DAY 1

Meet early morning in June Lake for a vehicle drop and final gear packing. We then transport to Mammoth Lakes for breakfast, and on up to Mammoth Mountain where we will start the tour. From the Main Lodge area we ski the snowy road past Minaret Summit down to Agnew Meadows. From there we work into the San Joaquin River drainage and up Shadow Creek to a basecamp at Lake Ediza.

DAY 2

Our first day tour is one that our own Howie Schwartz pioneered along with veteran IFMGA Sierra ski guide, Bela Vadasz, of Alpine Skills International. Howie and Bela are longtime friends. While working together in the Sierra, Bela mentioned a high col in the Minarets he remembered from a summer Minaret Traverse he guided long ago and said that he thought it would be very nice for ski mountaineering. It was. Together they linked that col, the Adams-Michael Col, into a technical circumnavigation of the Minarets that features steep couloirs, narrow ridges, and fantastic skiing as it winds its way through "The Gap" and back down to camp on the lake. The tour feels like being in the Alps, without the crowds and the tracks. Howie was so impressed that we now feature this loop in the itinerary of this tour.

DAY 3

By Day 3 we are acclimated enough to attempt to ski from the summit of Mount Ritter (13,143 ft.). This is one of the crown jewels of Sierra Peak descents, one that is coveted by the many thousands of skiers who ride the chairs at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort. The ascent is long, involving nearly 4000 ft. of vertical gain to the high point of the trip. But it all pays off with a top to bottom run that rivals any in the High Sierra, with skiing up to 45 degrees in steepness.

DAY 4

Move camp over Ritter-Banner col. We cache some of our gear at the col and continue up to the summit of Banner Peak (12,945 ft.). On the west side of the mountain there is a little known gem of a Sierra descent. A steep face to a long, narrowing couloir that corns up perfect on a spring afternoon. This descent is shorter than on Ritter but probably just as good in quality. We pick up our gear and continue down a beautiful couloir run to Lake Catherine where we make another camp.

DAY 5

We explore the Northernmost reaches of the Ritter Range near the Yosemite border and aim to ski whatever peaks will offer us the best snow and the most spectacular views of Half Dome and remote regions of the National Park. Rodgers Peak, Electra Peak, and Mt. Davis are fantastic ski peaks that we will aim for on Day 5.

DAY 6

The Grand Finale takes us down past the picturesque Thousand Island Lake and up the San Joaquin Ridge. From there we aim to summit and descend Carson Peak by its precipitous East Face which funnels into the famous, nearly 2000 foot Devil's Slide couloir. The run finishes at the Double Eagle resort and spa. Yes, we said spa. Civilized. If conditions allow, an alternate finish takes us over to the summit of Mt. Wood to ski the 5000+ ft. East Face, right to a vehicle stashed at the bottom. Don't worry... either way we end up at the spa.