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Mt. Whitney in early January 2012. photo: Alex Few |
Summit of Cathedral Peak, Winter Solstice 2011 |
I want to thank my local friends, clients, and adventurers in the greater online community who have embraced the Sierra drought in the last month. I have been inspired to enjoy steep, sunny sport climbing in the Owens River Gorge, boulder with my 15 month old son in the Druids, climb sunny alpine rock in Tuolumne in the sparking low light of solstice, learn to ice skate and experience the unforgettable ambience of backcountry alpine ice skating in the Palisades, climb legendary, ephemeral ice formations in Yosemite that are rarely in condition and normally take days to approach on skis, mountain bike after work with my family. These are experiences that have created lasting memories I will always be grateful for. The 15 ski runs so far I have taken this season on Mammoth Mountain, not so much.
Ice skating with the family on Tenaya Lake. January 14, 2012 |
Am I ready for snow? Yes, I am. And it is coming very soon. I will no doubt savor the cool and refreshing lemonade we tasted through the early winter though, even as the cold February powder hits my face and my mind obsesses once again about ski lines and snowy adventures. – Howie
Check out this trip report for the last ice climb we had in Yosemite, finishing just moments before the Tioga Pass Road finally closed for the season…