Hi, I’m Mike, and I started The BackCountry shop in 1994.
I want to thank you for helping us stay alive at our retail shop. You are supporting the families of over 30 employees as well as many local gear reps who we buy from.
This ski touring blog is in constant edit and add mode. I re-write nearly every time I look at my posts honestly. Check back regularly for improvements. Please don’t take anything I’ve said with 100% accuracy. My process is simply based on memory and looking at pictures I take. There is no precise measuring or complicated computer mapping going on here. I might start GPS tracking however with Gaia, replacing my old silly maps. Stop by the shop or contact me directly for help planning your ski tours. I am happy to direct you to the many local pro IFMGA guides as well.
There is an absurdity in trying to describe a backcountry ski tour. There is way too much to say if I were aiming to warn you of every danger and explain how to find the best experience. I buy every guidebook for ski touring and rock climbing, and rarely find I needed the few sentences I read. But they got me in the car and pointed me towards the best stuff in the area. My main goal is to get people stoked on ski touring while I tap at a keyboard at 3am, looking over old photos.
You can now add a comment with pictures and tell us about you day or recommend how I should edit my posts. I will read it all and I really appreciate your participation! I may not publish every comment. Think about contributing to stoke, beta, or laughter.
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Grab a map and guidebook from our shop or here on the E-com website. Search the web for more beta. Talk to me. Hire an AMGA guide to teach you the skills. Put all that together and go for it!
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There are inherent risks when skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or climbing in the backcountry. The routes on these maps may be dangerous and even deadly depending on many variables such as current avalanche danger, weather, snowpack depth, skill and experience level and time of day. Plan on climbing 1000 vertical feet per hour. Add time for low angle miles, high elevation, poor equipment and slow partners. Subtract time by starting early, traveling light, and strategic tour planning.
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If you are not an expert and experienced backcountry skier, snowboarder, snowshoer or climber, we strongly suggest that you hire a professional guide. We recommend excellent local guides and backcountry skills classes from local pro guide companies International Alpine Guides and www.AlpenglowExpeditions.com. We also highly recommend Sierra Mountain Guides out of Bishop, and Shasta Mountain Guides if you are heading up there. There are a lot of competent Sierra ski guides. Skip the learning curve and help these guys make a living. Contact me for personal guide suggestions. But you can’t go wrong with AMGA certified guides.
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You take FULL responsibility for yourself and your party when using this website for advice and the author disclaims any liability for injury or any other damage by anyone traveling in the areas described.
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Please be patient if our guidebook recommendations end up being wrong for you – we don’t know you and your skill level and experience. We’re just showing you places where we enjoy the backcountry.
- CARPOOL CARPOOL CARPOOL. Park respectfully, bring a full-size shovel, be nice to Law Enforcement and Cal Trans Drivers. Join Tahoe Backcountry Alliance please. Complain to USFS, CA State Parks and TRPA for unwillingness to facilitate access to our public lands in Tahoe for decades. I have spoken to the top officials at “stakeholder” meetings and delivered private presentations on ski touring in Tahoe many times in the last 20 years. They say they are listening and agree…meanwhile they only remove parking and access every year. They don’t stick up for us. They claim they have no control over Caltrans and CHP. These land managers are equally charged with the duty of improving public recreation opportunities, compared to environmental protection. All they do is work on development and tourism. They will literally tell you that ski areas are where we should be going.
Have a great time and please be safe!
– Mike Schwartz
SAC is Sierra Avalanche Center and ESAC is Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center. Please donate to them on their website, they need the money, and you need the info.
Featured Tours
Jack’s Peak 9856′
Location: Desolation WildernessElevation: 9,856'Elevation Change: 3,500'Recommended Map: Desolation Wilderness - Tom Harrison or Lake Tahoe Southwest - Alpine Ski Tours Jack's Peak isn't skied often, which is exactly why you should go do it. You need to ski them all...
Mt. Darwin 13,831′ and Mt. Lamark 13,417′
Location: North Lake above Bishop, CAElevation: Mt. Darwin 13,831' and Mt. Lamark 13,417'Elevation Change: 4200' for Lamarck. 5700' for Darwin. add 500' to connect bothRecommended Map: Bishop Pass - Tom Harrison These pics are from May 2002, when I was ticking off...
Mt. Emerson 13,225′
Location: Buttermilks above Bishop, CA or access from AspendaleElevation: 13,225'Elevation Change: ...Recommended Map: Mono Divide - Tom Harrison The North Couloir of Mt. Emerson starts the butterflies twirling in your stomach when you see it from the top of Peak...
Tahoe Area
Bear Claw – Herlan Peak 8840′
Bear Claw - Herlan Peak 8840' Location- Near Incline Village, Above Sand Harbor State Park Elevation Change - about 2000' This is a small area of terrain to ski, but the view is absolutely the most incredible thing you will ever experience. If you have ridden your...
Volcanoes
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Eastern Sierra
Mt. Conness 12,590′
Location: Tioga Pass – Saddlebag LakeSummit Elevation: 12,590'Elevation Change: 3,050' I used to ski Tioga Pass area a lot but haven’t been there in awhile. In the late 90’s I started going to Mt. Conness in June, usually at the end of the season because it was money...
Ice Lake Pass 10,000′
ice Lakes Pass 10,000' Location: Twin Lakes Trailhead - BridgeportElevation Change: 4,200' I did this tour with Eric Jan 24, 2006. It was a big snow year and we were feeling like a mellow sightseeing ski or maybe we were aiming for the Hulk and it was typical wind...
Mt. Starr 12,832′
Mt. Starr - aka Pointless Peak Location: Rock Creek near MammothSummit Elevation: 12,832'Elevation Change: 4,000' I'm reposting an old one from sometime in the early 2000's. I was knocking out the ski tours in the John Moynier Guidebook and skied this one with John...
Mt. Dade 11,732′
Location: Little Lakes Valley - Rock Creek near MammothSummit Elevation: 11,732'Elevation Change: 4,700'Recommended Map: Hoover Wilderness by Tom Harrison I skied Mt.Dade with a customer named Tucker maybe around 2000. The Moynier book called it an all day tour. He...
Mt. Morgan – South 13,754′
mt. Location: Little Lakes Valley - Rock Creek near MammothSummit Elevation: 13,754'Elevation Change: 4,800' This was another peak I skied with John, Tony, and Aaron Martin in maybe the late 90's. It was just before Aaron died skiing off the summit of Mt. St. Elias....
Victoria Peak 11,732′
Location: Bridgeport, CA - Twin Lakes CampgroundSummit Elevation: 11,732'Elevation Change: 4,700'Recommended Map: Hoover Wilderness by Tom Harrison These pictures are from an old website post when I skied Victoria Peak first around 2004 with John Crus. We had seen it...
