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I was just up in the Mammoth Lakes area (Nov 22-24) during the first "big dump" of the season. I drove around scouting a bunch of terrain (the avi danger was really high so I didn't make it into higher elevations/steeper terrain) and here's what I found:

Outer Regions of Rock Creek (Red Mountain): Still bushes sticking up through the snowpack. Probably needs a good couple of feet before it's rideable.

Convict Lake: Starting to get some good coverage higher up but the approaches look like hell with rocks/bushes sticking up through the snowpack.

Sherwins Area: The snow was so light and the winds so high that it blew all of the snow god knows where. Probably into Owen's Valley. Some spots are completely devoid of snow and then there are wind loaded gullies in the trees where I was sinking into snow up to my arm pits! The sherwins are just not there yet.

Mammoth Crest: It's starting to look good up by the crest but the avalanche danger was so high I couldn't leave the trees/lower angle terrain to really scout it.

June Luke: Definitely not as much snow as around Mammoth Lakes (especially out by the 395). Again, it's looking like some okay coverage up on the higher peaks but the approaches are looking rocky/bushes sticking through the snow pack.

In my opinion the best bet for this area is starting out from the Tamarack XC trails, at the end of Lake Mary road, and heading up to the Crest. Or just wait for more snow because it needs it! Bring a rock board as well.

The Avalanche Danger seems to me to be pretty high, but should hopefully stabilize soon. The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center Website goes on line with its advisories starting Dec 1st http://www.esavalanche.org . So, might be best to give it some time: let more snow fall and get professional avi advisories after the 1st.

If anyone has found any good early season spots in the region let us know about them

even though gnarshredder is all about segregation, i'll still post in his thread.

someone must let us know about this incoming storm and more importantly how is coverage and snowline at the crest, bardini's, tioga,twinlakes or anywhere else.

hoping to get there fri-mon for the storms.

thx.

Sorry about the whole segregation thing but the other Cali Conditions thread was very Tahoe Centric! And the Eastside is a totally different beast!

Anyway, I was out touring by the Mammoth Crest before this huge storm hit and the coverage was excellent. I won't even talk about prestorm coverage elsewhere considering the East Side around Mammoth got 100+ inches of snow so far and it's still going. I heard out by Aspendel and the lower rock creek region (Red Mountain) got 4+ feet of snow.

It looks like snow levels started out around 7,000, rose briefly, and have been dropping since (reports say 4,500 at this point). Bishop got a couple of inches of wet snow this morning confirming this. So it seems like most of the approaches will finally be covered with snow and the East Side will officially be open for business.

All of this snow is great but Avi Danger is very high. I heard reports of the TeleBowls sliding naturally on the Sherwins and they are only around 30 degrees. Ski patrollers on both Mammoth and June are reporting very unstable snow conditions as well (really no surprise with this amount of snow). Anyway, everyone be safe and keep checking the daily avi conditions on:

http://esavalanche.org/

With this amount of snow, count on it taking a while for everything to settle. The first bluebird days after the storm will still be very dangerous and hopefully no one gets caught.

did it snow?

holy mammoth nukeage. 2-3 feet. be careful out there.

considerable/high avi forecast today. ESAC reported big controlled and naturals at Mammoth this morning.

if anyone gets out today/tomorrow and can report on how things are lookin', esp. if things are getting really wind jacked, that would be most appreciated.

jbay- give me the low down later today.

how has the snow held up down there?

the rain forecast for norcal looks a little

maybe sunshine and preserved winter snow is the way to go this weekend.

pppplllllleeeeeaaaaasssseeeee, let me know

Just talked to someone who went last weekend, the verdict was wind hammered up high. Doesn't sound good

thx bop,

i've seen some good reports from last weekend, but a week later... who knows.

may be a good weekend for long tours and exploring.

anyone headed down there this weekend. don't know if we'll go too far south. plenty to do just at Twin lakes.

looks like freezing fog and crust for tahoe this weekend - unless someone wants to suggest otherwise

gonna miss BCD's show though.

looking for suggestions on good corn runs/lines this weekend.

and to lure anyone in to just posting.

anyone riding the eastern sierra that knows about conditions?

we'll be down fri-mon. ride corn and rockclimb. Anyone going out that way?

bcd?