Posted by Sebastian |
- Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Bob on September 5, 2009, 2:24 pm, in reply to "What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
68.122.166.XSebastian, I've been skiing at Pinos using only racing skis for 30 years, use "rock" skis only, lots of rocks and stuff, the best time for race skis is during corn snow conditions, which can crop up anytime of year in SoCal, there are times you can skate all over the top area. This is bushwhacking, and difficult to ski over on skinnys but can be really fun on the right day. In the 80's we had a couple of clubs including a Finn Club which held regular races at Pinos.
Rim Nordic is the best (only) place in SoCal for groomed trails, it a fun roller coaster course but small and low elevation means the season is pretty short there. Next step is Tamarack Lodge at Mammoth which is a weekend trip.
- Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Sebastian
on September 6, 2009, 2:54 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
76.173.74.XThank you for the information! - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Yuzo Kanomata
on May 12, 2009, 2:47 pm, in reply to "What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
169.234.4.XHi,
Mt Pinos is a backcountry area and most of the ski trails are old logging road cuts or parts of hiking trails. It is not groomed.
I have not been to Rim Nordic or Green Valley. I've tried going in the past to Rim Nordic but they weren't open that season due to poor snow conditions. I did ski up on top of the Palm Springs Tramway and there was a vendor there who had some groomed trails and was giving lessons, but that was a few years back.
The best skis for Pinos IMHO are metal-edged scaled skis. If you can get up when there is a big snow dump and the second snow gat is closed, you'll have miles of great skiing.
Beware of the large numbers of snow players that come up which can make parking very difficult.
HTH
Yuzo - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Sebastian
on May 12, 2009, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
76.167.254.XThank you very much for the fast reply!
How do you think, is it possible at all to ski on Mt. Pinos on xc-skis, without metal edges and light and thin)? I do understand that I can forget about skate skiing, but maybe classic is feasible? (Mt.Pinos is two times closer to me than Big Bear or Palm Springs, so I would definitely prefer to go to Mt.Pinos, but in the same time I want some kind of training, not touring)...
Again, thank you very much for the response! Appreciate it! - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Yuzo Kanomata
on May 12, 2009, 4:02 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
169.234.4.XI have seen folks renting gear at Lake of the Woods and come up. NNN bindings and I think some didn't have metal edges. They generally stay on the flat parts like the meadow next to Nordic Base or the area called 1st and 2nd meadow off the main trail.
I have also seen full-on race suited folks on the main trail to the top.
It is all condition dependent IMHO. When it is packed and just a light top of fresh snow, any skis would work great. I've had problems breaking trail on BC equipment when it has been deep and light.
It's do-able especially on the easy to intermediate trails. It is just a lot easier on BC skis. I know some folks go up in tele gear and other AT, but they are looking to areas where they can cut turns.
I had the best time going up last year when the plough broke at the 2nd snow gate next to McGill campground. I think it it 4 miles to Nordic Base and it was fantastic taking the road which was covered by 3 feet of packed snow. One person coming with me then had 3 pin XC thin skis and had no problem.
I'd say if in any doubt, come up and try it. I think you may like it. And come early if you come up on a holiday or weekend! The large numbers of snow players can be overwhelming.
Yuzo - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Sebastian
on May 12, 2009, 5:13 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
76.167.254.XThanks again for detailed answer!
And very last question - when it's usually enough snow to start the season? I understand that it can be very different every year, but what's historical average date of season opener? (Especially for people who do care about gliding surface of their skis and who don't want to hit the rocks and sand with their ski) - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Yuzo Kanomata
on May 12, 2009, 5:19 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
169.234.4.XHi,
It has been hit or miss from October to mid December. Usually by about mid December there will be good snow and coverage. I have been up the past two President's Day weekends and both times there was a lot of snow.
It seems that there have been good reports on this board. My rule has been if it snows enough to shut down the 5, then it will be nice coverage on Pinos.
HTH Good luck!
Yuzo - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by jdb
on May 14, 2009, 8:22 am, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
65.165.110.XMy first season with the ski patrol at Mt. Pinos I trained on classic nordic skis. ~55mm, double camber fish scale, foam/plastic, no edges, NNN bindings. Those skis are all about glide, but forget about turning except step turns. They sufficed for the softer snow conditions and when I stayed on the Mt. Pinos road/trail where tracks were somewhat reliable.
But really, if you show up with track skis and dress in lycra, you'll probably find Pinos limiting and you'll feel out of place. If you come from a winter environment where temps stay cool during the day, this will be an adjustment. It can be boilerplate ice in at sunrise, then by the end of lunch it can be wet glop under a blazing sun. Regular Pinos skiers tend to gravitate to single or 1.5 camber backcountry skis (Karhu XCD etc) with full metal edges. Boots and bindings vary more widely. Every ski patroller at Pinos uses 3-pin or tele bindings, but we are overgeared for pulling/descending with a loaded rescue sled... - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by Jim
on May 14, 2009, 2:56 pm, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
63.193.144.XI agree with Yuzo and jdb that I think the most useful ski for Pinos is full metal edge with fish scales. Even at a particular time of day it's possible sometimes to go from hard ice (in places where sun has earlier melted snow out of the trees, or shone directly) to soft and wet (where the sun is currently hitting) to powdery (under the trees on the north side of the mountain), all within a few hundred yards. If you don't see all these conditions on the same day you will see them in the same season if you go often enough.
That said, I have often seen people up there with skinny cross country skis, it is doable.
I live in LA and this is what I use to gauge the amount of snow on the mountain (in addition to this board):
http://www.frazierparkinfo.com/snowcond.htm
Keep in mind that there is always some delay in the text report on this page. If you click on "PMC - Mt. Pinos WebCam", you can see if there's snow on the mountain. If there's snow around the houses, the whole mountain is covered, and if there's snow on the road between the houses, it means the road up Mt. Pinos is going to be closed. - Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?
Posted by jhm
on May 29, 2009, 2:11 am, in reply to "Re: What kind of XC-skiing trails are on Mt. Pinos?"
24.176.168.X35 years ago or so there were occasional races staged by a local ski patrol group. The races were held in the area east of the parking lot on a 'track' that wound around in the woods. I can remember European guys with thick accents dressed in lycra who skied circles around me. I also remember a guy who rented out snow mobiles off a trailer.
The greatest obstacle for me in recent years has been road closure. It seems the road was cleared much more aggresively back then and it was much easier to access the top after a storm. The road is closed now more than it is open in the winter.
I don't know where you're from but Bear Valley and Yosemite (Badger Pass) up north on the west side of Sierras are nice XC ski areas with groomed/prepped trails including skate trails. You pay for a trail pass at each.
Mt Pinos, as already pointed out, is more of a primitive thing. Still fun and occasional great snow but primitive and non-competitive. I 'ski' on old school 3 pin mid-width fishscale tour skis. On a nice day, the view from the summit is well worth the effort.