Report from May 19, 2025

Garrett told us we had to go down to Big Pine and ski Peak 13,103 next to Kid Mountain.

He said it was only a 2-mile dirt walk, then snow all the way.

What I didn’t realize is that it would be a 3,300-vertical-foot bootpack…

Peak 13,103, CA – South Fork Bowl

Details

• Summit (actually a ridgeline):  12,300′
• Car:  7,800′
• Vertical From Car:  4,500′
• Vertical skied:  3,400′ (2,000′ in the chute/apron)
• Max Pitch:  35º 
• Avg Pitch: 35º 
• Aspect:  Northeast
• Distance:  7.2-miles round trip
• Time From Car to Top:  5 hours and 33 minutes
• Car to Car Time: 6 hours & 31 minutes
• Recommended Equipment:  Crampons, Ice Axe, skins

We started hiking late at 10 am.

It took one hour to reach snow.

Most of that hour was on a trail, but quite a bit of bushwhacking through sagebrush.

At the snow, we put on skins but didn’t get far.

Boot crampons guided us up the first, lower chute.

Back to skins for the bench between the lower and upper chutes.

I was bushed…

I wasn’t keeping up.

I was slow.

I was struggling.

Fox and Garrett lead the way, putting in both skin and boot tracks.

John was right behind them.

I was 10 minutes back…

We switched back to crampons for the upper chut,e and the battle began.

For the last hour, I has hiking 50 steps, rest, 50 steps, rest, 50 steps, rest…

I was exhausted from skiing bell to bell at Mammoth the previous day with a crew of 15 for my 4th annual bachelor party.

I was barely hanging on…

But I made it and didn’t slow the group up too much.

15 minutes maybe?

We dropped into firmish old new snow that had fallen a few days prior.

It didn’t ski badly, though, and quickly improved to soft, corny snow.

Mini sun cups made the steepest, narrowest part of the upper chute a rumble strip, but still good.

Lower down, my confidence sprang u,p and I ended up hitting a rock in the snow at speed.

My uphill ski popped o,ff and I took a mellow fall as my ski careened into the rocks.

After retrieving it, I continued with more energy and greater speed.

I blasted past the concerned crew and into the lower chute.

The lower chute was bumpy and smooth, and fun.

I glided to a stop at the end of the snowfield happy.

Shoes on.

Bushwhack on.

Back to the car in about an hour.

We did a mini cold plunge in the creek at the trailhead and dropped down into Big Pine.

The Taqueria Mi Guadalajara food truck in Bishop wasn’t there…

We hit the Aztec food truck next door and it was OK.

I slept like a rock last night…

That booter was brutal.

Thanks, California!

Photos in Chronological Order