Tioga Pass

Michelle Shea

Tioga Pass, a popular springtime destination for hippie tele-skiers who enjoy sunbathing with a cold beer while discussing their latest mountain conquest.  Fortunately for Diana, Tim and myself, Tioga Pass was also the setting for an epic adventure filled with discovering, hiking, jibbing…but unfortunately, no beer.  Apparently the skiers were one up on us there, two-shea skiers.

Desperately in need for a new setting away from the typical resort scene, we decided to venture into Mammoth’s backyard and head for the thick snow patches blanketing Yosemite National Park.  The mountains were steep and possibilities for good shread were all around.  Initially upon arrival we drove around in search of inspiring spots, only to first find a small cornice right off the road.  At first glance the cornice seemed pretty average, but when we went in to scope it out, we realized that it had a lot of potential for some buttery drops.  With a little bit of salt and a quick run-in maintenance, we were ready to hit it…and it turned out to be a fun little session.

Behind the cornice a short hike was a dam we spotted from the road, so we decided to check it out.  The best way to hit it was a bomb drop with a short run-out that led to a rock patch, and then the melting lake right behind the rocks.  So basically we had to drop and turn or end up in the water.  The session lasted for a few hits before the shadow began to fall on the dam.  We decided the best way to use the remaining light was to hike up a snowy face with a good boot pack, and race the remaining light down.  We accomplished so much in just the first day!

The next morning we woke up early and drove back out to the pass, hoping to hit a couple of things we had spotted the previous day.  Mission one was a long rail on top of a different dam.  The setup was easy, but it took a lot of trial and error to get the speed dialed, because the incredibly warm weather kept changing the snow.  Finally everything clicked, and we were able to get a couple of good shots out of the dam project.

After the dam, we headed back to the road to go check out another cornice that we could turn into a step up jump.  Unfortunately, the amount of time needed to hike out and then set the jump up, was more than we had to spare.  Feeling satisfied with all the work we had accomplished, we decided to head out and leave the rest of the lines for the hippie tele-skiers.

Photos by Tim Turner

Posted by freelance on 06/07