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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 17, 2018 - 08:58am PT
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Hey, BC ski tour folk...
A buddy of mine is considering a ski tour from the Valley to Mammoth in the spring (early April)- here's the rough route he's sketched out:
Anybody ever done a tour like this?
He hasn't found much beta on something similar, which seems somewhat odd. Suppose it's the trans-Sierra logistics (i.e. shuttles) that have roadblocked it?
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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Dec 17, 2018 - 10:39am PT
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Popular snow machine route...Highly recommended unless the Twig Pigs do a fly over...
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 17, 2018 - 10:49am PT
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Are you serious, rj? How can that be...isn't a lot of this NP land?
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Dec 17, 2018 - 11:31am PT
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Easier if you start in Mammoth, 5000 feet higher. I did a variant of this back in the 70s, across Thousand Island Lake, down the North Fork of the San Joaquin and into Yosemite over Isberg Pass. It was Memorial Day and my partner described Isberg as a "white oven". There was a very steep section entering the North Fork.
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Risk
Mountain climber
Marooned, 855 miles from Tuolumne Meadows
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Dec 17, 2018 - 12:24pm PT
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The routes before and after "Mt. Lyell" seem highly uncertain. Blue line crosses near Emeric Lake, where ther's a cliff, then randomly traverses to Lyell via the Florence basin, encircled by cliffs. Red line goes up Lewis creek and then traverses the Mt Florence ridge, which is really broken. Approach to Merced Lake area in winter should avoid the canyon, I think. Both lines converge around Simmons and then cross at the Lyell/McClure saddle, which is a broken 4th class cliff on the back side. The route then passes near Mt Ansel Adams and crosses out of the park into the North Fork SJ canyon. Either I'm nuts or the planner of these routes is nuts because they both seem highly improbable of being feasible on skis.
Back side of Lyell
Below Simmons
Mt Florence
North Fork SJ River at Stevenson Mdw
Back side of Ritter above Stevenson Mdw
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 17, 2018 - 01:57pm PT
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There's a 'symbolic' reason for the Valley to Mammoth itin...it's partly about remembering a good friend of ours (and his co-workers) who were killed in the Mammoth Ski Patrol fumarole incident about 12 years ago. The plan is to hopefully finish at the 'Top of the World', where the memorial is.
TMJesse- my buddy simply sketched this out using Google Earth- there's definitely a limitation on how effective route finding would be via a computer screen. Your personal experience (& images) are far more useful!
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Dec 17, 2018 - 06:19pm PT
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my buddy simply sketched this out using Google Earth
Haven't done it, but topo maps would be better than google earth for route planning.
I'd skin up Tioga Pass from Lee Vining and then follow the JMT from Tuolumne to Mammoth.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 17, 2018 - 07:02pm PT
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The origin of Yosemite and the termination of Mammoth Mtn is a central part of the itin, for remembrance reasons.
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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Dec 17, 2018 - 07:14pm PT
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Ahh great pictures Risk :)
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Jay S
Mountain climber
Silver Gate, Mt
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Dec 17, 2018 - 07:29pm PT
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I have done it a few times by different routes.
From Mammoth over a pass north of Iron Mtn with good skiing down to the North Fork.
Up to Iceberg Pass and down the Merced.
From Minaret Summit followed the ridge out past Two Teats then over to Thousand Island and up pass to Lake Catherine. Eric is right there were some steep slopes getting down.
Up to Iceberg Pass and a traverse along the Clark Range to the Pass south of Red Peak and down Illilouette to Muir Trail.
I really like the Triple Divide Peak area. The north side holds snow late.
Starting in the valley isn't that big of deal. I would do it early enough in the year to have snow in little Yo. I have skied up in mid winter and it is fun.
Stream crossings can be an issue so it is good to find real bridges for the big ones.
Jay
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Dec 17, 2018 - 08:16pm PT
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Ritter Pass is the easiest route across the Ritter Range. This would be a classy finish if you had a heavy Winter.
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Dec 17, 2018 - 08:51pm PT
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The origin of Yosemite and the termination of Mammoth Mtn is a central part of the itin, for remembrance reasons.
Gotcha.
