Report from May 15, 2024

Yesterday we went back to Lundy Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California hoping to find more corn as we did in that zone 2 days prior.

We chose one of the north-facing couloirs off Scowden but it looked beat up with old wet slides.

We then bumped over to the “Dog Leg Chute” and started grinding.

11,161′ Mt. Scowden

“Dog Leg Chute”

Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Summit (actually just the top of the snow in the chute): 10,900 feet
Car: 8,100 feet
Vertical From Car: 2,800 feet
Vertical skied: 2,800 feet
Max Pitch: 38º
Average Pitch: 35º
Aspect: North then northeast
Distance: 2.9-miles round trip
Time From Car to Summit: 2 hours and 55 minutes
Car to Car Time: 4 hours and 28 minutes
Recommended Equipment: skins, crampons, ice axe x2

The first move is a 10 outta 10 bushwhack/creek crossing.

I’d found a pretty clean line through this zone when we were here on May 6 and it delivered.

We got through the madness in only 10 minutes.

It’s so bad in there you mostly have to walk on fallen trees to keep yourself up off the ground and the insanity below.

From there it was a bit of rock walking to get on snow.

Skins and Lee took the lead.

About halfway up the Dog Leg Chute, we switched to crampons.

The snow was already deep and sticky.

It hadn’t frozen the night before…

Dog Leg Chute on Mt. Scowden, CA. image: snowbrains

Or the night before that.

We slogged up in the deep slush and finally escaped the chute after a long grind.

A hard left took us onto the upper apron that leads to the summit.

Fox took the lead for the first half of this.

The snow continued deep and manky.

Lee took over for the last pitch and we topped out after 2 hours and 55 minutes.

We took a healthy break and dropped in before things got any mankier.

The upper section skied well.

Proper corn.

The lower part of the apron got a bit sticky.

Things improved entered the chute before the thing changed aspects to the east.

Once in the true northeast-facing part of the chute, it got so sticky.

The key was to be last and stay right in the other people’s tracks.

That’s what I did…

The final reward was a neat rock-lined chute at the very bottom that took us directly to the creek.

From there it was a bit of a bushwhack to get to the bushwhack that crosses the creek.

Back at the car after 4 hours and 28 minutes.

We zipped directly back to Mammoth hoping for “The Rolling Chef” burritos but the closed on us and we pivoted to “Latin Market” burritos that are always top notch.

Even when the snow is funky, the living is good here on the Eastside.

Thanks, California!