16 Feb 2025 - Conditions Report: Happy Boulders & Volcanic Tablelands

As anticipated in the below quote from our conditions report yesterday on the Happy Boulders and the Volcanic Tablelands, the conditions at the Happy/Sad Boulders are by far the best in the area for climbing and thus they are receiving an overwhelming amount of traffic this weekend from both local and visiting climbers.

"Stewardship Note: Since the Buttermilks and other climbing areas are under snow right now, the Happies and Sads (a.k.a. the Volcanic Tablelands) will get almost all of the traffic this weekend. Stay on the trails. Protect the plantlife and environment. Practice good group ethics and share the boulders."

An overhead photo of the Happy Boulders parking area from yesterday afternoon showed nearly 100 cars parked there (no joke...see below). At some point, the climbing rangers counted 138 vehicles!

As such, we want to emphasize the enduring importance of sustainable and conservative etiquette while at the crag or the boulders. If you are unsure on how to remain in accordance with the local climbing ethics, no worries - just consult the signage at the parking areas, the Bishop Area Climbers Coalition etiquette page, or the local climbing ranger info feeds for an overview.

Be good stewards so that we can all continue to have these amazing (yet fragile) resources for many years to come!

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Overhead photo of Happy Boulders parking area slammed with nearly 100 cars from a local pilot flying over on the afternoon of  15 Feb 2025.

*All conditions reports are subject to change, increasingly so with each passing day since the observation(s) were made. They are provided as a tool to assist your adventuring, not to replace your own risk management and decision-making. No information in any trip or conditions report published by Eastside Sports should be considered definitive in its information or directive in its recommendation.