Sierra Nevada, CA, Report: 3 Chutes, 8 Miles, 4,000-Vertical-Feet, & 5-Star-Corn on White Mountain Report from May 18, 2022 Yesterday, we took a look at Ellery Bowl and Banana chute off Tioga Pass and they looked bad… We decided to cruise up to White Mountain and have a look. The past week or so hasn’t been great in the backcountry around here due to the new snow and the process of going from new […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 19, 2022 1 Comment
Sierra Nevada, CA Report: 60 People, 2 Chutes, 5,000-Vertical-Feet, & 7 Doggers Report from May 14, 2022 On Sunday, we met up with a group of 60 happy humans to hike & ski 2 epic chutes in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. Yes, you read that right: 60 people. Costumes Wigs Dogs Kids Elderly Beers Sunburns Big, funny hats This is an annual tradition that we’d done once before back in 2016, but […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 16, 2022 2 Comments
NASA: Wild Fluctuations in Sierra Nevada Snowpack When it comes to mountain snowpack, the Sierra Nevada is notorious for booms and busts: One year is bad, while another can be exceedingly good. In 2021-22, there were booms and busts all within the same snow season. The result has been another year of inadequate snowfall and concerns about the impact on water supplies. “The Sierras tend to get […] SnowBrains | May 9, 2022 0 Comments
Sierra Nevada, CA, Report: The 3 Bears Chutes, Cinco de Mayo, & an Insane Lenticular Sunset Report from May 5, 2022 Yesterday we went for a zone we’d noticed the day before that holds 3 stupendous chutes. The 3 Bears Chutes (we’re calling them). Everything north and east and likely west is absolutely gross right now with what we’re calling “Macro-Sastrugi” (basically huge corrugated chunks of snow that ski like shit – we skied it on […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 6, 2022 0 Comments
Snowfall Totally Transforms Sierra Nevada Snowpack in Just 3-Weeks What a difference three weeks has made. After the driest three months on record, the California April 1st snowpack survey had the statewide snowpack at 38% of average. Recent snow storms have dumped multiple feet on the northern Sierra, visibly transforming the snowpack as these satellite images show. The snow has allowed ski resorts to stay open longer, and some to […] SnowBrains | April 25, 2022 1 Comment
Avalanche Watch Issued for Central Sierra Nevada, Including Lake Tahoe Area The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee has issued a Backcountry Avalanche Watch for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains from Ebbets Pass (CA-4) north to Yuba Pass (CA-49), which includes the greater Lake Tahoe area. THE BOTTOM LINE (issued Wednesday April 20th) Watch out for slabs wind-blown snow near ridgelines and rapid warming on sunny slopes today. Signs of instability include […] Avalanche AvyBrains | April 21, 2022 0 Comments
Former Olympic Snowboarder Crashed His Plane into Sierra Nevada Mountains on Purpose, FAA Rules In January 2022, former Olympic Snowboarder Trevor Jacob was making a vlog of his trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. He subsequently uploaded a video to YouTube titled “I Crashed My Plane.” Controversy was sparked across the internet about whether the plane crash was for real or just a publicity stunt. The Federal Aviation Administration recently ruled that Jacob purposely […] SnowBrains | April 21, 2022 0 Comments
Divers Collect 13,000lbs Trash From Nevada Shore of Lake Tahoe As an early kickoff to Earth Day 2022, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak will be joined today by officials from the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – along with staff and volunteers from Clean Up the Lake (CUTL) and project sponsors Tahoe Fund and Tahoe Blue Vodka – to celebrate the success of a historic initiative to remove underwater […] SnowBrains | April 11, 2022 0 Comments