Report from May 30, 2024

After skiing 457 of the past 537 days, I was exhausted and needed an easy tour yesterday.

I’d skied 2 chutes off Paiute Pass Ridge last year and knew it was an easy hike for good steep skiing.

Time to go back…

 Peak 12,691′, CA – “Paiute Pass Ridge Chutes” 

Icefall Couloir

Details

• Summit (actually, this chute doesn’t even go to the ridge right now):  11,400′
• Car:  9,300′
• Vertical From Car:  2,100′
• Vertical skied:  1,000′
• Max Pitch:  45+º 
• Avg Pitch: 40º 
• Aspect:  NNE
• Distance:  5.1-miles round trip
• Time From Car to Top:  2 hours & 25 minutes
• Car to Car Time: 4 hours & 36 minutes
• Recommended Equipment:  Crampons, Ice Axe x 2, Skins
• Note:  There is an easy creek crossing right at the base of the Walled Chute right now

We somehow got together an all-star crew including a celebrity guest appearance from JZ.

Greggy, Martin, Trevor, JZ, and me.

Left the house after 9 a.m.

Started hiking in shorts at 10:30 a.m. from North Lake.

We hit the base of the “Walled Chute” that I’d skied on July 8 last year after an hour of walking.

We all started up then I veered off to the climber’s right to investigate the chute just north of us.

My goal is to ski new-to-me lines on every adventure.

The chute to the right was steep, tight, and short with an icefall inhibiting further progress.

I went for it anyway and it ended up being a blast and only 100 vertical feet shorter than “Walled Chute.”

I dubbed it “Icefall Chute.”

It didn’t take long to boot up to the icefall.

It was steep, narrow, and intimidating with a little island in the middle to make sure it remained as complicated as possible.

I lingered not and dropped in as soon as I transitioned.

It was too steep to enjoy that position.

On the platform I dug gave any smell of security.

I assumed it was going to sluff hard as the snow was soft and deep but it didn’t.

I was able to keep my rhythm and roll right through the choke and battle the island head-on.

Past the island, the skiing was steep, soft, and perfect.

I was stoked!

The apron was weird but fun and I had to take my skis off three times to connect the valley-bound snow strips.

I eventually gave up and put my shoes on and started rock hopping back to “Walled Chute” where the guys were enjoying the cave on top.

I made it to their transition point just as they finished skiing the chute and we joked and laughed and lounged in the sunshine.

It was already a perfect day.

The stroll home on the well-worn trail was lovely and JZ found a deep swimming hole in the creek by the carpark.

We all stripped down and jumped in.

The cold bit but not too hard as the sun’s photons balanced the burn.

We chilled on the grass, shared beers, and bullshited about the day and life in general.

It was my favorite moment of the month.

Greggy said it was burrito time and we all loaded up and rolled down to Bishop for Taqueria Mi Guadalajara.

I ate the best burrito of my life.

An Al Pastor burrito prepared by a guy in a Satan T-Shirt and managed by a guy with a large “Sacate Las Chichis” sticker on his car.

The good life.

We feasted like animals reveling in the excellence of the food quality.

Thanks, California!

Photos in Chronological Order