No pictures, but yesterday was a bluebird day in the Shuteye Ridge area. The view of snow on the Minarets and Mammoth Mountain as well as the sun on the domes below was fantastic. This was likely the last weekend for climbing in Shuteye for the season since more snow and rain are forecast for later this week.
I drove in on the Minarets Road. It was passible in my Prius, but curves east of the ridge have snow and ice on them. I drove up the Shuteye Pass East Trailhead road, but did not make it to the trailhead due to the muddy road with snow on it. Although the gate is open, I think until December 1, please do not try to drive up it. The dirt road does not drain well and is very muddy and wet, even where snow is not on it. I did not get stuck, but trying to turn around on the road in the slippery mud in my Prius was a bit dicey. Now I understand the mention in the guidebook of not driving on this road when it is wet, even if snow is not present.
Whoever goes up this road in the spring to get climbing areas past the Shuteye Pass Trailhead, you will need to bring a chainsaw. A tree about 12" diameter has falling across the road just past the trailhead parking.
I decided to investigate possible climbing in cracks and flakes behind the A Slab With A View formation (see my post in the new routes thread for this new area). I had to post hole up through wet snow going up the Shuteye Pass Trail. At least I did not have to worry about finding my trail through the bush below the slab since snow covered the bushes. However, punching through the snow to openings below made the going rough. I finally got to the gully behind A Slab With A View. I was investigating some new possible climbs in this gully, but when I got to the base of then, I discovered that the rock was extremely low angle. This was disappointing, but you do not get a good perspective of the slope when you look straight at a face. There was a large very wet snow bank at the base that prevented me from even approaching the crack, but I would guess that it would only be about 5.0 - 5.1.
I did continue up the gully and then up to the very top of the formation. Then I post holed through snow up to 3 feet deep to the top of Shuteye Ridge. Coming down through the deep wet snow between A Slab With A View and The Sundial was very difficult even going down hill. I ended up not doing any climbing in this area since there was too much snow.
I did go to Chiquito Dome later in the day. There was no snow on the approach or at the base of Chiquito, but the mosquitos were horrible. 100% DEET deterred them from landing on me, but did not deter the swarm of them around my head. The road curve just before the Chiquito Dome trailhead side road is covered in ice since it is shaded. As I was packing my gear into my car after climbing, the only car I saw the entire day came by going very fast. I though for sure I would hear the car slide off the road around the icy curve, but the car made it through since I did not hear a crash and heard the car continuing on the road. I did the 5.8 climb on Playground Wall just to the right of "Black & Blue Planet" although I do not know the name of this climb since a friend has my guidebook at the moment.
