The snow has finally come to Lassen. Any where from a foot down low to 3 feet along the ridge lines. Some sierra cement with no stability issues on most aspects. Some point release stuff of the bigger rock formations and some natural shedding from a heavy wet storm. With the heavy snow it has firmed up and the saying goes if its white its ride able!
Let me know if you do plan on coming up! I’m usually solo so I would not mind riding with someone! A cold storm is coming in next week. As of now it looks to be around Wednesday. Should make things prime! We may also see a couple inches this weekend but depending on how far a trip it is for ya it may not be worth it if you’re looking for a little softer conditions.
I was up there on Saturday and it was awesome corn snow!! No coverage issues and stability is great! Let me know what days ya plan going. I’ll either go tomorrow or Thursday.
^Where did you find the good corn up there on Saturday? I was up there too. Toured up to the Ridge Lake area, but it looked too torn up and icy from the recent rain and wind on most aspects. Seemed like the southerly facing stuff might have had some softer corn like conditions, but I was experiencing a lot of whomping/collapsing in those areas and it seemed like wetslides could be a problem there. IDK though I’m still just a backcountry rookie and playing it extra safe until I can learn and get more experience.
I did score some fun conditions on a couple previous weekends up there though and am hoping to get back up soon (after some new snow hopefully). Also cool to see some other splitters have been hitting the area up and would be nice to ride with you if possible, since I’ve been going solo mostly. I guess I’ll keep an eye on this thread and post when I’m going to make it back… In the meantime here’s a little footage from a trip up there a few weeks ago (nothing special, but it was fun being pretty much my first earned turns on the splitty):
I found the goods on Dillers south bowl!! It was late afternoon and plenty of sun had found its way there. Looks like you went up to the no name peak 8662 right above ridge lakes and rode that north aspect. That gets a lot of people play also and I could expect that wasn’t the best conditions. If you can give me 24 hours notice I can make it up just about any day I just have to locate a babysitter. I do return to work at the end of the month so my time will start to get limited as the spring months inch closer!
Oh nice! I could see how that would be setting up nice after the sun was on it for a bit. It did seem like the south aspects would be best that day. I’ve definitely had my eye on that Diller bowl. Haven’t really considered riding that yet though, since I’ve been trying to stay pretty low risk being a newb and all. I’ll definitely let you know next time I’m heading up there though.
So in the pic below, in the middle on that right that’s the Diller South bowl correct? If so what’s your typical ascent approach if you don’t mind me asking?
As your looking at your pic the lookers right ridge line is the best I have found. You follow the road out of the visitors center and also follow birthday party(the route you took to ridge lakes) as the trail to ridge lakes starts to side hill about a half mile would be left on your hike to lakes. Follow the right fork of the drainage and as your about to pop out into the bowl itself follow the trees up to open ridge. It can get very icy on the ridge and a pair of chomps could be very helpful! I have also seen a lot of people climb straight up the coolie!
I would be way down for getting a group together one day! I live about 35 min from the SW visitor center so anytime really works for me! The sooner the better I’d say while looking at the snow pack and the long range forecast. I’m usually up there solo so having a group would be nice! There is a line off the north side of Brokeoff I’ve been wanting for a while. Just a little nerve racking by myself!
March 16 2014. Current look at the conditions up at Lassen. Anything with a N-NW-NE-E Aspect was Icy as all hell! S-SE-SW-W Was great up above 7500 ft! Below was very wet snow up to a foot deep in areas. Dillers is loosing snow quick in the coolie but was still fun! If you’re heading up soon make sure ya bring the warm wax! While Climbing Dillers east ridge line I had to switch from my split to snow shoes. I don’t have crampons or chomps so the MSR shoes I own had to do! The West Aspect off of 8662 (ridge lakes) Was the best snow of the day and Will most likely stay that way as long as the winds keep calm!