cp0915 wrote:

The Chief wrote:Pro on Laurel that will actually hold a fall more than 5' w/ a trailing rope that won't initiate any rockfall???

Where?????

It is a 1900 foot choss pile runout baby!

Perhaps, but a fine route (and reasonable solo) anyway. As Bob said, the 5th class sections are all short and minimally exposed.

I guess your right if ya like vertical choss hopping.

There's better more solid stuff to be had in that same canyon IMHO. But they are "local" secrets and I am sword to secrecy.

The Chief wrote:

cp0915 wrote:

The Chief wrote:Pro on Laurel that will actually hold a fall more than 5' w/ a trailing rope that won't initiate any rockfall???

Where?????

It is a 1900 foot choss pile runout baby!

Perhaps, but a fine route (and reasonable solo) anyway. As Bob said, the 5th class sections are all short and minimally exposed.

I guess your right if ya like vertical choss hopping.

There's better more solid stuff to be had in that same canyon IMHO. But they are "local" secrets and I am sword to secrecy.

Right on, Chief. Although better stuff lurks, the history of the NE Gully alone makes it a must-do.

OK Michelle...you lost me on the relativity of heading to Meysan Lake and the NE Gully on Laurel.......ummm......many, many miles away.

Deb on the upper slab section of Laurel's NE Gully....

This choss pile isn't a bad winter route given a week or so for the snow firm up and lose it's sliding factors. Not a bad ski descent either.

PS: In some years, there is nice four P WI3 route that forms just to the left the Mendenhall Couloir (NE Gully discussed here).

joynlife wrote:I was hoping to ski and film that line one day with some local bad boys from Mammoth lakes. The Chief have you skied the NE gulley or the hidden chutes facing east behind the lake?

Negative...tried twice but backed off rather quickly as the AVY Danger up high on the couloir, where the angle tapers off, became more pronounced as the temps of the rising sun, hit it.

The M-Couloir is known for some pretty wicked slide events.

When hit just right, it is a fun ride to say the least.

Someday soon I hope. I only live seven miles down the road from it.

No exposure on pretty much the entire route - a stretch to call it a climb at all, I thought. I'd go with scramble that requires mostly uninteresting toil, punctuated by brief steps that you have to climb. Sweet views, though.

Did the route solo when I was 11 or 12, long before I had a healthy sense of mortality, let alone sense or rock shoes. But looking at my notes from the era I encountered little to make me want to pray. I do recall losing my religion on that climb, wandering through all those roof pendant layers of choss. Threw that 6,000 year old earth plan out the proverbial window.

Roper, I think, called it Class 3, which is why my dad let loose the reins. He watched me from a fishing boat in Convict with binocs. The Supertopo rating of 5.4 seems a bit over the top, but then again I haven't done it in a few decades and counting. Probably scare the shit out of me now without a rope and a loving belayer.

Now Morrison solo, another story. My dad almost got busted for child endangerment. Bless his dear soul.

Laurel chossy? Aw man, whoever said that never ran into any real choss. Lots 'o class 2/3 hiking, some of it normally loose as far as that kind of terrain goes. The slabs are clean. That long stretch higher up where Deb is climbing is pretty easy, but if you blow it, you'll tumble a long way. Very hard to protect. Good short roping terrain if you've got a second who needs the added comfort.

Steve Larson wrote:Laurel chossy? Aw man, whoever said that never ran into any real choss.

Steve...

That whole area is nothing but Choss..every local knows that!

Get on the NF of Morrison, East Face of Baldwin or stand below the East Face of Great White Fang, now that's some real choss.

All nothing more than very lose Dolerite and Scheelite crap.

joynlife wrote:I was hoping to ski and film that line one day with some local bad boys from Mammoth lakes. The Chief have you skied the NE gulley or the hidden chutes facing east behind the lake?

I remember some footage of locals skiing or snowboarding the gulley years ago. Made me wish I knew how to ski.

Dave Daly wrote:OK Michelle...you lost me on the relativity of heading to Meysan Lake and the NE Gully on Laurel.......ummm......many, many miles away.

Was referring to the weather situation in general in the High Sierra as of a few weeks ago, which is very relevant to the NE Gully.

The Chief wrote:

Steve Larson wrote:Laurel chossy? Aw man, whoever said that never ran into any real choss.

Steve...

That whole area is nothing but Choss..every local knows that!

Get on the NF of Morrison, East Face of Baldwin or stand below the East Face of Great White Fang, now that's some real choss.

All nothing more than very lose Dolerite and Scheelite crap.

Where would we be without the wisdom of locals?

Seriously, I've been on Morrison (and not the walk-up route). That gets chossy in places. But the NE gully on Laurel is surprisingly clean given the rock formations it's cut from.

You gotta expand your horizons. Get out somewhere outside the Sierra. You'll find yourself in places that make you dream of the good rock on the NE gully of Laurel.

fossana wrote:

Dave Daly wrote:OK Michelle...you lost me on the relativity of heading to Meysan Lake and the NE Gully on Laurel.......ummm......many, many miles away.

Was referring to the weather situation in general in the High Sierra as of a few weeks ago, which is very relevant to the NE Gully.

Not to sound critical but there are differences in weather across the range.

Steve Larson wrote:You gotta expand your horizons. Get out somewhere outside the Sierra. You'll find yourself in places that make you dream of the good rock on the NE gully of Laurel.

Did so for over 23 years.

I did as Galen Rowel did... returned to the Sierra for good.

And there is far better rock to be had across the way on the west side over on Pyramid etc.

So, did you do either the N Arete or NW Face on Morrison?

The Chief wrote:So, did you do either the N Arete or NW Face on Morrison?

North Arete, in winter. The ice holding things together didn't seem to help much.