A Baden-Powell Sampler
With the 2 open and a blanket of deep snow to the west of Vincent Gap, oh how spoiled we've become. It may be dry out there, but the skiing remains fantastic.
Yes of course conditions are variable, but ice has not been a problem since the Thanksgiving storm; wintery snow persists in the protected gullies between Baden-Powell and Throop Peak, all of it easily accessible from the highway.
We let the plan evolve as the spirit moved us. Wherever we found good skiing, we skied it—often enjoying stellar city, ocean, and desert views. In the end, Dave and I were tempted to venture down into Baden-Powell's raucous northwest gully, resulting in yet another classic Southern California ski mountaineering adventure.
Why ski anywhere else? :)
— December 15, 2025
Andy Lewicky is the author and creator of SierraDescents
Walter Kibler December 15, 2025 at 3:09 pm
That's great! Crazy how much the exposure plays into the base depth. You wouldn't guess there's anything skiable by looking at Baldy's south face from LA. Maybe I'll go up this weekend.
Dan Conger December 18, 2025 at 7:05 am
Another amazing trip. So many people just don't know that there are three major mountain ranges surrounding the LA basin. Palisades Tahoe only has one run open the conditions have been so dry and warm up here. Mammoth seems to be doing OK, though.