SierraDescents | Category | Current Conditions
January 30, 2017
Snoverload

It is like the Sierra of old: a great gleaming white shield dominating the horizon. Do you have a fantasy line? The Sirens are calling. Everything—and I mean (more)
January 23, 2017
Waterman

Snow, snow, and more snow. Al and I wound our way up the 2 on Saturday during the mid-storm break to check out Mount Waterman. We skinned up for an easy run down the face, and (more)
January 17, 2017
It’s a SoCal Winter!

Southern California dead-enders rejoice: 2017 will finally mark the end of the past semi-decade's accursed endless summer. Across the Southland there is snow—and lots of (more)
January 8, 2017
Super Storm

The satellite images are stunning but also sobering. With Mammoth currently reporting a 170" upper-mountain snowpack, yet another powerful storm is en route, this one described (more)
November 15, 2016
Mammoth Opens

Conditions out there, I know, are stormy—very, very stormy. We'll talk about skiing for now. For now. Mammoth has officially opened for the 2016-2017 season, making for a (more)
March 29, 2016
Mammoth News

Back from Spring Break at Mammoth Mountain and trying to catch up on the usual backlog of things I'm supposed to be doing. Let's start by talking about Eastern Sierra backcountry (more)
March 6, 2016
Information Underload

As we progress through what must our driest wet winter ever (or is it the wettest dry winter?), I have really been struggling to piece together what has happened, will happen, and (more)
December 22, 2015
Back To Snow

I am pleased to report I got back into ski boots and successfully carved GS turns on the groomers at Snow Summit yesterday. What a magical thing it is to return to skiing after (more)
July 16, 2015
Flagstaff

Back in my other hometown of Flagstaff now for some R&R; maybe some hiking on the agenda, maybe not. Monsoon mostly quiet right now, which is I suppose the Arizona equivalent of (more)
July 10, 2015
Is It Time to Buy El Nino Insurance?

Well, the El Nino predictions for this coming winter seem to be firming up, just when I was starting to kick my Howard Sheckter addiction. Now, I say we don't start celebrating (more)