Sierra Journal

Expect a Banner Wildflower Season in Sierra Nevada

Time to break out the macro lens (or, at least, flip the little dial to macro mode) to get those beautiful close-ups of our famous Sierra Nevada wildflowers.

The SF Chronicle is predicting a banner wildflower season in the region due to the spring's unusually cool, wet weather. This has primed the region for warmer, drier weather when the flowers will bloom in all their glory.

From SF Chronicle:

Nature lovers could be in for a treat soon at Lake Tahoe. Botanists are hoping several weeks of unusually cool, wet spring weather will make for a banner wildflower season in the Sierra Nevada.

"Things around the basin are just getting started. Now that it's going to warm up, it's going to happen fast," said Karen Wiese, author of "Sierra Nevada Wildflowers."

While some flowers won't start to bloom until October, the best time for wildflower viewing in the region is typically between now and the end of July, she said.

Lupine and camas lilies already are cropping up in Hope Valley, about 20 miles south of Lake Tahoe. In a couple of weeks, nearby Carson Pass will be another splendid place to stop and smell the flowers, Wiese added.

Death on Half Dome "Cables Route" in Yosemite

The Cables Route is the standard day hike up Half Dome. It's an all-day affair and is no joke - particularly in inclement weather conditions. Yet another reminder to be careful out there - even on seemingly easy terrain. Weather can turn even the tamest of routes into a nightmarish epic.

From LA Times:

Late Saturday afternoon, when Manoj Kumar fell to his death while attempting a descent of Half Dome within Yosemite National Park, there prevailed what a park spokesman described as a "perfect storm" of circumstances.

Saturday is the busiest day of the week on a cabled ladder system that enables climbers to negotiate the 425-foot sheer granite dome to and from its summit.

But by early afternoon it had become cold and blustery, with rain and fog and sporadic hail. Many hikers had aborted their climbs but some had not. The granite and the cables had become slippery. Some hikers froze in fear. Others tried scurrying around on the outside edges of the cables.

An investigation continues to determine exactly what caused Kumar, 40, a Northern California software engineer, to let go and plummet nearly 200 feet, but he might have been on the outside edge of one of the cables.

After Kumar fell, 41 climbers were assisted in what the park called a "controlled evacuation" that lasted until dark.

Scott Gediman, a park spokesman, said Saturdays can be tricky even in good weather because it gets so crowded. It's not atypical to have 70 hikers on the three-foot-wide cable system by early afternoon. There's no scripted order within the cables, although most hikers ascend on one side and descend on the other. 

Photo of the Week - Tioga Lake

Trip Report: Northwest Buttress Tenaya Peak

Two thoughts on Tenaya Peak's Northwest Buttress:

1. GREAT climb for beginners out there who are looking to learn the ropes on multi-pitch alpine rock.

2. GREAT early-season climb for working out the winter bugs.

I met up with my climbing partner in the parking lot on the northeast side of Tenaya Lake at about 7:00am or so. We got to know each other a bit (having met and made plans online via a climbing club), sorted gear and headed up around 7:30.

The weather was looking awfully sketchy. It even started snowing on us at one point just below the crux pitches of the climb, which gave us pause. We contemplated a bit, then said, "Eh, screw it, let's go." So we did.

We simul-climbed (used a running belay) for the first several pitches, then swung the last three leads. The terrain down low is very tame, but a ton of fun. The whole climb is mostly clean, slabby granite. There was some snow to negotiate, but it wasn't too bad. We had to move to climber's right onto slightly more difficult terrain. It never got stiffer than 5.6, though.

The top two pitches are solid 5.5 with some fun lie-backs and stemming moves. There's a ton of room up there, though, so you could go any of a million ways.

The bummer? I forgot my camera in the car, so no pictures (except the one above, which I took from the car after the climb). This is a double-bummer, because I just bought a new SLR and was eager to try it out. Oh well. I have some good pictures in my head, I guess.

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New Forums Section on Sierra Journal

I've just installed a brand-spanking-new forum section here on Sierra Journal. The link is in the navigation above, on the far right just below the SJ banner. I truly hope this can be a useful resource for all you Sierra climbers, skiers, backpackers and vagabonds out there.

Please feel free to gather, ask questions, offer beta and generally raise hell!

Oh, also, please let me know if there are specific themes or categories you'd like to see in the forums. Happy to oblige. 

Tenaya Peak's NW Buttress this Weekend

I'm finally at a point where I can feel okay about the fast-approaching end of backcountry ski season. It's not here just yet - there's still a ton of snow out there. I might even try to get some in this weekend, but what I'm really excited about is a long summer of alpine rock climbing.

What's up first? Tenaya Peak's Northwest Buttress (12 pitches, 5.5). It's a nice, moderate, long route to work out the bugs and kickoff the summer. I'm a little worried about snow on the route (anyone have any beta on that?), and the weather is looking a little sketchy too, but you never know if you don't go, so...   away we go.

Trip report to come!

New Film - The National Parks: America's Best Idea

I can't wait to see this new Ken Burns film. It just debuted at Mountainfilm in Telluride. The rest of us have to wait until September 27 to see it. Here's the trailer:

Via PBS:

Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska — The National Parks: America's Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background – rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story full of struggle and conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration - set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.

Skiing Mt. Dana's Dana Couloir

Made a quick trip up to the east side over the weekend. Skied the ever-popular Dana Couloir (also a popular alpine ice climb in the late summer months). Slept Friday night at the turn-out just east of the Yosemite pay-gate at Tioga Pass. Got moving Saturday morning about 8:30am.

If you're a lollygagger like me, the climb takes about 4 hours. The snow is getting patchy on the west slope of the mountain, so I spent a lot of the climb boot-packing. Stopped along the way to peer into the Solstice Couloir with a group I met on the way up.

The top of Solstice was guarded by a sizeable cornice, part of which broke free and tumbled down the couloir as we watched. So...  we opted against it. We headed up to the summit, had some lunch, then stepped into the skis.

You can still ski directly off the summit. It was an overcast day and still pretty cool out, so I was worried that the snow would be too firm. But somehow it was just about perfect. Below the couloir it was pretty gloppy. And since the snow below the glacier had melted out quite a bit, the way out of the canyon was a real pain. Had to pop the skis on and off a dozen times to cross talus heaps.

Tons of fun, but if you're gonna go, go now!! Oh, and note to future self: don't ever again, under any circumstances, drive through Yosemite Valley on Memorial Day weekend. Like Manhattan rush hour down there.

Here's the crew checking out the Solstice Couloir:

You can just barely pick out two skiers making their way down the couloir in this photo:

My ugly mug:

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What the &$!# is up with these weather forecasts?

Makes it kinda hard to plan for a weekend of ski mountaineering in the Eastern Sierra when this is the weather information I have available. See below for two wildly divergent weather forecasts for the same time period at the exact same place. Am I missing something? Sheesh...

From NOAA Weather Service:

And from The Weather Channel:

Video: The Birth of a Black Diamond Carabiner

Ran across this today here. Way cool. Kinda like a climbing version of that show, "How It's Made."