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The 89 opened a couple of days ago. Any BC skiers or mountaineers have snow condition info for Roundtop or Elephant's Back?

Deb wrote:The 89 opened a couple of days ago. Any BC skiers or mountaineers have snow condition info for Roundtop or Elephant's Back?

It's been a couple of weeks since I poked around the Carson Pass area, but there should be plenty of coverage for Roundtop and certain aspects of Elephant's Back. Here are some recent observations for the other side of the highway http://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/thu-03132014-1230-snowpack-observations-red-lake-peak.

Looks and feels like Spring in the Sierra today





herd o' deer

Deb wrote:The 89 opened a couple of days ago. Any BC skiers or mountaineers have snow condition info for Roundtop or Elephant's Back?

Deb...I got this message from my friend...her daughter Sally gave her this report on the area on and around Elephants Back..this was yesterday 3/15 she was in the area skiing

" I have heard the snow is great -- at least Sally said the skiing down the back of Roundtop was fantastic today."

In the event anyone is interested in waltzing on out to Morgan Pass from Pine Creek. STELLAR! Wish I'd had my skis on! The bootprints are all mine.


Rosy Finch from between Upper and Lower Morgan Lakes. Snow is trying very hard to consolidate, but taking its sweet ass time. There WILL be post-holing!

Elephant's Back is bare. Plenty of snow on Round Top (with some bare patches). Very hard snow, though.

Suppose one could get to the base of Round Top without skis or snowshoes?

I will be hiking Round Top on Saturday and can report back on conditions if anyone still wants to know.

well, might see you up there

There was 48" of snow at the Carson Pass TH en route to Round Top last Saturday. I went up the Crescent Moon Couloir but the upper section was narrow, hard, bumpy (lots of tracks since a friend had made fresh ones the previous weekend) and thin so I didn't ski down it. The steeper section near the top is definitely getting thin and narrow, seen in the middle of the attached photo of me topping out (photo courtesy of Liz). The majority of the ridge between the shoulder with the Sisters and the summit is snow free other than the couloirs. Snow coverage is very good on all the open slopes up there.

There's a weather station at Carson Pass so you can always check the snow coverage before you go. I use Caltopo's 'snotel sites' tool (it's a layer you can add via checkbox) to keep track of conditions. The link below should take you right to it:
http://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.69025 ... &a=sf,sntl

A friend and I skinned to col between Round Top and Sisters on the 18th. Snowshoes or skis would be recommended; snow was getting soft in afternoon but mainly consisted of wind sculpted slabs. Great to get on skis right at the trailhead! We climbed Sisters in ski boots, no need for crampons. Beautiful ski out. Cold and windy. Good luck NOT getting lost with aillion ski and snowshoe tracks.

Not the sierra, but an update on snow conditions and amazing views of the Sierra. Winter ascent of West Ridge from valley floor in 16 hours roundtrip (solo) this past Sunday March 16th...

in some areas of heavy snow accumulation on the ridge, the snow was very consolidated but iffy for the most part and annoying. Snow line at about the 10,000 ft. level in the Whites as of March 16th.

Some pics







expansive views of Sierra open up. The desert ranges are so grand in how far and wide space and distance open up.







The grand scale ridgelines characteristic of the Inyos and Whites, which rise up so dramatically and rapidly from the valley floor, dropping down into deep canyons below.



At about the 11,000 ft. level:











crux of climb seen below: did not bring ice axe or running shoes so had to down climb some 4th class to avoid some steep exposed snow traversing.



summit



sunset

Climbed a couple of peaks yesterday with at least 6" of fresh dry snow from Saturday night's storm; the suffering on northern slopes was quite measureable! Waist deep powder - UGH. Other than that, we found it to be a very satisfying accomplishment. These peaks are not on Summitpost. Photo taken from summit of Round Mtn, looking at Sugarloaf at 5PM. Beautiful evening to be out and frozen.

Does anybody know how the standard route on White, the U notch on north palisade, and the north couloir on Gilbert may be shaping up? Or couloir conditions per aspect in general? Sounds like the snowpack out there is quite ahead of usual

Monster5 wrote:Does anybody know how the standard route on White, the U notch on north palisade, and the north couloir on Gilbert may be shaping up? Or couloir conditions per aspect in general? Sounds like the snowpack out there is quite ahead of usual

Since I live in Bishop and frequent Mammoth Mtn, also taking quick stabs at the Sierra between Big Pine and Mammoth - I can tell you that it has snowed anywhere from 6" to 3' in the "local" mtns in the past 72 hours...and it began snowing again early this morning. My best assumption (and judging from what I encountered in the Sierra on Sunday), the snow is freshly deep and very dry, especially on northern aspects. The peaks you inquire will be a pain in the rear to approach for the next couple of weeks, although daytime temps are rising in a few days. Propel yourself on snowshoes or skis to avoid 10% of the suffering but stay away from couloirs until avy danger drops. Unless any of these guys had "down to the dirt" slides in the past month, there is going to be some ugly hoar under several layers of that good wet stuff from late Feb and this "pretty" dry stuff from the past week.
Now, if you go out there.....let me know what you find.