Pear Lake Ski Hut

[overheadx2]

Since camping in the cold and staying in my sleeping bag for the 14 hours of darkness doesn’t really appeal to me, I took the sissy way into winter backpacking and applied for an April lottery date for the Pear Lake Ski Hut. When that was denied I ended up taking what ever dates were left, so December 20th it was. While this trip is a pretty simple walk in the woods compared to Harlen’s hut trips, it was a great way to start.

My goal this year was to ski in, but since the hut master had posted a horrible description of the snow conditions and all of the friends that I had invited had limited cross country navigation experience and no skis, we all simply snow shoed the 6.5 miles in.

In order to get to Pear lake in the winter you must go up and over what is called the Hump as apposed to going around the watch tower. As we headed up the hump I was relieved that I had snow shoes and not skis as it was rutted ice straight up for about a mile and a half. While I am a pretty good skier, powder skis on this stuff would have been above my level.
Getting to the hut was relatively uneventful, but the beauty of hiking in the back country in the winter is amazing and so quiet. If My ADD would allow me to stay in my sleeping bag for 14 hour stretches I think I would back pack every weekend in the winter.

The Hut is really just the pear lake ranger station with bunks, toilet, propane stoves and a pellet heating stove. We had reserved two nights and so we were able to do some shoeing around the table lands area and the Matterhorn on day two.

Another great thing about hiking in cold weather and staying at the hut is that it allows you to leave the tent, pad and cooking gear at home and carry in great food that would usually spoil. Dinners consisted of carne asada tacos and spaghetti with meat balls and garlic toast while Breakfast consisted of sausage and bacon as well as pancakes and eggs. Between hikes we dined on smoked meats, cheese and French bread.
As you would expect, hanging out in the hut telling stories and playing cards with the hutmaster and other out door enthusiasts was a great experience!
Now I just need to continue working on my ski touring with some east side day hikes and maybe next year I can ski in.

[TurboHike]

Thanks for posting. I've been there on skis three times and it really is an enjoyable trip! I love the Tablelands in snow.

[hikerdude87]

Thanks for the report and great pictures! I was just reading about the Pear Lake Ski Hut and been thinking about doing a snowshoeing trip there.

[overheadx2]

The hut really is a cool place to hike to. At 10 people the weekends can gets pretty crowded, but mid week can often get the entire hut to yourself. If you are looking for a weekend, look at the Pear lake face book page and wait for some one to post a common cancellation notice.

[Harlen]

Great trip! Looks like you guys got to some nice places on your day trips- I like that photo of you guys on the snow slope with a sharp peak above- is that the local 'Matterhorn?" It does look a bit like it; I didn't know of another Sierra Matterhorn.

How do you get those fine photos with the sun right in them? The sun alway blows out my photos; perhaps you have a camera that costs more than my $50.00 kodak? Speaking of costs, I checked it out once years ago for a family trip, and balked at the price. With 4 of us, the price is higher of course. So we camped down at the bottom of the creek a half-mile below the hut. We got to sit around a real outdoor fire that magically melted its way down and out. Does it cost less than your trip to Tavarua?

Nathan enjoying the fire, peasant quarters at the Pear Lake Hut.

[maverick]

“I don’t know of any other Sierra Matterhorn”

Matterhorn out of Twin Lakes Haren.

[Harlen]

overheadx2 wrote:

we were able to do some shoeing around the table lands area and the Matterhorn on day two.

And he provides an image of a very "Matterhorn-like" peak- check out his very last photo. overheadx2, what can you tell us about that Sequoia Matterhorn peak? I like it for another Matterhorn.*

*Here I am gazing up at the Swiss original:

[overheadx2]

At $50 /night per person it’s slightly less than Tavarua. That was an expensive bucket list trip, most of my surf trips over the years are significantly less and much more “rustic”. The hut holds ten people, but if there are ten, you better be pretty close friends. Seems like it might be a great place to have a winter HST get together.

The Matterhorn is the peak in the photo and is not even remotely close to the original. It’s a very easy steep but short Hike from the hut to the pear lake overlook which is generally passed on the way to something more spectacular like winter Alta Peak, the table lands or the Moose lake overlook.

As far as photos go, all of the photos were taken with my iPhone X. It takes some pretty good pics but certainly not the caliber of a real quality camera. since it doubles as a gps and entertainment center it works out pretty well.

Harlen, The pics of you winter camping and skiing with your kids are very cool and must allow for great memories around the X-mas table . Those epic winter trips you take almost make me think about attempting an easy overnighter, but my reality is I just don’t like staying out in the cold enough to do it. I camped at ostrander about a month ago and even with a fire In the evenings i got cold and stiff pretty quickly. In my younger years I certainly would have been up for it, but I think I have gotten old and soft. I think I am resigned to winter trailer camping and doing relatively easy day hikes and ski trips with the wife and dog.

[DAVELA]

At $50 /night per person it’s slightly less than Tavarua. That was an expensive bucket list trip, most of my surf trips over the years are significantly less and much more “rustic”. The hut holds ten people, but if there are ten, you better be pretty close friends. Seems like it might be a great place to have a winter HST get together.

The Matterhorn is the peak in the photo and is not even remotely close to the original. It’s a very easy steep but short Hike from the hut to the pear lake overlook which is generally passed on the way to something more spectacular like winter Alta Peak,

Harlen, The pics of you winter camping and skiing with your kids are very cool and must allow for great memories around the X-mas table . Those epic winter trips you take almost make me think about attempting an easy overnighter, but my reality is I just don’t like staying out in the cold enough to do it. I camped at ostrander about a month ago and even with a fire In the evenings i got cold and stiff pretty quickly. In my younger years I certainly would have been up for it, but I think I have gotten old and soft. I think I am resigned to winter trailer camping and doing relatively easy day hikes and ski trips with the wife and dog.

winter camping in a hut would be great...i dont think i can do the tent in winter...maybe, but i dont know.

[Harlen]

overhead2x says:

In my younger years I certainly would have been up for it, but I think I have gotten old and soft.

I don't know man-- I don't think you're soft, you're just differently hard (and that's what she said? )

I mean, where I enjoy suffering in the cold wintery mountains, and wuss out now in any sort of overhead surf- you charge the 2xoverheadright? and avoid suffering long cold snowy camps. We're both hard enough, eh?