pass (11,423 feet), dropped to Wahoo Lakes, and ascended Snow-Tongue Pass (12,200 feet) in blowing snow (for more information about this pass and route, see Trekking California. Several of the treks described in this guidebook pass through this region.) We were able to skin up on our skis to about 400 feet below the pass. The last 400 feet was up steep, unconsolidated snow. We stayed on the snow but followed a rock buttress up the middle of the wide gully to the pass. From Wahoo Lakes two notches in the high ridge are visible. We climbed up and over the left notch. The ski descent from the pass to lower McClure Meadow was on perfect spring corn all the way to the JMT bridge crossing on the South Fork San Joaquin River at 8,600 feet. On your ski descent, do not traverse too far to the west because you will encounter snow-less cliffs as you descend to Evolution Valley. We camped in 6-8 feet of snow near the bridge.

Day 3--We crossed the South Fork San Joaquin River on the foot bridge and ascended alongside the stream flowing from an alpine lake basin east of Mount Henry. The climbing was over snow and steep cliffs. After 1,200 feet of climbing the terrain leveled off and we quickly reached the lovely lake basin below Henry. We gained the Northeast Ridge and ascended the heavily corniced ridge to the summit in a whiteout. There was ample snow for superb skiing off the summit of Mount Henry all the way back to our camp on the river.

Day 4--We followed the Goddard Canyon and the South Fork San Joaquin River to Martha Lake. For the first 3.5 miles, the canyon was narrow forcing us to ski 100-200 feet above the river in many places. We ascended on the west side of the river. In the area of the Pig Chute (miles 2-3 above the bridge and our camp) the canyon was especially narrow and steep requiring a careful ski traverse above the precipitous canyon in a couple of spots. We found open water at the outlet of Martha Lake and camped. Martha Lake is surrounded by Mount Goddard, Reinstein Pass and Mount Reinstein--a lovely and exposed spot to camp above the tree line. But the weather was beautiful on this particular day.

Day 5--Up early in the morning, we quickly crossed Reinstein Pass (11,880+ feet) and made a 3-mile long gradual descent along the southeast side of the pass traversing in and out of several cirques until we reached 10,200-foot level and the stream flowing from the lake basin located north of Blue Canyon Peak and Finger Peak. We ascended past several lakes in the basin and climbed steeply to Finger Col. Just beyond the Col, we dropped our packs and climbed the southeast slope of Finger Peak. There was snow to the summit block but the summit register was free of snow so we signed in. The ski descent back to our packs and then to the lakes in Blue Canyon Creek took only a couple of minutes. The skiing was across velvet smooth spring corn but it began to snow by the time we set up our tent for the night.

Day 6--Today we set out to cross Dykeman Pass and climb Tunemah Peak. Dykeman Pass is the left most notch in a 0.5 mile break in the ridge dividing Blue Canyon Creek from Alpine Creek (the notch closest to Blue Canyon Peak is the correct pass). The other notches in the ridge look inviting but steep cliffs on the Alpine Creek side block the way. The widely spaced trees on Tunemah Peak provided excellent skiing from the summit. We returned over Dykeman Pass to our camp. The sun was out but the sky soon filled with clouds and it began to snow.

Day 7--There was a major storm brewing and we needed to cross Mantle Pass to keep on schedule. With compass, map, and GPS we navigated over the pass in poor visibility. Without the GPS we may not have found the pass that day. At one point we thought we had reached a dead-end cirque with towering cliffs blocking our progress. The GPS said we had 266 feet further to go to Mantle Pass but we were sure the pass was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the storm-clouds lifted momentarily and we saw a glimpse of Mantle Pass 266 feet away. We climbed the pass and continued down to Hummingbird Lake. Here we considered camping for the day because of the storm but pushed on. We planned to ski from Crown Basin to Crown Lake on open slopes above the tree line and along the ridge, but with all the fresh snow that was falling we were concerned about avalanche potential. So we adjusted our course and headed north across Crown Basin through a 10,200-foot pass I am calling Crown Basin Pass (due north of Crown Basin) to the North Fork Kings River. From here, we followed the route of the trail to Halfmoon Lake. We arrived at Halfmoon Lake during the half moon for April. The day was a day of snow and more snow. Because of the limited visibility we constantly checked our compass, map, and GPS to make sure we were headed in the correct direction. We were glad to finally reach the lake, tired but pleased with all the work we had done during the day bucking all the fresh snow on the ground. We were on schedule.

