SierraDescents | Page 18
August 24, 2017
In the Path of Totality

I first saw a total eclipse in 1991, in Cabo San Lucas Mexico, and while I remember specific details of the event (it got cold; stars came out; the horizon in all directions (more)
July 30, 2017
Mammoth in July

Fourth of July weekend gave us an inspiring fireworks show off the top of Mammoth Mountain, with the sunset and the Minarettes and the Ritter Range offering an imcomparable (more)
June 17, 2017
Mammoth in June

There's no end in sight to this season of spring skiing delight at Mammoth Mountain. June conditions are clearly as good as they've been since 2011, offering groomed racer crunch (more)
June 8, 2017
Mount Sill: Two North Couloirs

After a long break, I made my way back to the Sierra's Palisades Crest for a climb and ski of Mount Sill. My expectations were modest on this one, but Sill turned out to be a (more)
June 1, 2017
Mammoth In May

Mammoth in May is simply untouchable. There is no place on Earth I'd rather be. Give me the free-fall magic of Wipeout/Dropout in sun-kissed spring snow, lap after lap, till my (more)
May 19, 2017
Birch Mountain—Still Big

This past weekend Bill, not one but two Prestons, and I headed to Birch Mountain for a climb and ski, and in the early morning hours, somewhere in the first two thousand vertical (more)
May 3, 2017
Mount Russell – Northeast Couloir

I haven't skied anything remotely like this since Mount Muir six years ago. This is normally just a giant cliff face. When we crested Russell-Carillon Col and saw it was covered (more)
May 2, 2017
Mount Carillon — Southeast Face

Mount Carillon's southeast face was supposed to be just an incidental snowfield en route to California fourteener Mount Russell, but instead it turned out to be 2000+ vertical (more)
April 27, 2017
Skiing The Thumb

A few quick notes: jeez, the wind was bad on this one, but the trip itself was great. This is a new format designed to better feature my photography. Yes, I know a lot is broken (more)
April 24, 2017
What’s Going On Out There?

Yesterday I and two partners climbed and skied The Thumb from the Birch Creek trailhead, marking my first 7000-vertical-foot Eastern Sierra day since 2011—and my first (more)