Snow. It is the leading topic of conversation among winter recreationalist, and this year even more so. While we are often worried about the lack of storms as we navigate dry winters, this year is one for the record books and there is no sign...
Presidents Day is a holiday most Americans look forward to in the year 2023. Gathering with family and friends to buy deeply discounted furniture and mattresses from wholesale distributers, while others escape on mid-winter vacations to ski and recreate in the mountains. This is exactly...
As I sit down to write this Eastern Sierra Ice conditions report, I am reminded of the classic Simpsons episode where Homer is hired by the local newspaper to be the new Restaurant critic. Homer is hired because of his incredible appetite and enjoyment of...
The great Ella Fitzgerald is spot on as she sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” As the snow melts out from the high country and we transition from boots to approach shoes, it’s hard to find a more enjoyable mountain range in the United...
Scroll through any social media feed, and you’ll notice that everyone’s posts seem preoccupied with “ests”. The biggest, the longest, the hardest, the fastest. In a crowded field, to stand out there has to be something somehow special about everything we do. Even as guides,...
While sitting on the Kahiltna Glacier towards the end of May, I received a message on my InReach that read “Its full-on Summer in the Sierra.” After weeks of hauling sleds and digging cache holes, I was ready for a change of pace. Daydreams of...
If you look at the numbers, skiing in the Sierra Nevada seems like a challenging undertaking. The April 1 snow totals are out, and by all measurements, we are at 35% of average statewide, although local drainages like the Mono basin is closer to 50%...
Ah, the winter of feast or famine. What started off so promising, with a record breaking December snowpack, quickly turned to a mid winter where the headlines were major wind events and little snow. During January and February, we were able to ferret out snow that...
As the days get shorter, the nights get colder, and the fall colors begin to show in the Eastern Sierra, we would like to look back over the past summer’s busy guiding season to highlight some of the memorable experiences we have had in the...
Fall is quickly approaching, temperatures are dropping and the rock climbing season in Bishop is upon us! Well to be honest the climbing on the east side is amazing year round but Fall is when this zone really shines and there are two areas that...
Join Janet on her 2 days of guided backcountry skiing with IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide, Howie Schwartz, of Sierra Mountain Guides exactly one year ago in 2013. The trip finished with a coveted descent of the Bloody Couloir on Bloody Mountain, located in the...
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="2045,2046"] To Summit or not To Summit – Musings of a Sierra Mountain Guide As I put away the expedition gear from my recent trip and place the kit back on the racks in the garage, I find myself reflecting on the outcome of the...
