Snow: The snow conditions in this part of the Southern Sierra seem to be highly variable. Southern slopes are snow-free up to 8K’, but northern slopes hold deep powder drifts in the shade.
Gear: I brought snowshoes, 10-point crampons, and ice axe — not really knowing what I’d encounter — but I used none of that gear. I reached both peaks with just trail runners and trekking poles. The snow drifts were so fluffy and powdery that my snowshoes weren't really effective. I tried to avoid the snow by scrambling on dry rocks, but inevitably I post-holed my way through several deep drifts. It slowed me down and was somewhat annoying, but it wasn't too terrible. I wore thermal underwear and knee-high wool socks, which made the post-holing bearable.
Day 1 — LAMONT: This was a straightforward afternoon day-hike, 3.5 hours roundtrip. The weather was sunny and clear, but the wind was vicioius with 30 mph gusts. I followed a use trail nearly the entire way. I lost the trail under snow several times, but I just trusted my intuition and I always found the trail again. I encountered dozens of toppled pinyon pines, which slowed my progress, but ultimately it was no big deal.
Back at the trailhead, I thought about camping along Canebrake, but the temperature was dropping fast. I indulged in a little bit of luxury, and stayed in a motel near Lake Isabella.
Day 2 — SAWTOOTH: A nearly perfect day with clear skies and almost zero wind. 6 hours roundtrip. I followed the PCT from Canebrake Road to the saddle southwest of Sawtooth. Along the way, I crossed a couple trivial snow patches, but it was no big deal. At the saddle, I found a use trail directly up the ridge toward Sawtooth. It was steeper than I expected, but I settled into “low gear” and found a sustainable rhythm. The route was fairly obvious, winding amongst rock outcroppings and through pinyon groves. I encountered deeper snow patches at 6800’, on the plateau with burned trees. As I climbed higher, snow patches became more frequent — fluffy powder up to 30” — but it was too on-and-off for me to commit to strapping on snowshoes full time. Directly beneath the summit, the powder drifts were deeper, up to my waist. If the summit hadn’t been nearby, I probably would have turned back from the snow at this point.
Anyway, I climbed the wrong summit pinnacle at first, but I easily backtracked and scrambled up the proper peak. I found the summit register after digging through various snow piles. I then sprawled on a sunny rock and enjoyed reading a piece of Sierra history. I think it’s very cool that the register dates back to 1966. It looks like most of the early entries were big groups organized by Sierra Club SPS. I’d love to learn more about those trips, and I’m curious about how people were thinking about peaks back then.
Overall: Two more SPS peaks checked off my list, and a couple great days of winter hiking.
Photos below. . .
- Overlooking Lamont Meadow along the climb to Sawtooth
- Snow drifts on northern slopes
- Such variable conditions... deep powder drifts alongside dry ground.
- On the Sawtooth looking north. I think that's Olancha on the far right, Langley to the left, and Whitney adjacent? Also, I think that's the Kaweahs left of center, and the Mineral King peaks to the far left. Please comment with corrections.
- On Sawtooth looking SE
- Sawtooth summit register
- Sawtooth register, page 1
- Sawtooth register, page 2
- Sawtooth register, page 3
- Dusk over South Fork Valley and Canebrake Flat
