I understand the concept, but if people are skinning on a trail, it is just that, a trail. If you skin up a mountainside and someone decides they are going to use your skin track, I feel that this is an etiquette issue. I don't like sharing trails with horses, but I get over it. Last time I went BC on San G, I talked to a skier who told me to follow his track from the day before. So perhaps some of the skiers out there are being a little too sesitive. It isn't your trail. Just my opinion.

When I BC skied on Sandia Mountain near Albuquerque, it was pretty easy to use a network of trails that were undesirable to most hikers, mainly because they really went nowhere. Out here in the Spring Mts, many trails are just too nasty for skiing. In areas like the North Loop in The Charleston Peak area, once you get above the mountain mahogany level, you might as well ski off-trail. The biggest issue is when the snowshoers have packed down the one path cut through mountain mahogany, so it gets like a toboggan run. But hey, that's life.

x15x15-dude I wouldnt even be on this thread if I was as lucky as you! I would be up on the big guy having fun! Jealousy rages.....sick base camp bro, hope to run into you one day...

And X15 ignorance and jerk dont usually go hand in hand, but I have one example that it does with one silly little man from upland...maybe he lurks here....that gets me fired up about this issue!

OT-BBL resorts report 2-3in last night, baldy a dusting, but the wind event comes in today...NOAA hints to a storm cycle in the oven for late next week

Never said it was my trail.....

Just stay off the skin track PLEASE

I will think about it

Hey, so lots of spindrift in the local mountains today. Along ACH, some slopes are getting scraped clean, while 3 foot drifts form on the road. Today at Mt. Waterman...



Here's a shot of what the road looks like beyond the gate at Islip saddle


And the Pacific Crest Trail today

Blair wrote: As I mentioned before, hiking along a skin track does the hiker/snowshoer NO BENIFIT because the posthole just as bad as they would if hiking on the virgin snow to the sides.

Your "NO BENEFIT" comment is not really true for snowshoes, at least if your snowshoes have reasonable floatation--it's quite a bit easier to break trail over an established ski track than over the virgin snow next door. Now, I certainly would never have snowshoed on a groomed ski trail or even a backcountry ski route that I thought skiers would be skiing back down. But you've made me more aware that it could even be a problem on an uphill skin route, so thanks for the education.

However, if there's only one reasonable route between trees or whatever, we're going to have to share.

simonov wrote:

Deb wrote:Travis and I skinned pretty close to South Fork Meadow yesterday. Coverage was super dry 2" - 8" with occasional rock/stick grabbing your skins. Although it was not the best conditions, I loved it. Especially the 3 stream crossings in our skis! Pray for some warmth then some wet stuff!

Now here's a good example. I'm pretty sure that above Poopout Hill you skinned along the summer trail route. Where are the snowshoers and hikers supposed to walk when there are already a set of ski tracks along the trail?

Whoa!! It only takes a fleck of common sense to know when it is polite to stay out of the track. Obviously, the skier knows when the trail is only body-width, it's going to get trampled in. Don't drag ME into your feud.

as someone who's been the snowshoer/booter, i welcome anyone and everyone to walk in my skin track. go for it, i don't mind.

Another fine day in the San Gabriel mountains yesterday, with views from the ski slopes to the desert.


Many areas got pretty wind scoured last week, but some snow managed to stick in the protected spots, and some big drifts were created too


Graupel


Sierra Club hut eat your heart out, things are more rustic on the eastside

--

My son and I were up there today, Monday.

From Islip Saddle, we skiied about 10 miles, 5 up, 5 back, just staying on the snowed-over Angeles Crest Highway, utilizing others' tracks from the weekend. The average snow cover was only about 6", just enough. A beautiful day, with plenty of swirling mist, and crystal clear views into the distant desert.

The ACH is best skiied in March, from the gate at Kratka, with a thick snowpack. I'll be back for a great workout.



=

San G area is pretty strange right now. South Fork Trail has a nice pack to it; I skinned out to Xmas Tree HIll today in good time. There's now about a foot of very slightly wet snow on top of a seriously faceted foot-deep layer - NOT NICE! We found that traversing a 20 degree slope was a bit thrilling with some deep settling and "thump" every so often. Sheering with skis showed the bottom layer of facets just fell out and left the top layer barely suspended. Doing turns on the slopes still not a good idea due to depth of super dry powder and mystery obstacles underneath.
This is going to be a hairy season for avy out there. 8O

More predictions:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/p ... 1_prcp.gif