21 Feb 2025 - Conditions Report: Owens River Gorge

Wondering what conditions look like in the Owens River Gorge look like after the Sierra snowstorm late last week?

Don't worry...we got you covered.

Here's what our staff member, Colin, an AMGA-trained guide for Sierra Mountain Center, found when he went down to the Gorge to get in some mileage today:

Conditions Report:

Current As Of: 21 February 2025*

Did it snow last week?

I mean, you basically cannot tell it did down in Lower Gorge at this point. Seriously.

Per the pics below, there are only scattered remnants of snow on the western side of the gorge and I am sure that there days are numbered as the forecast does not call for precipitation in the next seven days.

Wanting to avoid the steep gully approach to Central Gorge (which likely still has some snow and ice sitting on it), my partner and I met at Lower Gorge parking at 0900 and took our e-bikes down the always mellow road to Big Tower. We only had 3 hours of time in our schedules so we got 5 quick pitches in.

To start the day at 0915, we chose a a couple routes in the sun as the shade was still quite cold and the shady rock even colder. But by the time we finished those two by 1000, it was already starting to be warm enough in the sun that we moved to find some shade. We each climbed with a mid-layer or long sleeves and found that layering very comfortable through 1200 when we departed. We could definitely imagine having transitioned to short sleeves if we had stayed through the afternoon, even with today's forecasted high only supposed to be 58F!

The river was loud and flowing strong but the Big Tower crossing was still 4-6" above the river which bodes well for the status of crossings elsewhere further up the Gorge, though we did not put our own eyes on them.

All in all, really pleasant conditions so don't think twice about coming to town if you have a trip planned (or if you've been thinking about pulling the trigger to come visit)!

(And if you need a guidebook for the Gorge or rental crash pads for your trip, we got those too! All rental reservations starting before 15 March get 15% off one full-price item when you pick up your gear!)

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View of the Owens River and the west side of the Gorge from the north side of Big Tower

 

View up the Gorge from the Big Tower crossing

Sierra skyline from the Gorge road. Note the snowline sits at about 6000ft right now.

Zoomed in view of Sierra skyline from Gorge Rd. Note that the rock in Pine Creek Canyon is starting to appear again but will likely need another few days given the snow remaining above the crags is still melting down onto the rock.

*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.