Eastern Sierra Conditions Report. May 11, 2026.

Mark Holman climbed Mount Russell’s East Ridge route with me on May 6th, 2026 (photo above). Recent snow made for especially alpine conditions. Mark is getting ready for a climb of Ama Dablam, a 22k-foot peak in the Himalaya, and the route couldn’t have been in better shape for this preparation. But, conditions have been changing rapidly since then.

We’ve seen around an 11% increase in temps from last week, and we are well above average for this time of year. This will melt things out quickly, and with an already thin snowpack this year, that means alpine rock climbing and peak bagging season will begin early in the Sierra. I’ve got a Bear Creek Spire (13, 726’) trip up the Northeast Ridge planned for the end of this month and while the road to the Mosquito Flat trailhead might not be open by then, it is already open to the Rock Creek pack station and has been for some time (it’s not too far of a walk to the trailhead from there). Normally, this type of trip wouldn’t begin until late June. I expect climbing conditions to be fairly ideal despite it being so early in the season. Alpine rock climbing objectives such as Temple Crag, the Swiss Arete on Mount Sill, and even the steep climbing on Mount Russell will be good to go very soon, if not already. As usual, my August calendar is getting booked first, as many folks assume that month will be the surest bet as far as weather and conditions go. I hope they are right, but in the back of my mind is the impending wildfire season. Not to be pessimistic, but it seems inevitable we will have plenty of wildfires beginning mid-to-late summer, and this is based off of many years of simply observing what happens after below-average-snowfall winters like we’ve just experienced. This is a good summer to go after your High Sierra Classic objectives earlier rather than later.

This is also a good time to consider the ideal climbing conditions in Pine Creek Canyon right near Bishop! It’s hard to imagine a finer cragging venue in California right now for folks looking to climb either trad or sport climbs between 5.6 to 5.12, with the bulk of this canyon’s high quality granite options in the 5.8 to 5.11 range. Pine Creek is an ideal place to get one’s rock climbing game back on track after the winter season, with amazing views of the High Sierra so you can see for yourself how things are shaping up in the high country. Many of the climbs in this canyon are a half-dozen pitches or higher, so you can also work out the kinks in your multi-pitch game before going after more committing and remote objectives in the high yonder. As always, feel free to get in touch with me with questions or to book your trip.