Day 8--With all the fresh snow it was a struggle to ascend Crown Pass but once on the downhill side of the pass we skied in a southwesterly direction nearly all the way to Wishon Reservoir following Woodchuck Creek drainage. We made one major tactical error. We continued all the way to the lake thinking we could hike the necessary two miles along its shore to Wishon Dam and Wishon Dam Road. The two-mile hike along the rugged lake shore to the dam was over steep cliffs and rugged bluffs that required complicated route finding over strenuous class 2 and some class 3 climbing (mixed snow and rock climbing with plastic ski boots). Avoid descending along Woodchuck Creek to Wishon Reservoir unless you have arranged for a boat taxi to pick you up.

Here is what we should have done. From Crown Pass head southwest to Finger Rock. Pass to the south of Finger Rock and begin to descend Rancheria Creek following the route of the summer trail. After a mile, leave Rancheria Creek and follow the route of the Woodchuck Trail to its trailhead about 0.8 mile from Wishon Dam. If you continue following Rancheria Creek and the route of the Rancheria Creek Trail, you will come to its trailhead about 5.0 miles from Wishon Reservoir. On this trip, the Wishon Dam Road was closed at Wishon Dam due to snow. The opening of the road varies from year to year depending upon snow depths.

Summary
Starting Point: Junction of Lake Sabrina Road and the North Lake Road (9,000 feet)
Passes crossed: Piute Pass (11,423 feet), Snow-Tongue Pass (12,200+ feet), Reinstein Pass (11,880+ feet), Finger Col (11,560+ feet), Dykeman Pass (twice) (11,040+ feet), Mantle Pass (10,960+ feet), Crown Basin Pass (between Crown Basin and North Fork Kings River) (10,200 feet), Crown Pass (10,188 feet).
Summit climbs and ski descents: Northeast Ridge Mount Henry (12,196 feet), Southeast slopes Finger Peak (12,404 feet), and Southwest slope Tunemah Peak (11,894 feet).
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced skiing terrain
Mileage: about 76 miles
Elevation gain: about 19,300 feet
Trip duration: 7.5 days
Camps: Below Loch Leven Lake at 10,200 feet, John Muir Trail bridge crossing of the South Fork San Joaquin River (two nights) (8,600 feet), Martha Lake (11,004 feet), Blue Canyon Creek Lakes (two nights) (about 10,400 feet), Halfmoon Lake (9,422 feet).
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins and Dr. Colin Fuller

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Mount Baxter, Mount Cotter, Rae Lakes, Sixty Lake Basin--April 7-13, 2005
On this trip I planned to ascend Baxter Pass and head to Rae Lakes and then to Sixty Lakes Basin to climb Mount Gardiner and the East Ridge of Mount Cotter. I followed the route of the Baxter Pass Trail, the John Muir Trail, and Sixty Lake Basin Trail to reach Mount Gardiner and Mount Cotter.

The snow accumulation for the winter season 2004-2005 was above average in the Sierra Nevada: about 160-200% of normal. Not only were the snow depths above normal in the high country the amount of snow on the east side stretched lower than is typical for this time of the year. I encountered snow after only 1 mile of hiking at the 6,700 foot level.

At the 6,700-foot level the trail crosses the North Fork Oak Creek for the first time passing from the sunny side to the shaded northern exposure. Rather than following the trail and fighting the snow, I stayed on the sunny side of the stream/canyon following it for another 2 miles. Progress was slow with some bushwhacking but this was probably better than staying on the trail and post-holing on a steep traverse below rugged cliffs. After the trail crosses the stream a second time (near 8,400 feet), the canyon widens providing excellent skiing and easier travel.

Except for this two-mile section, this is an excellent but strenuous approach to the backcountry and contains exceptional skiing on both sides of Baxter Pass. A base camp at Summit Meadow with side trips to the gullies off of Black Mountain, Diamond Peak, and Baxter Pass make this an ideal location for the backcountry skier. However, I noticed considerable avalanche debris in the bottom of the canyon below Summit Meadow. These avalanches originated from the steep cliffs on the north side of the canyon.

