Mt. Gould Backcountry Snowboard - Eastern Sierra

Last year's splitboarding trip on Mt. Shasta was an eye opening introduction to what could be done in the winter/spring backcountry for me. It sparked a desire to begin developing my "at best" mediocre SoCal snowboard skills into something that wouldn't get me killed riding in the Eastern Sierra. Enter Ben & Darryl. Two fine friends that are versed in the snowy seasons more than I, helping to teach & encourage. Earlier this year Ben & I rode an interesting area near Wright Mt (8,505ft) in the San Gabriel Moutains.

On this weekend we are heading out of Onion Valley towards Mt. Gould (13,012ft). Ben has done this peak before from other approaches & winter solo. Needless to say, he's in tune with this area of the range. Hiking just before dawn we are on snow within twenty minutes. Since I'm still the rookie, I have to snowshoe, while carrying my board. Those other dudes broke out their splitboards & began skinning switchbacks up the first grade.

As anyone who has hiked the Sierra before, there are always shelves/benches of glacial drainage's that step up & up until higher in the alpine basin cirques. At times the snow covering made for easier travel & other times "sun cups" of death would wear us out. 

 

 

Dropping our overnight gear just before heading up towards Golden Trout Lakes helped the travel greatly. Still well before 9am, grabbing days packs, we were headed towards Mt. Gould proper. The sun became warmer than could be imagined & a mid mountain run brought us back to camp at a descent time. Expansive wide open terrain that I had only hiked an hour before flashed passed with easy on the snow. My first dumpy rookie run in the Sierra felt great.

 

 

That afternoon the heat only increased. Minimal layers & comfortable shade was the only way to pass the afternoon. Shadows finally touched both sides of the canyon walls & the stoves flamed to life. Our bivy above 10,000ft looking down to the Owens Valley was really something special. Almost didn't stay awake long enough to see the stars.

Alarms at 5am meant another shot at Mt. Gould. Ben & Darryl set off up through the first section to the lake. I made another rookie mistake, leaving my hat & sunglasses at the base camp during the morning light. Opting for a different part of the mountain to ride while those two got after the summit was the next best plan. 

Back in the alpine cirque now, scrambling on rocks above Golden Trout Lake, I could snap photos of those guys climbing into the East Bowl. Once out of sight we stayed in touch on walkie talkie. I climbed up the East Face for quite a ways to a prominent outcropping. Took a good rest & rood some more amazing wide open slopes all the way to the basin's edge. 

Re-positioning myself in the cirque, I caught a glimpse of Ben get his first turns, starting just beneath the summit block! After him, Darryl carved gorgeous sweeping arcs high on Gould's ridge. I had made a slog up to a large outcropping on the opposing granite wall. Strapping in, rode much better than the day before, down connection section after section until reaching the point where our two parties would cross. After slapping high fives, we three rode the last fifteen minutes to camp.

Cheers went around to their summit! We rallied all the gear & aimed to find the van before the heat got too extreme on the snow. I'll always remember this one visual moment riding back down the glacial shelves; the guys were ahead, outlined perfectly against the valley, high rock walls lining both sides of the chute & all was right with the world.

Chicken Spring Lake Backpacking - Eastern Sierra Mts

The mighty Range of Light is a testament of challenging wonders that will reveal itself to those that choose to walk it's paths, deep into it's heart, while exploring their own.

Stephanie & I spontaneously decided to go for a weekend backpacking trip, but skipped the usual local San Gabes & went straight for the big stuff, Eastern Sierra's. Deciding originally on a loop trip, up over Cottonwood Pass to Lower Soldier Lake, then back over New Army Pass & through the Cottonwood Lakes region...... Mother Nature had other intentions.

Driving to Lone Pine, it was raining. We got dinner & our hotel, it was raining. We woke, snagged permits & ate breakfast, it was still raining. Feeling confident, we drove up to the trail head, maybe it'd look different at 10,000ft? After navigating the fifteen some odd rock slides on the road we made it to our parking spot, turned the Jeep off... it was still raining. 

| Near Cottonwood Pass, looking into Horseshoe Meadow |

All gear packed accordingly, about to set foot on the trail & the rain stopped, we couldn't believe it. Walking with smiles only lasted about thirty five minutes, the rain returned while we were climbing the switchbacks to Cottonwood Pass. The views down both sides were beautiful, cloaked in thick dark clouds all around us. 

 

| Chicken Spring Lake - Elevation 11,242ft |

Moving on now, we had spent some time in the rain & still felt good about it. Crossing into the 11,000ft range of elevation we started to encounter hail more than rain. The situation was changing rapidly. We were getting closer to Chicken Spring Lake, so we opted for an afternoon break there. 

The rock basin was stunning upon arrival, the hail continuing to grow stronger, covering the forest floor with a thin layer of white. That's when the thunder began. Rolling heavy & loud all throughout the mountains around us. What a magnificent display. 

By now we had decided to alter our route & call this lake home for the night. When the storm waned a bit, we put up the tent & unpacked gear, all still dry as a bone, things were looking up. Steph knocked out while I sat & giddly listening to every thunder clap for several hours. Lighting never showed up to the party fortunately, just lots of earth shaking noise. Props to Big Agnes, superior ultra light tents, this is the fourth trip with multi-hour storms with no problems what so ever.

| Inyo National Forest |

After showing off her power, Mother Nature decided to show us her softer side & opened up the skies for a majestic sunset that will live with me for a long time. Walking the shoreline & then finding a nice high point to see the last rays of light fall over these granite peaks was all the reassurance I needed that this is where we belong.

Retreating to make a tortellini dinner & snack furiously before sleep was all that had to be done now. Life was good, the stars were out & displaying all their allure. The next morning we still had some clear skies so plans were made to explore more before packing up.

| Chicken Spring Lake, Big Whitney Meadow |

Heading up the boulder section on the eastern side of the lake, we gained a ridgline that looked far down into Big Whitney Meadow. A most expansive & encompassing view. The rocks were interesting & warn along the top of the ridge from wind constantly eroding them away over time. Clouds slowly began to gather & we knew it was time to get walking. 

Gear was secured & slung over our shoulders, made it back to Cottonwood Pass with easy, but we could hear thunder & see the rain in the distance, right where we needed to go. Only about five minutes passed & were we in the thick of a shower & thunder roared again. However, today was different, for every 5 or 6 thunder claps we heard, a bolt of lighting would streak across the sky.

The lower section of the trail through the Horseshoe Meadow area is a mix of dense trees & large open & exposed trail sections. While Steph & I walked one of these open/exposed trail sections a bolt a lighting crashed down from the sky & struck the group in front of us in the same open area we were walking through! The sound was so incredibly loud we both jumped out of shear fright, leaving our skin on the trail behind us. Never had I seen or experienced anything like that in my whole life. Needless to say, hearts racing, we picked up the pace & made it to the car as more hail began to fall from the sky.

| Horseshoe Meadow |

The adventure didn't stop there, while driving out we experience a lighting strike, arc hundreds of feet tall, over our car, hitting the ground on both sides of Luken Canyon Road. Later on the Hwy 395, traffic came to a grinding halt due to a large flash flood mud slide that covered to highway (see video). Everyone stood around on the highway cursing obscenities... I was just thinking about the next trip to the High Sierra's.