snowshoe – Leor Pantilat's Adventures

Winter Alta & Moose Lake Snowshoe

pantilat — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:24:27 +0000

I had a great memories of a climb of Winter Alta in 2011 so I was excited to come back and this time I ventured further to remote Moose Lake (see route on Strava here). The view from Winter Alta is simply outstanding. Overlooking Moose Lake and the Great Western Divide, it seems as if the entire range is at your feet. At around 10,500 feet in elevation, Moose Lake is one of the largest high alpine lakes in the region. Nestled in a shallow bench, the lake is well above tree line which provides an unobstructed view of a large portion of the Great Western Divide and Black Kaweah. The panorama of Moose Lake and all the peaks in the background is one of the greatest in all of the High Sierra. Complete photo album here.

This area is accessed via the Pear Lake ski hut and a marked winter trail from Wolverton. The path from Wolverton to the ski hut is challenging for a snowshoe hike with lots of elevation gain but well worth the efforts. The slopes near the hut are fairly popular with backcountry skiers, but I found few tracks beyond a couple hundred feet above the hut and no tracks beyond Winter Alta. Prior to summiting Winter Alta, I decided to continue further along the Tablelands to Moose Lake. The lake is about 850 feet below 11,328 foot Winter Alta which apparently deters most people from visiting. The snow conditions on this day oscillated between a stable crust and deep powder, but overall not bad for efficient progress. I made my way down some moderately sleep slopes and soon found myself walking across the tundra that is a frozen Moose Lake. I crossed the lake at its center and my poles hit a solid ice platform about a foot and half underneath the top of the powder. From the far end of the lake, I admired the view down the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, the Kaweah Gap area, and the line of peaks that stretched as far as the eye could see.

I recrossed the lake at a different point and headed up for the summit of Winter Alta taking many photos and video clips along the way. Calm conditions on the summit provided an incentive to stick around and enjoy the scenery for a bit. Once I packed up, the descent went fast and I decided to come down through Pear Lake. After some moderately steep (but soft) slopes, I was on top of frozen Pear Lake, which is located in a rugged granite cirque beneath the Alta Peak massif. After some more photography and video, I headed down the slopes to the Pear Lake ski hut and started my return to Wolverton. This proved to be another fantastic snowshoe outing in Sequoia National Park! I look forward to coming back and exploring further along the Tablelands in the winter, perhaps all the way to Big Bird Peak for views down to Big Bird lake and closer views of the Great Western Divide.

Mount Silliman Snowshoe Climb

pantilat — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:59:12 +0000

Mount Silliman rises 11,188 feet with over 4,500 feet of vertical in a short distance from Lodgepole Visitor Center in Sequoia National Park. As its position is to the west of the main concentration of peaks along or near the Sierra Crest, the summit provides an amazing vantage of the range from the Yosmite high country all the way down to the end of the Great Western Divide. The view across Kings Canyon to the Palisades is particularly impressive, along with Mount Brewer and the line of peaks from Thunder Peak to Milestone Mountain.

In the summer, a use trail apparently leaves the Twin Lakes trail and provides relatively easy access up the drainage and to the peak. In the winter, however, no such trail exists. I started off at Lodgepole along a snowshoe track that was excellent for the first 2.0 miles as the trail slowly gained elevation. A (less defined snowshoe) track continued beyond the turnoff for Silliman Creek and I was optimistic somebody had kicked steps up to the summit or at least up the basin. No such luck. At a clearing in the trees at 8,200 ft, the tracks finished near a spot where a party had snow camped. It was all deep powder and trailblazing from here up another 3,000 feet to the summit. We had driven from the Bay Area that morning resulting in a start just after noon and it was fairly warm by this point (40s) so the snow was wet and heavy with resultant post-holing even with snowshoes. Each step was heavy and travel became exceptionally arduous until 10,000 feet when a thick crust on the snow supported my snowshoes. I made my way up to a sub-peak of Silliman with an amazing view down the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and the Alta Peak massif that I would ascend the following day.

From the subpeak I made a quick descent down into Silliman Bowl and then climbed the final slopes up to Silliman’s summit. The southern foxtail pine forest near the top is one of the best I have seen with exquisite trunk formations and positioning. I enjoyed the 360 degree view from the top taking video and many photos before beginning my descent. Going downhill through the deep snow was a pleasure and it almost felt like jumping on pillow. I took many photos of Silliman Bowl and the high meadows. After entering the forest, the goal was to get back to Lodgepole before darkness and I was just able to make it in time. This is a fantastic snowshoe climb. If you’re prepared to break trail, you’ll be rewarded with awesome views and rugged scenery.

Dewey Point Snowshoe

pantilat — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:30:34 +0000

After wrapping up 2012 with an amazing skate ski to Glacier Point, we started 2013 with a classic snowshoe hike to Dewey Point, one of the most magnificent views of Yosemite Valley any time of the year, but especially breathtaking in the winter. Along the way to the point we encountered a winter wonderland in the forest and meadows with countless picturesque scenes. At Dewey Point, we marveled at the snowy view of the Yosemite high country and the colossal granite cliffs of El Capitan immediately across the Valley. From a small point, I gazed down nearly vertical cliffs to the Wawona Tunnel and Meced River nearly 3,000 feet below. On the way to Dewey Point we took the Dewey Ridge trail and on the way back we utilized Dewey Meadows and then the old Glacier Point Road to make for a nice loop (route on Strava). Complete photo here.

Snowshoe Ideas!

pantilat — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:34:19 +0000

A good snowpack is far from a guarantee in California and not to be taken for granted. The high elevations have already accumulated a nice base this fall and the forecast for the second half of December has the potential to provide a series of cool and wet systems through the new year. This forecast would give any snow-sports fan a wide grin, and if it materializes, it would provide a phenomenally great start to the season.

With all the excitement, I’ve been thinking about some snowshoe adventure ideas that would be awesome to check out this winter, some of which are located below from north to south:

Mount Lassen, Lassen Volcanic National Park: A 20 mile roundtrip to climb this peak that seems much more aesthetic in the winter when snow covered (as opposed to a pile of volcanic pumice).
Castle Peak & Peter Grubb Hut: Easy access off Interstate 80 with nice views of the peaks of north Lake Tahoe.
Mount Rose, Mt. Rose Wilderness: Gorgeous views of the second highest point in Tahoe.
Pyramid Peak, Desolation Wilderness: The highest point in the Desolation Wilderness and the views looking over a snowy Lake Aloha would be amazing to see.
Mount Tallac, Desolation Wilderness: One of the best views of Lake Tahoe, with a great climb.
Freel Peak & Trimmer Peak: The highest point in Tahoe with a fantastic view of the lake.
Round Top, Mokelumne Wilderness: A classic snowshoe route from Carson Pass with great views of the surroudning wilderness.
Horse Ridge & Ostrander Hut, Yosemite National Park: I have never been to this corner of Yosemite National Park and it looks beautiful, especially in winter conditions.
Winter Alta, Pear Lake Hut & the Tablelands, Sequoia National Park: A visit in 2011 to the summit of Winter Alta was amazing. This time I hope to explore further along the Tablelands with a summit of Big Bird Peak and close views of the Great Western Divide.
Mount Williamson, John Muir Wilderness: Lots of vertical to reach the summit of the second highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the state of California. Williamson also has one of the best views of the Kaweah Range and the Great Western Divide.
Mount Whitney, John Muir Wilderness: It would be great to ascend the highest point in the contiguous United States in winter conditions.

Hopefully I will get to a few of these this winter!