Report from May 27, 2025

My last day of backcountry skiing for the season was in the Lower Lamarck Lake Chutes.

Lee and I set off at a casual 7:00 a.m. from Mammoth, and we were hiking by around 8:30 a.m.

We walked the trail to the lake, then had to route-find around the lake, where we finally encountered snow after about 2 hours of walking.

Skins on.

Up we went.

The route was straightforward and we were booting up the chute before long.

Lee put in the entire booter.

I was tired.

On top, we drank in the view, took a healthy rest out of the wind on the south side, and saddled up.

Lee dropped first.

The skiing was good.

Splashy true corn.

This chute was steep, well-walled, and short.

At the bottom, Lee suggested we boot up the adjacent small chute.

I was down.

Lee put the booter in again and it went quickly.

I dropped first and there was some very sloppy snow that broke off in a miniature wet slide.

It happened again halfway down.

This thing was steep and very tight.

The bottom of the chute and the apron skied excellently.

We skied back to our shoes, strapped them on, and stumbled downhill back to the car.

I was exhausted.

I was feeling the weight of the season on my body.

I didn’t know it yet, but I’d have to spend the next 3 days resting and not skiing.

What a season!

• Utah
• Tahoe
• British Columbia
• Italy
• France
• Switzerland
• Alaska
• Mammoth
• Eastern Sierra

I’m off to Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa, today to surf for a couple of months before dropping back into Patagonia for my 15th season there.

The twist is that this year, we aren’t going to Bariloche…

I’m already tired just thinking about it, ha!

We went all out in Bishop, hitting Taqueria Mi Guadalajara, cheap Indian gas, and the Owens River swimming holes.

Thanks, California!

Photos