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Some more Crater Crest pics from recent years are on my "Monument Ridge" Thread.

2/9/2004
Another successful Bridgeport trip. Started up Crater Crest about 8am with bluebird day and 10mph east winds. We followed the guide book description to park at the east end of the lake, and go up the east ridge. This is lots of extra miles. Plus, it's a mile or two of flats coming and going. However if you want low angle easy skinning, go this way. Next time I'd park at mid-lake, where there are safe ridges to ascend as well. Snow was a little funky, with a wind crust a few inches down, and wind crust forming on top. We found good snow by shopping around. The mountain was in a cloud early this morning, or we probably would have noticed the wind affect through binoculars.

Saw a few tracks on lower half of Matterhorn and Walt. Couldn't make out more than that, but those two probably have better snow. We heard of great powder without wind affect at TPR and other places south of that. Anyway, we hadn't done Crater Crest, and had a great time anyway.



We kicked steps up that lowest gully on the left. That "little guy" is at least 2000' and a bit steep at the top believe it or not.


















view of Crater Crest across Twin Lakes, taken from Robinson Creek drainage two weeks ago.


Scott Schieldz low on Crater Crest. Robinson Creek Drainage in the background with Victoria and Hunewill on the right side of the valley.


Mike Schwartz
www.thebackcountry.net
mike@thebackcountry.net

Looks like you're knockin' 'em off one by one Mike. Nice pics and the snow looks really really nice. If I can ever get down there I'd like to hit the crest for a warm up before committing to Walt or Matterhorn. So you ended up going up the east ridge. Is that the easiest way up, just not the most direct if avi conditions allow?

The east ridge is mostly out of avalanche terrain, and might get you to the top as fast as any route. Depends on how steep you like to go. Going up from the mid-lake area would have saved us a half hour on either end. Trail breaking would have been harder, since half of the east ridge was scoured and firm. The easiest scenario would be wait for spring and walk up one of the gullies.

Crater Crest is almost as long a hike as Matterhorn or Walt, and the views are better. I'd always ignored it, thinking I'd save it for a down day. It's definately just as worthy now that I've gone. Soul Skier said would be worthy.

Mike Schwartz
www.thebackcountry.net
mike@thebackcountry.net

April 10, 2005
Crater Crest ENE Face

Molly, making her first turns of the season on skis other than her XC skis
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38232.jpg" border=0>
The ENE face was surprisingly good
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38233.jpg" border=0>
Nice views looking West from the Summit of Crater Crest
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38234.jpg" border=0>
More views of Matterhorn Peak, not many tracks at this time!
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38235.jpg" border=0>
The Sawtooths, noon on Sunday, April 10
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38236.jpg" border=0>

noice pics tucker. yeah, the snow was absolutely $$$$ around that area this weekend. we skied the horse creek peak couloir on sat and other then our party, there was only i other group of 3 that skied ski dreams that day. our run was totally stable blower and they said that theirs was more of the same. its just crazy how much snow is on the east side right now. woooooot!!!!

Right on tobiasca. That would have been a great show to have seen a descent of Ski Dreams from the vantage point of the Crater Crest summit. Where is the Horse Creek Peak couloir and could you see it from the photos that I posted from the summit of Crater Crest? Thanks.

This is the photo looking soutwest from the summit of Crater Crest into the cirque at the head of cattle creek. These chutes looked fantastic and worthy for a return trip. Especially #3. Has anyone been back to ride those chutes?

<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38257.jpg" border=0>

nope, its not in any of your pics. in your 4th pic of matterhorn you can see horse creek pass on the far left of the pic just to the side of matterhorn. the couloir is just outta view to lookers left and its the big one that you pretty much stare at all during the approach up horse creek.

Oh yes, I have seen that line and it does look good. Thanks for the beta.

Gimpy, this look familiar?

