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Skiing an unnamed peak just Northeast of Split Mountain on the Split Mountain High Tour- 2000 feet into an epic 6000 foot corn run |
Split Mountain High Tour
This is an unbelieveable High Tour of the Sierra Crest that surfs the Eastern escarpment on one of its steepest and most dramatic sections. We have developed this ski mountaineering tour for the super-fit and ultra-skilled ski mountaineer who wants to maximize steep ski descents with day packs, all while traveling on a point to point alpine adventure that starts and finishes in the high desert. Much of this is in an area visited by relatively few mountain travelers, as there are no trails in this area that allow easy passage over the Crest. When the snowline drops into the valley, this is ski mountaineering paradise. Slightly shorter and physically easier than the Bishop Skyline Tour, with a more remote and wild desert feel. The high point of this Tour is the summit of Split Mountain, situated at a lofty 14,058 feet above the sea and rising more than 10,000 feet above the floor of the Owens Valley. We ski one of four different classic big lines from this iconic peak, and many others along the way.
Trip Itinerary | Prerequisites | Additional Information
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TRIP ITINERARY: Split Mountain High Tour
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DAY 1 |
Meet your guide in the town of Big Pine. We shuttle a car to our pickup and then 4WD toward the Red Mountain Creek Trailhead, parking in the desert as high as the snowline and road conditions allow. The adventure tour begins here as we make our way through sage desert and up into the jagged alpine cirque beneath Cardinal Peak. Ski a North facing run on the shoulder of Cardinal Peak in the afternoon. Camp in this colorful and infrequently visited Sierra alpine valley. |
DAY 2
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Day tour from camp. Summit Cardinal Peak and ski classic lines on the South or North side. Or, if conditions are just right... the South Face of Split Mountain is one of the most biggest, and rowdiest ski lines in the Sierra. Either way we will have an amazing day of ski mountaineering with day packs.
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DAY 3 |
Move camp to Red Lake in the North Fork of Red Mountain Creek via a very nice steep couloir on the East shoulder of Split Mountain. We will drop camp, summit Mt. Tinemaha or one of its unnamed neighbors to the West and ski a 2000 foot corn run back down to camp.
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DAY 4 |
Ski Splt Mountain from the North. There are 3 likely options, depending on conditions and group ability: the Northeast Couloir, the St. Jean Couloir, or the North Slope. The couloirs are extreme technical testpieces that come into condition only when the stars align. The North Slope is exciting in its own right and can be a fantastic way to go. It's an amazing run any way you slice it, in a most remarkable alpine setting. We will pack up camp and ascend over a high col to the North and descend a beautiful 1700 foot North facing slope. Climb to camp near Tinemaha Lake. |
DAY 5 |
The BIG finish! With day packs ascend to ski one of a number of exciting steep couloirs above Tinemaha Lake on Mt. Bolton Brown or Mt. Prater. Pick up camp and ascend Birch Mountain. Ski down into the glorious desert and to the vehicle stashed on the road. This finish features around 5,000 feet of ascent and 10,000 feet of descent in one day. The smaller big finish is to just ascend and ski up to 7,000 feet down Birch Mountain, one of the giants of the Eastern Sierra and a super classic way to end a spectacular, 5-day adventure tour!  |
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Prerequisites:
- Expert downhill skiing skills
- Ability to control speed and execute fall-line turns in control and comfort in difficult snow conditions (deep powder, heavy and/or moist snow, breakable crust, firm or icy, etc.)
- Ability to execute hop turns on 45 degree, firm slopes, coming to a complete and immediate stop at the finish of each turn
- Ability to sideslip forward and backward, with edge control, on steep, firm slopes
- Experience ski touring in the backcountry using ski touring equipment (boots, bindings, skins, transceiver, shovel, probe, etc.
- Ability to make uphill facing kick-turns in an uphill track on a slope
- Prior experience at altitude (10,000+ ft.)
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