| Arnie, Chip and I went up to do some AT skiing in the Big Meadow area but couldn't get in due to too much snow (8 feet plus). So instead we were lucky enough to get escorted past the road closure gate and parked in the Montecito Lodge parking lot (nice place). We bought our trail passes in the lodge (to be official) and then skiied along the fire-road / cross country tracks (beautifully maintained) and left the road at the closest point to the ridge-line. We set up a winter camp just east of the ridge (two nights with low temps around 12 degrees). We skiied the ridge from the north and up to the summit, which was heavily corniced, and had lunch as clouds from the SJ Valley blew up and poured over the summit. Absolutely amazing. It felt like we were in some far off region, but we were only an hour and a half out of Fresno. Lots of great back-country skiing in the area if there is plenty of snow. Highly recommended for a quick winter weekender. |