If you make it past the washout, it’s a winter up there like it hasn’t been in a decade or more. We walked as far as Dry Lake before putting on our snowshoes. Right at the bend above dry lake where the trail leaves the valley and heads toward mineshaft saddle, an avalanche that came off the chute west of San Gorgonio’s north ridge left giant piles of snow and some huge downed trees. Here’s Joe standing under some at the bottom of the avalanche for scale:
Some partially toppled trees in the avalanche path:
We climbed Lake Peak, which went in snowshoes on a few inches of powder over hard frozen snow and some icy spots.
Then climbed the north ridge of gorgonio from mineshaft saddle, which went with snowshoes to around 10,500 ft, where we switched to crampons. The powder right above the saddle got pretty deep at times. From about 10,500 to the summit it was all hard-frozen snow and ice.
And along the summit ridge:
It was snowing as we walked out. A great winter up there!
Chris
