Lone Pine Peak – East Couloir
Sometimes as a writer you just don’t know how much information to give.
It would be easy to present this as a dashing adventure in which I fearlessly charged into the unknown and triumphed, except that’s not at all what it was like.
This was an intense struggle that really made me question myself and what I was trying to do.
I had noticed a tiny sliver of snow near Lone Pine Peak’s summit several years ago. It looked interesting. It also looked like it fed right into the middle of the peak’s massive northeast headwall, a 1000′ high cliff with no way out.
How I ever came to think it would be possible to ski this line, I can’t say. Occasionally, I guess my imagination runs amuk. I am glad to be able to return and tell the tale here. It was a powerful experience. For the record, I don’t know if this has ever been done before. It’s just such a big, elegant, aesthetic line it’s hard to believe it could have escaped so many good skiers’ attention for so long (though, as I note, it is indeed ‘hidden in plain view’). But I’ve never heard a word of it, so I just don’t know.
Lone Pine Peak: Summit to Desert
10 Responses to “Lone Pine Peak – East Couloir”
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Robert Kieffer says:
Fantastic article! Absolutely riveting, with stunning pictures. Thank you!
BTW, is “camp Doom” a name you came up with?
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Scott Wilson says:
This entry is pure inspiration. Thanks for the incredible story!
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Bill says:
Outstanding Andy. I’ve eyed that line so many times wondering the same thing. Way to get up there and do it.
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Mike Wilson says:
This is absolutely the most insane TR i have ever read in taking place in the Eastern Sierra. Inspiring, What an unreal line. I’ll be first in line to buy the book.
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Michael Ambrose says:
Andrew this is a brilliant piece of writing. Well done. You have captured the essence of adventure in the Range of Light with this one. Hope to run into you sometime this spring…maybe Ellery Bowl…
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Scott Wilson says:
Found a snapshot* from the drive up Whitney Portal Road. Just another angle of the Northeast Face and Headwall on Lone Pine Peak.
I have always looked up there from the road and wondered if it was do-able or if anything connected to the top.
Incredible that you answered those questions here, and bagged it just a few days later!Andrew, thanks again for the amazing T.R. on this line!
Cheers!
S.Wilson(*apologies for the low quality – it was taken from an iPhone.)
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powderjunkie says:
I love checking in on your website and seeing what mountain you’ve conquered. This one blows the others away. Amazing climb and descent and well written as always.
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Tim Birkmann says:
January 21st, 2009 at 11:55 am
I stumbled upon this article by accident, and I COULDN’T STOP reading til I got the the END ! Awesome TR, and great prose. I almost felt like I was there with you. I, too, love the solo missions (my wife will NEVER understand), and I can just “barely” imagine your elation. THANK YOU for sharing this with your unknown brethren of the Sierras.
I am a skier, and a rock climber, but I have never linked the 2 (except the upper ribbon on the backside of Mt. Baldy in Southern Cal, about 1100 vertical feet of continuous ribbon).
Once again, awesome.
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Sam Page says:
Fantastic trip report. I had no idea there was a continuous snow climb (let alone ski descent) up the Northeast Couloir (or Inyo Creek drainage) on Lone Pine Peak. I’ll bet it’s in great shape right now.
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martin says:
Nice, I snowboarded the line this April (in Powder). Walked up the road and climbed from Meysan lakes T-head, accessed the summit plateau via a couloir from the west side.
North Peak - North Couloir
Pieps FreeRide
Birch - Southeast Face
Bloody Mtn - Bloody Couloir
Williamson - Bairs Creek Cirque
