Tonights sky over Crooked Creek take 2

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Tonights sky over Crooked Creek

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Lenticular over Wheeler Peak, Sierra Nevada

More Sierra

Late Spring Early Summer

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Dynamic weather this May/June in the Sierra is reminiscent of summers in the North Cascades. To celebrate memories of the ol' stompin' grounds we headed for one of the few "real" trails here on the Eastside. The little used trail climbs 4000 feet in 4 miles, through wonderfully steep forests of White Fir and Juniper.
A steep walled canyon of metamorphics, dusted with fresh Junuary snow. Black wall of storm engulfed the White Mountains, thunderi [...]

Nevahbe traverse

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Traversing low gullies snow filled last month, great skiing. Twisted metal tracks protrude from tunnels, mimmic Limber pine high on cliffs, vestiges of time gone by. Rusted cable car fallen to earth, ancient trail o [...]

South Fork San Joaquin

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We just (kinda) returned from a trip over Piute Pass down to the South Fork San Joaquin. Piute and the San Joaquin were running high and we got to be what looked like first tracks on the John Muir Trail.
Also I shot the last image for our book on the JMT; Walk the Sky, due out this October.
We had to deal with about 3 miles of sloppy snow and some wet crossings.

Below Piute Pass, John Muir Wilderness

Mark crossing one of the five st [...]

Sierra Spring Ski Tour

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We managed to slip in a 5 day tour between snowfall and rain. A high tour out to the end of the Glacier Divide; nice snow and fine views. High runoff thundered down Piute Creek and was flooding McClure Meadow.
Roland Knapp high in the Glacier Divide, Kings Canyon National Park

Thin snow conditions

North side, Pavilion Dome, John Muir Wilderness

Evening, Mt Humpherys, John Muir Wilderness

Sierra Spring

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The road is longer and rockier than I recall. Truck stalled in drift. Deer rise from evening bed. Morning sun on spring snow. Musky scent of damp sage and thawing meadow. No partner, no camera. Snow is punchy in the trees, shallow freeze.
Is this the correct couloir? So short from below. Nice people kicked steps for the old man; yesterday? Shadows bend, arcing sun, snow softens. Ice clinging to rock, nocturnal, falling, smashing, thousand of&nbs [...]

Sierra Spring skiing

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Excellent skiing continues this spring in the Sierra backcountry.

New Wilderness for Eastern Sierra

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I'd like to thank all those that worked so hard in gaining protection for all the newly designated Wilderness Lands in the Sierra, California and the rest of the Nation. Places like the White Mountains will remain wild in perpetuity! Congratulations

Ben Grasseschi on White Mountain Peak

Bristlecone Pine, White Mountains

Prickly Pear Cactus, White Mountains

Montgomery Peak, White Mountains

More snow surveys

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We have just returned from skiing and measuring snow (in that order) over Kearsarge Pass in Sequoia National Park. The snow courses at Bullfrog and Charlotte Lake are both around 100% for the season.
Skiing was quite good with corn on the south aspects and powder on the north. Great coverage.

Westside Wildflowers

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The flowers in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are pretty nice right now.

Whitney area ski

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We spent the last 12 days of February doing snow surveys for the headwaters of the Kern River. Snow pack was pretty good with 80 to 100% of the yearly water content. We still could use a few good storms in March to bring the entire pack to normal for the year.

Ann Klinefelter at Cottonwood Pass, Golden Trout Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, Sierra Nevada, CA

Ann Klinefelter skii [...]

Happy Holidays from the Sierra Nevada

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Sunset on the White Mountains, winter, Inyo National Forest, CA

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Ice skating the Range of Light

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This fall offered a short window for backcountry ice skating, with hot weather thru November, then turning cold as it snowed. Never-the-less, Steve White and I found some nice ice this December in the Glen Pass region of the John Muir Trail.
Steve White ice skating upper Rae Lakes, Kings Canyon National Park, CA

Steve White ice skating on Kearsarge Lake, Kings Canyon Nat'l Park, Sierra Nevada, CA

Steve White below Fin Dome, Rae Lakes, John Muir Trail, Sierr [...]

Blog entries tagged 'Sierra'

Tonights sky over Crooked Creek take 2

Tonights sky over Crooked Creek

Late Spring Early Summer

Nevahbe traverse

South Fork San Joaquin

Sierra Spring Ski Tour

Sierra Spring

Sierra Spring skiing

New Wilderness for Eastern Sierra

More snow surveys

Westside Wildflowers

Whitney area ski

Happy Holidays from the Sierra Nevada

Ice skating the Range of Light