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thinking of winters to come....already - snowmobile to ski

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:36 pm
by copeg
Ok, I know summer is almost here but for some reaason I'm still stuck in winter mode (probably because the high country is still covered in snow). I've been throwing around the idea of something that I have no idea has ever been done, or if anyone else dreams this. But here goes...
There are places along the western side of the sierra that are probably rarely if ever explored in winter because of their remoteness to the nearest road. Examples of such are Tehipite Valley, Blackcap Basin, Silver Divide etc...My thought was, can you cut off a few days of skiing into and out of these places by snowmobiling to the edge of the wilderness/national park (or have permission from the proper agency to penetrate that border slightly) then ski/snowshoe in from there? Anyone done this/have tails of other's that have done this? Anyone else dream of this, or am I the only crazy one out there. I couldn't imagine trying to ski into some of these places from a car, but on the other side of the coin the thought of the price to rent a snowmobile for an extended period of time (which I've never ridden) or hiring a 'driver' sounds crazy enough :eek:

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 5:21 pm
by hikerduane
I've snowmobiled numerous times to a destination where skiers can't reach. If you stay on Forest Service land you should have no explaining to do. I have ridden 12 miles to a trailhead into the Caribou Wilderness, left my helmet and gloves and snowshoed in to spend a night at a quiet lake with no one around and no noise from other sleds. Very peaceful day, it was a very nice day, hit 50, down to 32 at night was all. I had a hard time following my snowshoe tracks out because the warm day had melted the slight impressions I had made in the snow. I knew where I was at, I just wanted to follow my tracks out since they were pretty direct back to the trailhead.

Not a wilderness, but I like going north of Truckee to Perazzo Meadow. You hear some sleds during the day, but what scenery. Seems the only time I make it though is when it gets below zero. A good test for my 5 degree WM Antelope Super DL.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:10 pm
by s_kruse
A major value of western slope remoteness is that it takes effort to ski your way in. Using western approaches, I have skied Mineral King, South Fork of the San Joaquin, Dinkey Lakes and upper Merced River drainages. Tioga Pass and the North Fork of the San Joaquin River are attractive because they do not have easy access. Anything that substitutes oil for knowledge detracts from the experience.

Tehipite Valley is best approached from either the Monarch Divide (south of the Valley) or from the northwest (Blue Canyon - Tunemah trail). Either way, the routes require mountaineering ski experience.

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:06 pm
by cmon4day
s_kruse wrote:A major value of western slope remoteness is that it takes effort to ski your way in.
Kruse, I like the way you think.

Vic