White Mountain Is White
Passing Olancha and entering the outskirts of Lone Pine on Highway 395, what should my wondering eyes see but snow—and lots of it—dusting the high peaks. Apparently last week’s thunderstorms did a little more work than I gave them credit for. The Whitney Zone seemed to catch a good piece of it, but farther north, say Bishop area, there wasn’t nearly as much in the Sierra. But look at White Mountain! (more…)
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Mammoth: Electrifying!
It was such a beautiful sunny morning here at Mammoth Mountain California, I was beginning to hope the forecast T-storms would fail to show. Nope: right around 11 a.m. things began to cloud up, and by noon, there was an big black cloud hanging just west of the mountain, drifting steadily toward Chair 23. But the best skiing was off the top, and I just wasn’t ready to go home (more…)
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Mammoth
Thank goodness we have Mammoth! Your Southern Sierra looks an awful lot like summer right now, but atop Mammoth Mountain there’s got to be a solid 12 feet or so of snow. With the wind and sun in your favor, you’ll find upper mountain skiing in great shape, and lower mountain groomers offering sweet but ephemeral turns in that short windows of opportunity between the opening bell and the onset of mash potatoes (more…)
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Snow Valley: Done
Given what a rotten winter it’s been in the backcountry, it was sure a solid season for me and my kids at Snow Valley…at least until today. The kids and I skied Easter 2012 at Snow Valley (which was April 8), and a week later we skied it again, enjoying truly excellent coverage. No such luck this year. With only chair 6 running(!), we drove past today and headed somewhat guiltily to Snow Summit (more…)
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Birch Mountain Benchmark
I like Birch Mountain as a benchmark for Eastern Sierra snowpack conditions because it’s gigantic and because it’s readily viewable from Highway 395. Birch’s upper face tells us a lot about what the wind has been doing throughout the year, and its lower slopes tell us a lot about temperatures—as well as overall snowfall. So how are things looking here in March 2013 (more…)
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Point of No Return?
Well there just hasn’t been much news this winter in the current conditions category. For the Southland mountains I’d say we’re fast approaching the point of no return (though even that may be an optimistic assessment). It’s deep into March, and there’s nothing on the short or long range to suggest a happy ending to what has been yet another tough year (more…)
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Blue Ridge Benchmark
Yes that is indeed Mount Baldy’s north face (aka Mt. San Antonio), as seen today from the Blue Ridge Road viewpoint on Highway 2, and yikes! there sure isn’t much snow up there. This view is absolutely one of my favorite benchmarks for Southern California conditions, and there’s just no escaping it—things are pretty grim this year (more…)
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Slide Peak Sunday
Okay, maybe it’s because I’ve got a season pass, but if you ask me, Snow Valley has by far the best vibe of any of the SoCal mountain resorts. It just feels like skiing here. Yes, the lifts are awful, but the value is great—especially if you bring your family. And on a day like today, with 14-18″ of fresh snow blanketing the hill, the mountain really shines. No shortage of fresh tracks were had on Slide Peak today (more…)
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The Mid-January “Hmm”
Well, temperatures are back in the 70′s here in SoCal, so things appear to be getting back to normal. A big thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts and support during our historic cold snap—it was touch-and-go for a while there, but it looks like we’re going to pull through just fine. Here in mid-January, we’ve reached that time of year when I find myself looking outside, rubbing my chin, and saying, “Hmm…” (more…)
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How to Empathize With Your Freezing L.A. Friends
You are looking at an actual photograph of the thermometer outside my West Los Angeles apartment taken 10 a.m. this morning, looking out at a bright and sunny Southern California day. In case you are wondering, this photograph has not been doctored or altered in any way. Temperatures are indeed currently in the 40′s throughout the coastal L.A. Basin. In other words: we’re freezing! (more…)
