Trip Report
Report from May 27, 2023
Brought to you by Mono County Tourism
“North Face Chute” of 11,160′ Mt Scowden, CA yesterday was the coolest chute we’ve skied this season!
Twisting, turning, writhing, steep, long, & constantly changing pitch.
Dodging trees, logs, branches, rocks, walls, glide cracks, & holes.
This is the most entertaining chute!
What’s really wild is that I skied this chute on Friday too but the clouds rolled in, my camera froze, and I didn’t get the shot…
It speaks volumes to this chute that we came back the next day and skied it again.
This chute is just that fun!
SHORT VERSION VIDEO
11,160′ Mt. Scowden – “North Face Chute”
- Summit (actually a notch in the ridge): 10,000′
- Car: 8,000′
- Vertical From Car: 2,000′
- Vertical skied: 2,000′
- Max Pitch: 45º
- Avg Pitch: ??
- Aspect: North
- Distance: 3.5-miles round trip
- Time From Car to Top: 2 hours & 41 mins
- Car to Car Time: 4 hours & 14 mins
- Recommended Equipment: Crampons, Ice Axe, Skins
We 4-wheel-drove Greggy’s Nissan Xterra through some rowdy snow patches above Lundy Lake until the snow blocked the road completely.
We parked, threw boots on and walked down the road towards our secret creek crossing.
On Friday, I’d crossed a sketchy log across the creek and just had enough balance to pull it off.
Immediately after I made the crossing, Greggy & Trevor found an easy crossing on a big log jam.
Yesterday, we went back to that log jam and got across the creek with ease.
The frogs & birds were signing and putting smiles on our faces.
From there it’s a slightly climbing traverse back towards the car to the base of the “North Face Chute”.
Crampons and helmets on.
Up.
It’s a long, vertical climb up the twisting, convulsing chute.
After about 2 hours of bootpacking, we were on top.
I was tired.
It’d been a big week:
- Monday: Mammoth, CA Report: D-Spin 720ºs, Backflips, 360ºs, Wall-Rides, Box Spins, & A Vicious Crash
- Tuesday: Trip Report: 13,118′ Mt. Emerson – The 45º Steep “North Couloir”
- Wednesday: Sierra Nevada, CA Surf Report: Shredding The Lazy River At High Flow
- Wednesday: Sierra Nevada, CA Report: Skiing Through A Lava Tube Cave
- Thursday: Mammoth, CA Report: Pre-Memorial Day Weekend Report & Operation Update
-
Friday: Mt. Scowden – “North Face Chute”
-
Saturday: Mt. Scowden – “North Face Chute”
We rested on the summit for 15-minutes and got geared up.
I dropped first and the snow was lovely.
This chute twists, turns, writhes, and has more obstacles than you can shake a stick at.
The choke at the bottom is blast.
I’m kinda in love with this chute…
Thanks, California!
SPRING 2023 REPORTS
- 5/24/23: Sierra Nevada, CA Report: Skiing Through A Lava Tube Cave
- 5/24/23: Sierra Nevada, CA Surf Report: Shredding The Lazy River At High Flow
- 5/23/23: Trip Report: 13,118′ Mt. Emerson – The 45º Steep “North Couloir”
- 5/20/23: Trip Report: 12,200′ Mt. Esha, CA – “2nd Chute”
- 5/18/23: Trip Report: McGee Creek Peak, CA – 2,800-Vertical-Foot “Wineglass Couloir”
- 5/16/23:Trip Report: 10,908′ Carson Peak, CA – 45º Steep “Pete’s Dream”
- 5/5/15/23: Trip Report: 11,812′ Mt. Laurel, CA – 3,500-Vertical-Foot “Pinner Couloir”
- 5/10/23: Trip Report: 13,005′ Mt. Morgan, CA – Nevahbe Ridge Gullies
PHOTOS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
