Winter Wonderland

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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Vaca Russ
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Winter Wonderland

Post by Vaca Russ »

We had a big storm on Halloween. It dumped a bunch of snow. “Sport” and I thought it would be great to get up there and enjoy a quick snow shoe hike.

We drove up I-80 to Bowman Lake road and then turned off on the gravel road up to Grouse Ridge. We began our hike from the trailhead on Grouse Ridge and hiked to Glacier Lake.
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Things have been pretty busy since we made this trip. I didn’t have an opportunity to get her pictures. We had some really good pictures of her at Glacier Lake, but she flew to Cabo and took her camera with her. :(

Here are some of the pictures I took.
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Here is good picture of Black Buttes.
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It was a real workout busting trail!
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We didn’t get back to the truck until sundown. We were beat! We loaded up the truck, started it and then tried to climb the small grade up the hill to the campground. The snow had become quite wet and slippery. The four wheels just couldn’t bite into the snow and we slipped and slid all over.
That morning I had almost gotten into the driver’s seat to go and she asked, “Did you remember to bring a shovel and chains?”

I’m sure glad somebody has some sense! The snow was over a foot deep. I could dig the snow out from in front of the four tires down to the dirt and the truck would move until it hit the snow. I tried over and over always with the same results. I kept trying because I didn’t want to have do what I had to do.

She kept suggesting, “Maybe you should put on the chains?”

I don’t know how many of you have put chains on a vehicle on flat pavement, but it is a PITA. Try it on a slope, in a foot of snow, freezing cold, in the dark, uphill, both ways!

Needless to say, after a long fight of digging and crawling in snow the truck was able to jump up the hill like a Willys in four wheel drive. :D :nod:

I was really exhausted, but I was not going to spend the night on that ridge!

I climb Pyramid Peak on Saturday. All of the snow is now gone.

Thanks for reading my post.

-Russ
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"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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Re: Winter Wonderland

Post by Cross Country »

That's a really cool report. I'm in the carribian and it's the opposite here.
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oldranger
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Re: Winter Wonderland

Post by oldranger »

VR

I leave chains in all my rigs year round. I once hard to use them on my 78 international scout when I went down a steep dusty bumpy dirt road and couldn't make it back up until I put the chains on. Problem was highway tires.

Mike
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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DAVELA
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Re: Winter Wonderland

Post by DAVELA »

wow,so beautiful...love it...hope we get more snow this year.
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maverick
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Re: Winter Wonderland

Post by maverick »

Thanks for the TR and wonderful pictures, love the look of pine trees full of fresh snow!
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Vaca Russ
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Re: Winter Wonderland

Post by Vaca Russ »

OK, I got her pictures.
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I hope we get much more snow!

-Russ
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"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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