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mark_miller
Trad climber
Calgary
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Dec 18, 2018 - 08:38am PT
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I'm "the buddy" apogee mentioned who's musing about these lines. Here's a (slightly evolved) rendition via caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/LG85
I figure this could be pure silly as a concept but certainly appreciate the real insights from folks for whom this terrain is closer in mind or experience. I do like silly and I'm an incredibly strong* ski tourer (*in my mind when I'm sitting comfortably at home). 20 years ago we spent a lot of time in the Sierra high country but never earlier than May on the west side. Thank you Jay S and Risk and others for your thoughtful inputs.
I figure that staying up and out of Merced Canyon would be wise for avoiding overhead hazard as the season is changing. Seems that's a supported thought.
If we have a good old fashioned Sierra winter, any thoughts on elevation where skiable snow might be reliable coming out of the Valley April 1st? I was 'confidently' pegging it at ~7000' (while hoping for better based on old memories around Sierra Summit (Lakeshore) area). Reasonable?
Any tips on permit considerations and who to contact to play nicely with land managers?
Thanks again, all.
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cleo
Social climber
wherever you go, there you are
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Dec 18, 2018 - 09:43am PT
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I've done the first half of your ski tour (Yosemite Valley to the trail heading to Vogelsang, via Merced Lake) on April 9-10, 2008. I met 2 skiers who had come FROM Mammoth along the way, so it's doable.
There wasn't any skiable snow, really, until about 9000'. So I hiked 2/3 of the 30 or so miles to Tuolumne.
There also wasn't much avalanche danger in spring conditions. There are a couple of spots that sit below slopes, yes, and some evidence of old slides, but I think you'd have to be really, really unlucky to be below a slab of old snow the moment it lets loose way above you (no chance of skier triggered avalanche). I scurried through those areas quickly. Mid-winter might be different.
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Alois
Trad climber
Idyllwild, California
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Dec 18, 2018 - 03:25pm PT
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Back in the mid 90s, Miguel Carmona and skied from Lee Vining to Lambert Dome and turned up the valley of Lyel over Donohue Pass and on to Mammoth.
Took us 3.5 days and we did about 8-10 miles of comfortable skiing a day. We left our car at Andy Fried's place in Mammoth, he drove us to the Tioga Road' winter closure gate and we started from there. Great trip in early to mid April.
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Old man running
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Dec 18, 2018 - 04:42pm PT
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We skied from Mammoth to Thousand Island Lakes to Donahue Pass, down Lyle Canyon to Tuolumne Meadows, took a left onto Hwy 120, another left at Olmstead Point and then down Snow Creek Trail to the Valley. Consider that route, it was gorgeous! [I've also hiked up Snow Creek in the winter - wasn't bad, took 2 hours to get to Hwy 120.] My recollection was that we got a permit at the rangers office in Mammoth. It took us 4+ days because the snow was 100% breakable crust. The only route finding issue was trying to stay on Snow Creek trail at the top since it was covered in snow and you run into cliffs if off route.
We considered your route but were afraid of ice, avalanche, and route finding issues (perhaps wrongly) going down JMT into the Valley.
I've also done winter ski trips from Onion Valley/Shepard Pass to Wolverton (sp) -spectacular!-, and to celebrate my 50th birthday did a one day winter trip from Lee Vining to the Valley. The one day trip took 10 hours and was great because I carried minimal gear and didn't need a permit (I hoped). I rode my bike with my skis on my back from Lee Vining to Tioga Pass, and temporarily stashed my bike there.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Dec 18, 2018 - 06:08pm PT
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Where’s everyone’s imagination?
So many options. Lay on the floor with the maps and create a route - it’ll be great!
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John Ellsworth
Mountain climber
June Lake, CA
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Dec 18, 2018 - 06:18pm PT
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Check out the Yosemite Border Tour in "Backcountry Skiing California's High Sierra" by John Moynier.
It's a wonderful route especially in our modern climate of much higher snow lines since most of it is above 9,000ft.
Although, going west to east, it ends in June Lake, it is easy to head into Mammoth by several possible routes once you reach Marie Lakes.
Have a great ski.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2018 - 05:54pm PT
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Bump for beta!
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