Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is the fastest growing outdoor winter sport in North America, and California's Eastern Sierra is one of the most dramatic and historic venues in which to experience this amazing activity. While toiling up a mountain in the winter with skis on your back just for the sake of one run down may seem like a lot of work to some, those who have had even a small a taste of this sublime pursuit will be hooked forever; endless untracked snow, astounding views, a great workout, time spent in the wilderness with friends, and the unparalleled exhilaration of pointing the tips of your skis or snowboard over the summit of a great peak define it as poetry in motion.
Dan Mingori and Nate Greenberg have been backcountry disciples of the Mammoth Lakes, CA, area for many years, and have compiled an epic list of descents and advice in their new guidebook Backcountry Skiing California's Eastern Sierra, 166 Ski and Snowboard Descents in the Range of Light between Tioga Pass and Bishop Creek. Dan is a dedicated split-board snowboarder and photographer, and Nate is a knee-dropping telemarker who helps run the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center.
The best backcountry skiing in the Eastern Sierra is centered on the town of Mammoth Lakes, and Dan and Nate have made sure that nothing is left out of the broad area covered in the book, extending from Tioga Pass in the north to Bishop Creek in the south. From the backyard runs on the Mammoth Crest to the roadside accessible Tioga Pass, and the epic wilderness peaks like Mt. Tom and Laurel Mountain, this guide serves as both the ultimate introductory resource and the experienced hard-man's hit list.
The book is printed in color, 240 pages, and packed with useful information. It includes scores of annotated color topographic maps and hundreds of color photographs. The authors give a written description for each approach and descent along with useful statistics for gauging conditions and seriousness, including the slope, aspect, and angle, vertical gained and mileage of the approach, and a seriousness rating.
The extensive use of color action and peak shots makes this book an incredible exposé of the Sierra in winter. Regardless of skiing ability, any mountain enthusiast will drool over this book. It will set the bar for generations of backcountry ski and mountaineering guidebooks to come.