January 26, 2023 Climber Current Conditions Report by Climbing Rangers:
With over a week of sun, and daytime highs in the 50’s, climbers are trickling back into Bishop. There’s been a lot of buzz about cars getting stuck in the Buttermilks and 3-foot washouts on the road in. Meanwhile, the Tablelands are mostly dry now except for the usual pools in a few low areas at the Sad Boulders (see previous posts for reference). Climbers Coffee has been bumpin’. As always, come to the Pit Campground from 8-10 on Saturdays for some Black Sheep coffee.
Current Conditions:
Buttermilks: The boulders are covered in up to a foot of snow with 1-2 feet of snow on the ground. The road is in fact worse than it was before the storms. The first half of the drive in is sloppy with a mixture of slush and puddles. The second half is a mixture of deep snow and compacted snow from other tracks. *Please do not hike around the boulders if you cannot physically see the trail. There is a good chance that you are damaging vegetation beneath the snow that has taken decades to grow. Best to look elsewhere for dry climbing for the time being.
Owens River Gorge (ORG): The vast majority of climbers are going into the ORG via the road/lower approach. Expect river crossings to be slick. The central approach still has quite a bit of snow, some of which is now condensed and even more slippery than before (not recommended). The decent into Upper ORG is now mostly clear, with a few slick spots, but expect 6″ of snow once you finish the decent. A huge thank you to @danmcdevitt1 for clearing tons of snow from the Upper Gorge approach! I imagine it will still be a while before people climb in Upper though 
.Pine Creek: Road is still closed at Rovana. 4 feet of snow or more near the climbing.Tablelands: Dry except for select low spots in the Sads such as the Ice Caves.#tablelands #bishop #ESIA #sierranevada #explore #owensriver #owensrivergorge #
Be prepared for adverse weather and precipitation making its way from the mountains into the valley.
Join Climber’s Coffee – Saturdays @ 8-10am!
Matthew Bernstein
Climbing Ranger
Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association
**For the latest information on conditions on the California State Highway System, please visit the Caltrans QuickMap website at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or download the app to your smartphone. You can also call the Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).
Join us for Climber Coffee in the Pit every Saturday from 8-10am. We’ll be drinking some of that delish Black Sheep Coffee
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