News of California

Well the San Gabs are ablaze once again. Looks like the Azusa Canyon area with smoke very visible from Downtown Los Angeles.

For those interested, went to Mendel this last weekend with hopes of climbing the Left Mendel Couloir (Ice Nine) or Right. Unfortunately, even with our late snow falls this year, the climbs are already pretty dry. As a disclaimer, this is as close as we got (the bottom of the valley.. we had approached an unusual way via Alpine Col from Wahoo Lakes near Piute Pass), as my climbing partner was feeling pretty sick, but ...

There is surprisingly little written up on SP about trans-Sierra traverse via the High Sierra Trail. This is something I have wanted to do for decades (I did about a third of it in 1976), and I am working on an itinerary maybe for next summer.

Would anyone care to comment on the following proposal?

Day 1
Crescent Meadow to Log Meadow : 0.6
Log Meadow to Panther Creek : 2.1
Panther Creek to ...

Sweet, Lolli is coming to California. If you stay at fishermans wharf you will have lots of ambient noise (sea lions).

Thanks Squishy, I should find a way to incorporate that into the Pyramid Peak page.

Has anyone recently been up NE Gully of Laurel? Wondering about snow. Do I need crampons or is all the snow gone? Thanks in advance!
-Mike

Just curious of who out there has been up to the Castle Rocks on either, or if you are really MAD :wink: and have gone both ways to get up to the area.

Of course both of them have a gnarly reputation, but was curious on the prevailing factors (H20, Poison Oak, snakes, etc...) that seems to make Buckeye the prefered route up there.

And, those of ...

Is it looking like the alpine ice is going to be good this year? I'm thinking I may start my ice climbing season this week. Last year it seemed that things were getting a bit thin.

Any one been up to BCS in the last couple of days? We were planning on doing the North Arete this weekend. Just wondering how much snow on the approach and the ridge.