Report from May 22, 2024

Yesterday, we returned to Gilcrest Peak to sample the East variant of the Northeast Chutes.

Last week we’d skied the Western option and it was delightful.

Cool, windy weather has had us seeking east-facing or lower-elevation north-facing terrain.

We parked at Lundy Lake at about 10 a.m. and started up.

11,575′ Gilcrest Peak

“North Couloirs”

East Variant

Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

• Summit (actually a ridgeline):  10,800 feet
• Car:  7,800 feet
• Vertical From Car:  3,300 feet 
• Vertical skied:  2,700 feet
  
• Max Pitch:  40+º in East Couloir
• Average Pitch:  35º
• Aspect:  North
• Distance:  3.3-miles round trip
• Time From Car to Summit:  3 hours & 11 minutes
• Car to Car Time: 4 hours & 36 minutes
• Recommended Equipment:  crampons, ice axe x2

This chute doesn’t look like much from the road, but it’s a beast.

A 3,300-vertical-foot bootpack is nothing to smirk at.

No skins are needed on this baby so we decided to bring our heavy inbounds skis, bindings, and boots to maximize fun on the downhill.

After 3 hours and 11 minutes Greggy, Martin, and I were standing on top.

Intimidating views of Mono Lake, the White Mountains, and the western Great Basin greeted us.

We didn’t take any breaks on the way up making food and water delectable at this summit break.

Greggy first, then Martin, then I was all alone.

I drank it in the best I could knowing what was below me.

I dropped in, worked the little wind spine on top, and committed to the upper tree-lined chute.

The tree-lined chute dumped me into a large high-speed gully leading to the chute proper’s beginning.

Balls to the wall through this section until it narrowed, got rocky, and ended…

A mandatory rock slide choke here delivered more than enough spice.

I took a deep breath and went for it as the boys watched.

The granite was smooth and I came out the other side with speed.

Thanks to the strong inbounds gear the speed felt good and I whipped side to side enjoying the sensation.

Before the big walled section, I stopped to catch my breath and regather the group.

Greggy had intelligently elected to walk around the rock slide.

Reunited, I dropped the walled zone and didn’t look back.

We all drained it to the bottom of the chute from there.

Skiing this canyon felt like Luke Skywalker’s final assault on the Death Star to fire protons into the thermal port.

We hugged and celebrated at the base of the chute.

It was mind-bendingly long on the way down.

It was annoyingly long on the way up.

The Eastern Sierra continues to fire and in our 10 ski mountaineering trips here this month, we’ve still only seen one other person (our good buddy Rockwood).

Thanks, California!

Photos in Chronological Order