<img src="http://splitboard.com/host/horse_creek.jpg" border=0>

Here's a few more familiar sights for gimpy and steeleman (and bcrider) from Saturday:

<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38336.jpg" border=0>
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38337.jpg" border=0>
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38341.jpg" border=0>
<img src="http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38342.jpg" border=0>

Schizo weather at Twin Lakes yesterday. Took off from the truck about 7:30AM with plenty of mean-looking clouds lurking to the west and wind once I crested the ridge. Fortunatley these clouds stayed put for awhile.
Upon summiting, I peeked through a notch to get a glimpse of Matterhorn, Sawtooth Ridge, etc. and was walloped by winds and clouds that seemed to be fast approaching. Skiing off the summit on the east ridge, I got a few nice wind buff turns before angling NNW into the first and most obvious gully off of the summit. I'm pretty sure the entrance to this gully is shown in the fifth pic in Mike's original post.
I was concerned the top might be a little scratchy but that wasn't the case. The previous day's snow had bonded nicely with the old and yielded more boot-high wind buff. Very tasty but slough was of the broken dinner plate variety. Down lower the new had settled a bit more and made for nice, high speed, velvety GS turns.
Once I got back to my truck, the storm had begun it's move east in earnest. As I sat shirtless in my lounge chair, soaking up the mid-day sun above me...the clouds to the west unleashed a bit more April snow.

Skied crater crest on Sunday, 5/7/06.

Coverage is pretty good. (awesome for may). Park your car between the lakes, and within 20-30 min of hiking on the road & trail and you can start skinning.
Snow line is probably 7500ft, giving about 3500 ft of skiing. I always stared at this one on our way to other peaks, and I'm glad I finally hit it; the views alone make it worth it, and great skiing as well.
Great corn around noon-ish. Especially on the NE aspects. Seems like the shingles are starting to form above 10,000ft. Not bad, since they are soft and you can ski over them. Saw the same thing on Gibbs today.
Talked to some folks that did E. couloir on matterhorn. Said it's a 45 min hike till ya can skin and the couloir was great corn.

Some pics:

Here's the snow line. It's a really short walk on easy terrain to get to where you can skin. The bottom of the canyon is really serpentine and curvy. Reminds me of diller canyon on shastina.


About 9000ft, looking up.


Pano of the sawtooths from the top of matterhorn:


Twin peaks, whorl, matterhorn, etc. Also note the lunchables pizza. Pretty good, although I'm not sure what sort of mystery meat they use to make their pepperoni. I'm pretty sure I tasted squirl. I've never had squirl, but that's what I imagine it would taste like.


Twin peaks:


Matterhorn/ski dreams. The E. Couloir looks rocky,but some folks said it was $$.


Corn spray. Really, really nice corn on the NE aspects from 11000 down to 9000ft or so.Ya can really open it up. Below that it was mush. Probably 11am would be perfect.

_________________
More BC action next week, right here on ESPN 8, "The OCHO" :)

Nice pictures, Abe. The panos of the Sawtooths looked amazing - a worthy peak just for the view! How did the approach from Twin Peaks up and over Crater Crest look? Would the Southside of Crater Crest be a decent skin (or climb)?

Joe,

Not sure. I walked only a little way to the midpoint peak of crater crest, not all the way back there to the intersection of monument,etc. I drove up green creek and there is still snow on the Southerly stuff there. it looks steep. if i can, i'll try to post some pics later. I'd be really careful on the southerly stuff with lotsa rocks./thin snow. In general, the southerly stuff has been going off really early and anything close to the rocks is punchy. Also, anything westerly is burned off a lot. the whole west side of crater crest was mostly rock if i remember.

what ever you do, have fun! What's you and toby's secret plan? Can't wait for the TR 8)

_________________
More BC action next week, right here on ESPN 8, "The OCHO" :)

Update 3/24/07:
Plenty of good skiing still to be had in the high sierra. Actually, fantastic skiing: we actually skied some good powder and porn both days. Don’t wait until may to go down there however, think early April for the “easy access” stuff, and late april/may for the hike in/camp stuff.

