Why these guides? – Sierra Ski Tours

I have been thinking about this for years, maybe decades. Back in the day, everything was word of mouth, passed from one backcountry skier to another. There were just not that many of us. Eventually you got to know everyone. There were grandfathers of ski touring: Dave Beck, Doug Robinson and even before them, Norman Clyde with his wooden skis and massive pack. Before him there was Orland Bartholomew skiing up Whitney in 1929 and along the Sierra Crest solo, because his partners bailed out on him.

In the 1980s, working in the then-iconic Rock Creek Winter Lodge, Doug Robinson and Galen Rowell would stop by with tales of epic tours. Vern Clevinger and Claude Fiddler were out putting together ski tours to far flung places and Tom Carter and Alan Bard would stop for beers on the porch after putting together their Redline Crest tour. Marty Hornick and John Moynier were duking it out for the fastest Rock Creek to Mammoth time. Heady times indeed.

Dave Beck brought out his “Ski Touring in California” in 1980. Beck opened eyes to what there was. Marcus Libkind wrote a series of ski guides mainly focused on the Tahoe area and in in 1992 Moynier brought out his first ski guide to the Central and Southern Sierra compiling the years of collective exploration. These were reprinted several times but… went out of print.

Times changed and the focus went from ski touring to peak descents. Folks felt summoned by couloirs and gullies with big lines. Out came several guides to this type of skiing, including Ritchin’s “50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California” (1999), Benson’s “Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes” and Greenberg and Mingoris’ “Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra” (now in its 3rd edition).

Make no mistake. The latest crop of books recommend trips which creep into significant avalanche terrain. Most trips listed carry significant risk if you ski them the wrong day. Some years these descents don’t come into condition at all.

So, whatever happened to a relaxing day in high mountains with good friends, just enjoying life? Not worrying about epic losses if something goes wrong? After teaching avalanche courses for many years, I’m often asked afterward, “Now what? Where can we go?” Hence these guides.

One current ski manufacturer in their advertising says “It is All About The Down.”

Sorry, I disagree. In the Sierra “It is All About the Across.”

You will find great skiing in the routes listed here. You will find challenging descents. But you will also find mellow terrain, be able to lie on a rock and to gaze into the endless blue sky under the California sun.