TR:A Duck, a Pika and a Steelhead walk ....Part 3 now up!

mchin · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 726 Location: Stanford, CA

Ski Tour - Mammoth Lakes to Rock Creek
Location - Sierra Nevada, CA
Dates May 3 - 8
This year's tour with my four Northwest ski buds featured:
- Six passes - Duck, Pika, Pretty, Corridor, Steelhead/Stanford, Mono
- 35 miles (per Moynier)
- Four medical professionals (2 MD's, 2 nurses)
- 2 Mt Rainier Climbing Rangers
- 3 AT skiers, 2 tele

Ty and Andy were veteran's of previous ski tours. This year, they brought two newcomers to the annual California ski tour -Terry and Reese, making it an all male group. Besides bringing a wealth of mountaineering skills and experience, the Northwest boys were some of the best tour companions you could have. Easy going, excited about seeing the Sierra for the first time, strong on the uptrack and descents, and with a sense of humor that made the evening camps a welcome source of entertainment.

Fans of Lucy - she did not make this year's tour. She is on injured reserve, having unfortunately (and unwisely?) injured her knee in a surf kayak accident(!) in November.

We lucked out with the weather. We had four sunny days out of five days of the tour. We only took our skis off to climb the steeper passes - Pretty and Steelhead/Stanford.

Moynier describes this tour as,"...one of the tougher sections of the crest....(but) it has been skied many times in one day..." Moynier frequently sand bags his route descriptions, so a rating of 'tough' opens the eye balls. Skied in one day, huh, by what kind of skiing machine?

My knee had felt gimpy most of the ski season, but I felt I was in great hands with my "medical team" on this tour!

I'll let the photos tell the story. All photos by Andy or Mark.

Part 1
Day 1
Northwest crew at Lake Mary trailhead. Left to right - Reese, Ty, Terry and Andy (iluka). We set up the shuttle the night before permitting a relatively early start.

From the Lake Mary trailhead, you ski ~3 miles on a road before making the ascent to Duck pass via Arrowhead, Skeleton and Barney Lakes.

Reese and Mark ascend Duck Pass.

Skiers at Duck Pass

Ty skiing above Duck Lake. The Duck Lake area must be a "secret" stash for Mammoth locals. So much terrain there.

Our first night’s camp at Duck Lake.

Day 2
Duck Lake early morning. We saw tracks on the chute in the peak across the lake.

Climbers on the ascent of Pika pass. Firm snow, three of us use ski crampons. One of mine mysteriously falls off my ski halfway up the climb, never to re-appear. I was a little worried with four passes to go.

Mchin overlooking the descent of Pika Pass. This descent is a narrow (briefly ski length), steep (~40 degree at the top) corn filled chute.

Pika Pass summit.

Andy (iluka) showing his tele form, descends Pika pass.

Mchin in Ram/Franklin Lake Basin, Pika Pass behind me. Our descent line is the diagonal line, on the left part the ridge.

Franklin Basin - Eric O calls this place, "magical." Who am I to doubt him?

Reese looking back at Ram Lake and Pika Pass from the Franklin Lake Basin

Reese heading to the Franklin Lake Basin.

Franklin Lake camp, Pretty Pass is the low point on the ridge behind camp.

Andy (iluka) at Franklin Lake camp, plotting tomorrow’s route.

Ram/Franklin Basin at sunset.

The next day we tackle two passes - Pretty and Corridor.
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robrox · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 10:54 am Post subject:

sigh...the waiting is so hard...

Off to a great start Cool

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"Moderate is not the new Low" - Chris Joosen, USFS Lead Snow Ranger (Tuckerman Ravine, White Mountains National Forest)

skidaddle · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 11:34 am Post subject:

Sweet!

Max Sidecut · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 12:40 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the TR. Sierra backcountry is so beautiful. Would love to see it for myself someday.

Brenda · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 4417 Location: Ice Coast

Wow--so beautiful!

Scoop · Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 1028 Location: Donner Lake

Fantastic. Looks like you lucked out with the weather.

Whitehonky · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:55 pm Post subject:

Yes?

YES!!!!!

Hell yes!!!!

Only been to Duck lake in the summer and have wanted to see the terrain available in the winter. Damn, it looks mighty fine for so close to town.
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"It's a strange world made up of extreme horizontal and vertical planes. Where you find diagonal, you find skiing."
~Chad Sayers

TeleBear · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 7:22 pm Post subject:

great start!

those couloirs to the lookers' left of pika pass look epic.
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Please don't dominate the rap, Jack,
if you've got nothing new to say.
-Jerry

@mammoth · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 147 Location: Mammoth Lakes

madturtle · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 545 Location: folsom, ca

nicely done mark. Looking forward to the next installment.
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A good friend would come bail you out of jail. A great friend would be sitting next to you saying..."but damn that was FUN"

bobskiing · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 2793 Location: Bay Area

Woo hoo! Looking forward to more. Wow, things are still really filled in up there.

heyyou · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:38 am Post subject:

Quite a roll call there mchin. Docs, nurses, rangers, looks like you guys had it covered for any emergency!

Lucy · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 1:14 pm Post subject:

As time goes on and cartilage wears thinner, the advantages of having highly credentialed medical specialists around seem to become more apparent...

Hey mchin, i'll do the chores tonight so you can get part II up!

Duck!

TahoeBC · Joined: 28 Apr 2006 Posts: 92

"Why are we leaving, look at those lines that need to be slayed"

Sierra Fred · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 289 Location: in the moment

^^^ Don't worry, we're going back!
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Heh, I know this place. You know you are on a telemark site when peep's concerns about new gear center on the "downside" that the new gear might make skiing somehow easier or different.
-Cowdog, Sept 8, 2009