Eastside Region

Avalanche Danger is LOW. The greatest hazard in the backcountry isvery firm and variable snow surface conditions produced by recent extreme winds.

Much of the alpine environment is now wind sculpted and quite firm where a rider could pick up velocity with a fall. Crampons (ski & boot) and ice axe are advantageous if venturing to higher pursuits in the range. Warm temperatures and bright sunny days have also not helped the cause, glazing surfaces and producing light crusts on most solar aspects. The majority of treed terrain was not spared by recent wind events, but soft surfaces can still be found in some sheltered, low-angle and treed aspects.

It is amazing how brief powder snow conditions reside in the Eastern Sierra, but given our dramatic topographic relief and associated violent wind velocities it is no surprise. What we do have an advantage in at this moment, is the general lack of persistent weak layers in the snowpack that are standard issue in the climates of say Colorado. The pressing and welding of the snowpack in the alpine by wind presents the opportunity to explore and step into bigger and more complex terrain that in many mountain ranges is just to risky to even approach during mid-winter. This being said, be prepared with the proper equipment and knowledge. If new to the ski mountaineering realm, get acquainted on non-consequential terrain and start by learning from a mentor or a guide how to tackle bigger terrain in variable surface conditions. Rarely do the big mountains across the world harbor perfect powder conditions and it is advantageous to be well versed on being able to ride everything confidently and conservatively. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (textbook by The Mountaineers) is the gold standard in reading up on the basics of mountain skills that you can then match with your backcountry riding experience.