I’ve been lucky to get out on a bunch of ski tours this season (2024-2025). Several have been in the mountains near Mammoth Lakes; since the tours were all relatively short, I’ve collected them into a single post here. One or two have been left out due to a lack of photographic evidence; besides, there’s no shortage of information about the skiing around Mammoth.
Trip Planning
Location: Inyo National Forest, California | Home of Northern Paiute people | View on Map
Route: See the excellent Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra by Nate Greenberg and Dan Mingori
Permits & Regulations: Permits are not required for day trips in Inyo National Forest, but are required for overnight trips. Visit the National Forest website for more information if you’re planning an overnight excursion!
Red Cone
30 Nov 2024 | 7.4 mi | +/- 2300 ft | View on Map
Immediately after Thanksgiving, I drove up to Bishop with several friends for a weekend of skiing. We skied the resort for a day or two, enjoying great post-storm conditions, particularly for November! We also ventured into the backcountry for the first ski tour of the season. Red Cone is a popular spot, both because it’s close to town and because it has low-angle slopes that are relatively safe from avalanche risk.
Maddie, Collin, and I set out from the end of the plowed section of Lake Mary Road at about 9:30 AM. We skin up the groomed road, being careful to not disturb the manicured cross-country ski tracks on the right side of the path. At the pack station, we follow an established skin track through the cabins and corrals up to the Lake Mary Campground, cutting off a long, curving part of the road. The skin track roughly follows the trail to Crystal Crag, switching back along the ridge above and west of George Lake. Interestingly, George Lake isn’t frozen at all, but large parts of Lake Mary (right next door) are frozen.
We reach the top of Red Cone at about 11:30 and relax for a minute or two, chatting with several other skiers and snowboarders that are already there. We transition and then ski down the chute one at a time. I’m the last to go and am beyond frustrated to discover that my skis are in desperate need of wax and are practically stuck to the snow. I face downhill and, with great effort, coax my skis down the slope, rejoining Maddie and Collin at the base of the slope. We skin back up for a second lap in the north facing bowl; unfortunately, my skis don’t do any better the second time around.
After the second lap we skin back up to the ridge and then begin the journey back to the trailhead. I’m able to get up enough speed to “burn” the residual glue off the bottom of my skis and enjoy a few turns as we descend back toward Lake George. It’s a bit of a maze in the dense trees, though, and we end up further north than we intended, on mostly flat ground and in deep, sticky snow. It’s quite the slog to return to the Lake Mary Road, and I get separated from Maddie and Collin. We eventually reconvene at the cars at 2:00, kicking ourselves for not properly mapping the way out and not bringing radios. But all’s well that ends well, and we soon drive off for pizza and relaxation.
TJ Bowl
11 Jan 2025 | 7.7 mi | +/- 1800 ft | View on Map
Much like the Red Cone ski tour, this trip begins on the Lake Mary Road. I’m skiing with Jesse, Erica, Maddie, and Andrew today, a great group. We start around 9 AM, skin up the groomed road, and then follow an established skin track along summertime trail toward TJ Lake. We pass Barret Lake on the west and then skin directly over TJ Lake; “TJ Bowl” sits directly above the lake.
Skinning up TJ bowl proves to be the most challenging part of the tour. The slopes are steep and cold, and the kick turns become increasingly more aggressive as we gain altitude. This is Jesse’s first ski tour, and he’s learning quickly, but he’s really getting the “trial by fire” version. We call it quits at about 10,300 feet, having reached as high as we comfortably can; in retrospect, skinning up the ridge on skier’s right (east) is a better approach.
After a careful transition, we ski down the bowl on stiff windboard. A little lower the snow softens up, but my lightweight Zero-G skis are getting tossed all over and I struggle to remain upright. It’s not my favorite descent, but hey it’s a beautiful day to be outside in the snow and I’m here with some of my favorite people!
On the way back we stop for lunch on the frozen TJ Lake, which is a novel experience for me – sitting on top of a frozen lake! I enjoy the skiing from there back to the trailhead much more than the TJ bowl section; down lower the snow is more consistent and easier to turn through. We skate across the frozen Lake Mary on our skis (very hard work!) and then glide down the groomed road the rest of the way. All in all, a great day.
Punta Bardini Old Growth
8 Feb 2025 | 7.2 mi | +/- 3600 ft | View on Map
A series of storms brought a bunch of fresh snow to the Mammoth Lakes area this past week, so CK, Erica, Nathan, and I wasted no time driving up for a ski weekend! CK and I had a phenomenal time skiing the resort on Friday (yesterday), evening getting some new snow during the day! Today, I’m off into the backcountry with Erica and Nathan for a tour through the old-growth trees on Punta Bardini’s north face. With the dump of fresh snow and a persistent weak layer buried beneath, we’re playing it safe with the low-angle terrain.
We start the tour on a well-traveled boot and skin track just off of Sherwin Creek Road, heading for the northeast ridge of Punta Bardini. Another party of skiers is also on their way up and we leap frog with them a few times, even taking turns setting the skin track in the fresh snow. We stop ascending at a rocky spot on the ridge around 10,000 feet and, after a brief break for snacks, transition to skis and start the descent. The fresh snow is a joy to ski through, particularly once we get into the old-growth trees. I’m still working on my deep powder skiing skills and it’s a bit of a struggle, but I still have a blast! Erica and Nathan, who are far more experienced, yip and holler as they tear through the powder.
Below the old-growth trees we find some truly terrible, sun-baked crust. Determined to do another lap through the trees, we make our way over to a road and begin skinning back up. There are definite signs of instability in the snow, including some loud collapses, so we’re careful to avoid the steeper slopes. We don’t make it all the way back to 10,000 feet — there’s no need, the really good skiing was lower — but we do manage to snag a few more luxurious turns in the trees before making our way back to the skin track and the car.