March 2002 

 

Note:  clicking on any photograph will present a full screen version.
	Dumpage.  After bombing down Tallac, we jumped in the car and made a beeline for Camp Sacramento west of Echo Summit.  On the way up, Chris had pointed out a couple of nice lines south of the highway he wanted to hit on "the right day".  Today was that day.  We got back to my car (which we had left as a shuttle for our abandoned Desolation traverse).  We had to perform an excavation to get it out.
	The Hogsback.  This nice snowcone jutting up over Highway 50 had beckoned us on the way up the pass the day before (according to EricO, it is known locally as the "Hogsback").  Our goal was to now rip turns down the 45 degree face in fresh pow.
	Lovers Leap.  As an added bonus, the great cliff wall of Lovers Leap stands high above the Hogsback.  Chris eyed the upper east face (upper left of photo), which harbored a nice steep glade run hugging the cliff wall.  I was also eyeing east shoulder, the little diamond powder face below it.  After scoping the terrain from the road, we stashed a car down at Strawberry and then drove back up to Camp Sacramento.  Following a hairy crossing of the South Fork of the American River, we skinned up first to Point 6,680'+, a small peaklet just east of Lovers Leap (above and left, out of photo).
	Picking his line.  At the top of this peaklet, Chris slapped his splitboard together and scoped out a nice line off the cliff band guarding the summit.

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