Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Discussion about winter adventure sports in the Sierra Nevada mountains including but not limited to; winter backpacking and camping, mountaineering, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc.
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limpingcrab
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Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by limpingcrab »

Ok I guess it's called peak 11600+/- or something, but the peak just south of Big Bird Lake on the Kings-Kaweah Divide.

I'm planning to try to splitboard the high route from Wolverton to Kearsarge again this year after being rained out last time, and hope to take a detour for this line. Any info or stories to assist with my daydreaming until then? Has it even been done? I'm assuming so, since it's within range of the Pear Lake ski hut.
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Pic by zacjust32
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Last edited by limpingcrab on Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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c9h13no3
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by c9h13no3 »

I have no beta to provide, however, I am stoked just looking that.

\m/
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Silky Smooth
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by Silky Smooth »

Hey Limpincrab, great year for it! There are a lot of potential lines out there, just don't see much activity. The area between Seki and Whitney has a lot of beautiful terrain that just doesn't get explored much in the winter. Kaweah basin in amazing, same as the miter basin, a winter ski paradise. With a winter like this, southern sierra will be really filled in. 2-3 more feet in the souther sierra coming today. Snowing on Whitney and the crest as we speak. Have fun, be safe, enjoy the snow!
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by zacjust32 »

Nice pic :D
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limpingcrab
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by limpingcrab »

Is it your pic, Zac!? I posted this from work so I didn’t have my pics and just took a screenshot of one from google on my phone.
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by zacjust32 »

Yes sir, from my 2017 trip

And I believe @hefe_steele on ig may have some intel, he hit me up a while back for the same pic
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by limpingcrab »

Cool! Also, sorry I stole your picture without credit, I’ll give you $1000.

Jeff Steele is who I’m doing the trip with so we’re both wondering if anyone has done it. Hopefully the conditions work out this time!
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by Silky Smooth »

Storm the other day dumped quite a bit of heavy wet snow here in the Whitney region. Skin'd up the road before work a little bit with Blackout! Slow moving both ways on that wet heavy snow. Should be a great year for spring ski/splitboard adventures in the high country. Sorry hikers, those snow cups will be fun :) A great year to invest in snow. As we say on the CDT, embrace the brutality!

Limpincrab are you on supertopo as well? Name sounds super familiar.
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limpingcrab
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by limpingcrab »

Great pictures! Glad to see the snow, it rained pretty high up the mountain on the SEKI west side. I was by Buck Rock in Sequoia National Forest on Monday morning and it was rock hard rain crust all the way up at 8500ft.

Yup, same name on Supertopo as here, Daniel Jeffcoach in real life. Are you over there as well?
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Re: Skiing the col on Big Bird Peak?

Post by astrogerly »

limpingcrab wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:07 pm Cool! Also, sorry I stole your picture without credit, I’ll give you $1000.

Jeff Steele is who I’m doing the trip with so we’re both wondering if anyone has done it. Hopefully the conditions work out this time!
Jeff was talking about it over beer in Jackson Hole a few weeks ago with us - along with many other great locations in SEKI. My husband wants to go now ;)
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