Mammoth Crest – Crystal Chute
Crystal Chute is one of the closest technical objectives in the Mammoth Lakes basin, and probably a solid entry point if you're looking to dabble in steep skiing along the Mammoth Crest.
Despite being a mere 1.3 miles from the Lake George parking lot, the direct approach is surprisingly bullshitty: you have to contend with not one but two lakes plus a troublesome headwall. Above 9700' or so, however, the fun-factor goes up considerably.
Greenberg/Mingori actually recommend bypassing the lower drainage by ascending Red Cone's northeast ridge and then traversing the crest for a top-down approach to the chute... which in hindsight probably is the better way to go unless you like backtracking and swearing.
True, you won't be able to assess snow quality unless you climb the chute, but forgoing the esoteric pleasures of the headwall/lakes approach might just be worth it.
However you get there, the chute sits atop its own little mini-drainage between Red Cone and Crystal Crag, and if you behave yourself it's possible to get some fine steep turns with minimal exposure.
Note that the Crest does see a lot of winter wind, which tends to put large and potentially dangerous cornices atop many of the area's skiable lines.
After enjoying all that wonderfully-smooth snow on Mount Gould's east face last week, I was surprised by how sun-cupped the slopes above Crystal Lake were. We grumbled quite a bit trying to get our skins to hold, and eventually gave up and put skis on our backs.
We kept a wary eye on the cornices and did our best to manage the ever-increasing angle without snow tools. At the crest, we traversed right and successfully scrambled around the west end of the cornice, topping out at 10,500'. If climbing the chute again I would definitely bring an axe and crampons.
After catching our breath, we switched to skis and made an exciting entry through a break in the cornice. For me, the skiing offered just the right amount of sizzle.
The snow in the chute was reasonably smooth; soft and consolidated in the middle, firmer and steeper to skier's right.
How steep was it? I'd say solidly in the 40-45 degree range.
As for exposure, if you stick to the center of the chute, a fall would likely send you into the middle of the open bowl below, which would be at least hypothetically survivable.
Some days it's just good clean fun, and that's how it was this past Memorial Day Weekend. Not too warm, not too cold, not too scary. As an introduction to Mammoth Crest steep skiing, this one felt just right.
Below the apron we paused to discuss our options. Crystal Lake feeds into a gully/waterfall that splits the Lake George headwall. The headwall chute was our planned exit route, but getting around Crystal Lake does require a bit of bother.
We decided to pass to the east of the lake, hoping we'd be able to stay on our skis longer. Below Crystal Lake, the headwall gully had just enough snow to be skiable, but it is steep and narrow, and in spring conditions you should be prepared for rollers, wet slides, and the possibility of collapsing snowbridges over running water.
Two days earlier my son and I went up the Duck Pass Trail and skied a prominent Y-shaped couloir below a rock spire over Emerald Lake. That was the first time I'd ever skied in the Mammoth Lakes basin.
Overall, I'm surprised by how snaggy the area is.
With the roads open I had imagined there would be easy, straightforward access to great skiing, but that's really not the case. Expect quite a lot of up-and-down and winding navigation through gullies, benches, and forests, complicated by lakes and cliffs and creeks, until you reach the upper snowfields.
Even then, things don't open up all that much compared to the big glacial cirques in the higher Sierra elevations. There is a lot of cool skiing to be found along the Crest all the way back to Duck Lake, but probably best to bring a local. :)
— May 27, 2025
My family and I are deeply grateful to all of you for your kind words, encouragement, and offers of support. Every message and every gesture—big or small—has meant a lot to us. We're doing the best we can ❤️
Dan Conger May 27, 2025 at 7:08 pm
Love Mammoth. Great trip report!