Setting up telemark skies.

AES/newspost wrote:

In article ,
"Dingus Milktoast" wrote:


At the top of Carson Pass on Hwy 88 is a stone obelisk dedicated to Snowshoe
Thompson. Carson Pass is at the foot of Red Lake Peak. This was the first
documented mountain "climbed by a white man" in the Sierra Nevada, by John
Fremont and his map maker Pruess. Also the first sighting of Lake Bigler
(later to be renamed Tahoe).

I routinely ski Red Lake Peak a few times a year. Pretty easy to get in two
or more runs on this mountain. In doing so I am following in some HUGE snow
prints! It pleases me to think of such things as I skin up to the summit for
the 2000' ride back down.


I *really* want to get up there this winter for exactly the same
sentimental reasons. Any advice on easiest route to reach a point where
you can at least glimpse the Lake, for a 72-year-old, healthy but no
mountain man, whose more usual day trips are to climb slowly maybe 800'
vertical feet on fishscale backcountry skiis up one of the ridges on
either side of Tahoe Mdws (aka Mt. Rose Mdws) and very cautiously
traverse back down.

(GPS coordinates for such a route welcomed; I've been to the parking
area on the N side of 88 at the top of Carson Pass a couple of winters
ago.)

Just park at the area you've been to before (snow-park permit required),
and follow the trail (almost always with ski/snowshoe tracks) to the
West, gaining very little if any elevation. Contour around the ridge to
the North, and soon you will see a low saddle to the N/NW across a
drainage. Head on up 300-400 vertical feet or so to the saddle -
fishscales should be fine - and feast your eyes on the lake and other
great views. Really easy route to follow given good visibility, and some
really mellow slopes around if you feel like swooping some easy turns.
Head up the ridge West of the saddle for better views.

Have fun,
Tom

"AES/newspost" wrote

(GPS coordinates for such a route welcomed; I've been to the parking
area on the N side of 88 at the top of Carson Pass a couple of winters
ago.)

Sorry my friend, I'm a luddite when it comes to GPS.

Yup, park at the north side parking lot. You need a Snow Park permit for the
privilege, 20 bucks or something for the whole year. YOU WILL GET TICKETED
if you park there without a pass. If you're a dirtbagger like me you can
park just over the pass at a large pullout, just before the avalanche zone.
You have to walk an extra 300 yards that way, perish the thought.

From the parking lot follow the line of the summer trail left out of the
parking lot as you face north. You'll run parallel to the highway for a few
hundred yards (west) then bear right around a shoulder. This sets you up to
traverse over to the western shoulder of Red Lake Peak, unmistakable, just
above you. Keep traversing left toward a pass at the foot of the peak. Make
your way up to that pass and you'll have your view of the lake!

On good days, these western slopes of the peak are good runs, corn in the
spring with a fairly gentle slope. A person can play around up there all
afternoon. Just watch out for wind slabs... really blows through that gap at
times.

To get back down, pretty much follow your tracks as you see fit.

Cheers
DMT

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 14:53:34 GMT, "Dingus Milktoast"
wrote:

"AES/newspost" wrote

(GPS coordinates for such a route welcomed; I've been to the parking
area on the N side of 88 at the top of Carson Pass a couple of winters
ago.)

Sorry my friend, I'm a luddite when it comes to GPS.

Latitude and longitude are also helpful for Luddites who use the right
maps, the ones with all those funny numbers on the edges.

I've seen many groups get delayed in meeting up because of poor
directions, non-existant signage, roads being rerouted, etc.
Coordinates give a cross check helpful in areas without street signs
and address numbers.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Dingus Milktoast wrote:

"lal truckee" wrote in message
...

David Dermott wrote:


Oh, also there's "Snowshoe Thompson" which really should be "Ski
Thompson" (he carried mail across the Sierra Nevada, 1870s)
(real name Jon Torsteinson Rue, born 1825 in Tinn, Telemark)

The ski racers in the 1860s California mining camps called their ski
"snowshoes" so "Snowshoe Thompson" was appropriately named. First
big-money ski racing - $1000s exchanged hands (in the form of gold dust,
often.)


Those miner snowshoers kicked Thompson's ass but good, too.

Snowshoe Thompson thought is was wussy skiing a mile straight down a
hill - he wanted to race to Carson City and back. Preferably in a
blizzard, if one could be arranged. In that race, I'd put my gold poke
on Ol' Snowshoe.

"lal truckee" wrote

In that race, I'd put my gold poke
on Ol' Snowshoe.

Yup. Maybe even to this day too.

DMT