Day 1 and Day 2--The start of the trip was slowed by two days of storms, high winds, poor visibility, and 2 feet of fresh powder. The unsettled weather slowed my progress over Baxter Pass and increased the avalanche risk. On the first day, poor visibility, strong winds, and falling snow forced me to camp below Summit Meadow near 9,200 feet. On the second day I was up early and was greeted by a clear sky. However, by 10:00 AM I was engulfed in a fast approaching storm. Again, high winds, poor visibility, and falling snow stopped my progress below Baxter Pass near 11,100 feet at 1:00 PM. I set up camp in a thicket of evergreen trees that partially sheltered the tent from the strong wind, and waited for better weather.

Day 3--On the third day the weather finally improved. The steep ascent of Baxter Pass was safe from avalanches as the route/trail followed the nose of a large buttress that was swept clear of snow by frequent strong winds. The powder skiing on the north side of Baxter Pass was exceptional and I soon reached Baxter Lake and Dollar Lake (located along the John Muir Trail). My dog, Prince, and I followed the tracks of a coyote for several miles as the animal visited the few areas of open water along the creek seeking a meal. We continued up the valley following the route of the John Muir Trail to Rae Lakes and camped at the lower end of the upper Rae Lake, not too far from the bear boxes and the summer campsite for hikers and trekkers. Although popular in the summer and fall, there was no sign of human activity here or anywhere along my route this wintery April.

Day 4--The next day after photographing Painted Lady, Fin Dome, and a frozen Rae Lakes, we headed to Sixty Lake Basin. We followed the route of the Sixty Lake Basin Trail from the upper end of Rae Lakes over the pass behind Fin Dome (Fin Dome Pass) and down into Sixty Lake Basin where I set up camp at Lake 10,840 feet. This lake is located south of the point where the Sixty Lake Basin Trail makes a sharp right turn heading north. From camp, I ascended Sixty Lake Col (located 1.5 miles south of Mount Cotter) and observed an easy snow ramp down into Gardiner Basin and a steep snow ramp leading to Mount Gardiner. I had planned to ascend Mount Gardiner but due to all the fresh snow I did not think it would be safe. Between the south ridge and east ridge of Mount Cotter (southeast basin) there is a large and magnificent open bowl that would be ideal for skiing under the right snow conditions. In this situation, 2 feet of fresh snow had fallen two days previous and the basin was prone to avalanches.

Day 5--From camp at Lake 10,840 feet, I ascended on skis with skins northwest through cliffs and small stands of trees via snow ramps and gullies to a large open bowl immediately south of the east ridge of Mount Cotter. Here I removed my skis and ascended the steep nose of a large buttress to gain the crest of the east ridge. I selected this route because there was less snow on the nose of the buttress, and large boulders and a few small trees provided some protection from potential avalanches that were more likely to occur in the large open bowls off the southeast slopes of Mount Cotter.

From the top of the buttress I was able to skin up along the crest of the East Ridge to the point where the East Ridge and South Ridge meet. Here I left my skis and ascended the sharp ridge on mixed climbing amongst rocks, ice, and snow (Class 3). I used and an ice ax but not crampons to traverse this portion of the summit ridge. The summit register was free of snow so I was able to sign in.

The ski descent along the airy crest of the East Ridge and then down the nose of the buttress to easy open terrain is a classic: one of the best in the Sierra Nevada. And, of course, the views of Clarence King, Mount Gardiner, and Sixty Lake Basin are stunning along this exposed but not overly difficult route. The East Ridge seems to be a safe route that keeps the skier/climber away from the large southeast basin between the east and south ridges. These beautiful slopes could be avalanche prone immediately after a snowfall. They would likely be safe after the snow turns to spring corn.

Day 6--From camp at Lake 10,840 feet, I retraced my route over Fin Dome Pass to Rae Lakes, Dollar Lake, and Baxter Lake, where I climbed Mount Baxter. The wind was so strong on the summit ridge of Mount Baxter that I stayed away from the crest of the ridge for fear of being blown off. After reaching the summit, I skied down and set up camp in the last stand of small trees above the upper end of Baxter Lake. The trees provided a measure of protection from the winds that were howling like a locomotive train through the cliffs and over the ridges above my camp.