Crater Crest update 3/24/07:
Overall excellent skiing. 3-5 inch powder up high, 2 inch porn down low. You can ski to ~7600ft or so. About a 30min hike until you're skinning.






This was all 3-5 inch powder




This was all for the camera, it's easy getting up there


Jay scoping the sawtooths. We saw some fresh tracks. Someone else had a good weekend up there !

Pano sawtooths

Twin peaks:

Matterhorn:


When we were done enjoying the views, it was time to "Shake and bake"


Powda!



corn tracks down low



Good day!

_________________
More BC action next week, right here on ESPN 8, "The OCHO" :)

skied the lookers right of the 2 main crater crest gullies today for great settled powder skiing. we skinned and booted up the gully as consistent snow is hard to find elsewhere but we stopped about 300' from the top of our line cause it started feeling slabby on a slick bed surface. prolly would have been ok to top out but still had 3,500' of quality turns. bridgeport mtns didn't get nearly as much snow as we did in tahoe from this last system but still enough to cover up towelie's trax.

We missed you and Joe on Tallac yesterday.

Was contemplating going down that way this weekend. Tahoe will probably turn into a glop fest.

How much new snow was there? Do ya think going up Horse Creek or towards the hulk will be too much bushwackin and hikin to be worth the effort? I figure the new snow may be preserved longer down there with the higher elevation.

i was afraid to be around so many snowboarders on tallac. i didn't want to get beat up and have my lunch taken :wink:

seriously, they really didn't get ,much snow at lake level around twin lakes at all. maybe it just melted quickly but the approach to crater had maybe 1-2". we did drive towards the camprground toi get a look at snowline and it did look ok from a distance. you could MAYBE skin up horse creek canyon but not enough snow to ski down. and couldn't see up robinson creek but its thick even in a decent snow year so its gotta be a bit of a struggle right now. uppe relevation sawtooths are looking great though and worth some type 2 fun to get to it, especially if you're gonna overnight it. there is still great snow on protecetd aspects in tahoe right now so this will prolly be the last time to ski local pow till the next storm comes cause it is and has been warm.

Thanks Toby,

Yeah, looks like we'll stay in Tahoe and find some steep N facing stuff.

Skiied some excellent powder with Sierra Souljah on Crater Crest today. We started on the isthmus between the lakes and went up to the ridge veering to the climbers right. We found some great powder in the trees and wind buff powder above the small plateau at around 9000 feet. There was also quite a bit of skiing on sagebrush mixed with dry, unconsolidated powder down lower that was high on the fun and entertainment factor. The main chute from near the summit was wind- hardened but there was some excellent skiing just a drainage away. Good enough that we did a second lap.

pics: from Crater crest sunday 2/6/10:

1/2 -->2ft of powder. seemed pretty stable,except for westerly aspects which was soft snow on top of rock hard layer of snow or ice.


















And saturday: Sarah's first Ice climb @ lee vining. Ice is good.

_________________
More BC action next week, right here on ESPN 8, "The OCHO" :)

4/15/11

After our epic at Feather Peak, Matt, Luca and I headed home seeing weather moving in. We went to Bridgeport and had a big breakfast, and noticed the clouds disappearing in the Sawtooths however. Matt bought a lot years ago above the mid-lake bridge and hadn't been up high to see the surroundings yet. So we made a leisurly 9am start and found surprisingly good snow conditions.



4000' above the car, Crater Crest is no gimmie. The half-pipe avy paths are so cool.
































Matt getting giddy after a beautiful summit above his future home. Watch this sequence.


He goes big motocross style.


stuff starts happening a little wrong in funky snow


his ski goes rocketing into the gully, making turns with the snake-like avy path and picking up speed. I chase.


I see it shoot up in the air just out of view, and luckily find it unharmed and tamed once again. Bad ski, Stay!




Matt gets back to the party and shows the willows who's boss.

_________________
Mike Schwartz
www.thebackcountry.net
mike@thebackcountry.net