Day 7--The next morning in high winds (maybe 50+ mph) I crested Baxter Pass. Except for the miserable wind, the ski descent of the south and east side of Baxter Pass down the canyon was superb. Near the bottom where the canyon narrowed, I followed the route of the trail through the lower rugged portion of the canyon. The traverse below the cliffs is very steep and can be prone to avalanches. Be cautious. I was able to ski nearly all the way to the stream crossing at 6,700 feet.

This was an excellent trip worth repeating. The skiing was exceptional, the mountain scenery superb, and the mountains stunning. The only draw back is the 2-mile stretch of trail on the lower portion of North Fork Oak Creek. However, in a normal snow year there may be very little snow along this stretch of trail making access through this rugged portion of the canyon to the 8,400-foot level much less difficult.

Summary
Starting Point: Baxter Pass Trailhead on the North Fork Oak Creek (6,000 feet)
Passes: Baxter Pass (12,200 feet), Fin Dome Pass (11,300 feet), Sixty Lake Col (11,680 feet)
Summit climbs and ski descents: East Ridge Mount Cotter (12,721 feet) Mount Baxter (13,125 feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous ascents, Advanced-Expert skiing terrain
Mileage: about 52 miles
Trip duration: 7 days
Best time to go: April and early-May
Participants: Paul Richins (age 55 years), and my American Eskimo Dog, Prince (age 14 years)

[Climb to the Top] [Rappel to the Bottom]

Ionian Basin for a Third Time: 5 Passes-3 Peaks--May 7-15, 2004
In April 1995, Bob Carlson and I skied into Ionian Basin for the first time and ascended Mount Goddard and Black Giant skiing from their summits wearing Asolo Snowfield leather lace-up ski boots and gliding on Chouinard Valmonte X skis. These "skinny" skis were the state of the art in 1995. With the shovel to tail dimensions of 68mm-54mm-57mm these were one of the wider backcountry skis commercially available at the time. The skis' width pales in comparison to the dimensions of the Black Diamond Mira skis (112mm-79mm -102mm) I used for this excursion along with Scarpa T-3 plastic ski boots. The equipment changes over the past years (wider and shorter skis, and plastic ski boots) have been wonderful improvements that have helped all of us become better backcountry skiers allowing us to safely ski on more difficult and steeper mountain terrain.

On this adventure, our party ascended five passes (Echo Col, Muir Pass, Solomons Pass, Reinstein Pass, Valor Lake Pass) on our way westward from Lake Sabrina and traversed the same passes a second time on the return trip. Along the way we climbed and skied from the summits of Mount Goddard (13,568 feet), Mount Reinstein (12,586 feet), and Mount Fiske (13,503 feet). Next year we plan to complete a trans-Sierra crossing following a similar route to ascend Finger and Tunemah Peaks before finishing the trip on the west side of the range.

At the start, the snow and ice had melted from Lake Sabrina so we walked along the trail to Blue Lake. Some snow was encountered but we were able to walk most of the way to Blue Lake without pulling out our skis. This was in stark contrast to May 4-10, 2003 trip and the 1995 trip into the same area (see details below) where we were able to ski across Lake Sabrina to start that odyssey. Follow the route of the trail to Blue Lake, Dingleberry Lake, Topsy Turvey Lake, Sailor Lake Moonlight Lake, and Echo Lake before ascending steeply over Echo Col. Descend the far side of Echo Col to a large lake (at 11,428 feet) and down to the John Muir Trail before turning up the canyon to Helen Lake (11,617 feet) and Muir Pass (11,955 feet).

Strong winds and poor visibility prevented us from traversing Solomons Pass (immediately west of Mount Solomons) so we retreated to Muir Hut (at Muir Pass) for a couple of hours. The wind continued to howl and rock the stone hut but the weather quickly improved allowing us to retrace our steps. This time we crested the pass with a fine ski descent to the first lake (11,592 feet) in Ionian Basin. Mount Solomons has a steep and spectacular snow couloir directly above Muir Pass and a more moderate slope on the southwest side of the mountain for an excellent 1,500-foot ski descent to the first lake in Ionian Basin.

We continued along the chain of lakes in the Ionian Basin to the second lake (11,837 feet), past several small ponds to the third lak