PLAN YOUR TRIP

We are here to help you plan your trip from start to finish - please reach out with any questions! We can help with logistic suggestions for your best choice for lodging, rental gear, places to eat, and everything in between.

BOOK NOW

Getting Here.

Meet your guides at the parking area at the end of Virginia Lakes Rd, a half mile off of Conway Summit on CA HWY 395.  Below is a pin for this parking lot, please park on the righthand side.

Flying in for your trip?

The closest airport is the Mammoth Yosemite Airport. We recommend Reno-Tahoe International Airport for a price-friendly option. Although there are limited direct flights to Mammoth Airport and options to fly within a 5 minute drive of the meeting area.

Safety First; our motto as a team of highly trained professionals

Safety is our first priority at High Sierra Snowcat. Skiing is inherently risky and traveling in the backcountry exposes one to terrain that has not been mitigated for avalanches. This is why all of our guides have extensive experience and education for safe travel decisions in avalanche terrain, with a minimum certification of a Pro Level 1 and Wilderness First Responder Certification, although many hold higher levels of certification. Guides will evaluate snow and weather conditions before and during your trip.

A skier wearing a red jacket, black helmet, and goggles skiing down a snowy slope in a dense forest of snow-covered trees.
A man with dark hair and a beard smiling, wearing a black beanie and a black jacket over a red shirt, sitting at a dinner table in a wooden room, illuminated by a chat light.
A person skiing down a snowy mountain slope, kicking up a large spray of snow under a clear blue sky.
Group of people dressed in winter gear standing around a red snowcat in a snowy landscape with trees in the background.
A red snowcat vehicle on a snow-covered mountain slope under a clear blue sky, with tracks in the snow and sparse trees on the hillside.
A snowy mountain slope with a red snow grooming machine and several skiers descending the hill.
A person snowboarding on a snowy slope during daytime, with snow spray in the air and blurred trees in the background.
A skier wearing a yellow jacket skiing down a snowy mountain slope with visible ski tracks, rocks, and a shadow of the skier.
A person in outdoor winter clothing, including an orange hat, sunglasses, and face covering, skiing on snow-covered terrain with a mountain range in the background.
A person skiing down a snowy mountain slope, wearing a brown jacket, black helmet, orange goggles, and holding green ski poles, with snow spray and a clear blue sky.
Snow-covered forest with a person skiing or snowboarding in the distance, framed by blurred branches in the foreground.
A person snowboarding down a snowy slope in a winter forest, surrounded by tall trees with snow on their branches, under a cloudy sky.
Four people dressed in winter gear snowshoeing across a snowy mountain landscape with a snowy mountain range and blue sky in the background.

WHAT TO BRING

  • Modern Avalanche beacon (3 antenna, w/ fresh batteries)

    Avalanche shovel

    Avalanche probe

    Avalanche Airbag or 25 L Backpack

    • We have airbags, beacons, shovels, and probes available for your entire group at no cost to you.


  • Skis or Snowboard

    We recommend your skis to be a minimum of 100mm underfoot.

    Most snowboards will perform well but a powder or freeride board is best.

    Helmets are optional but highly recommended.

    Goggles

    Sunglasses

  • Hardshell, waterproof jacket

    Hardshell pants

    Down or synthetic insulated jacket

    Light fleece top

    Synthetic/wool long underwear top & bottoms

    Warm, waterproof gloves or mittens

    Neck gaiter/balaclava

  • Fresh bedding provided

    Swim suit for sauna

    Medium to large Duffel Bag for personal belongings

    2-3 pairs synthetic/wool socks

    Warm hat & Brimmed hat

    Comfortable change of clothes for evenings

    Slippers and something to walk between yurts. No ski boots inside please.

    Headlamp

    Toiletries, small towel

    Charging cables for your electronics

    • Water bottle 1-2L

    • Sunscreen

    • Camera, GoPro, and Drones are welcome!

    • Music on your phone (Bluetooth speakers available)

    We take care of the rest! All meals are prepared by our staff and snacks will be available daily. We will have a supply of toiletries, including endless sunscreen, if you forget anything.

    If you need to rent skis or snowboards, reach out and we can help you find the right gear. We work with Black Tie for downhill gear and Mammoth Mountaineering for touring gear.

faq

  • The snowcat is used as a tool to transport our groups to the best snow and ski terrain. Our snowcat operator will drive us back 6 miles into the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest where you will get dropped off at the top of each ski run then picked up at the bottom to go again. The initial ride out takes 30 minutes then transport times get much shorter once we are in our zone.

  • For your safety, guests are required to be advanced skiers and riders. We do not have any groomed terrain, therefore you will be expected to be capable of riding a wide variety of conditions including powder, crust, ice, slush, etc.

  • Our guides, operators, and yurt host work hard to provide a safe and memorable experience for you and a great way to show your appreciation is tipping. The standard tip is $100-$150 per guest daily which will be split amongst the employees on your trip.

  • Cell phone service is generally reliable throughout of ski terrain, but does not reach our yurts. If you are on an overnight trip, you are welcome to use our Starlink Internet! 

  • Here is a list of local accommodations we recommend:

    Virginia Creek Settlement  –  Bridgeport – Closest option with a bonus of great pizza!

    Big Meadow Lodge – Bridgeport

    Walker River Lodge – Bridgeport

    Murphey’s Yosemite – Lee Vining

  • We are partnered with several skilled photographers from Mammoth Lakes and are happy to coordinate a photographer to come along on your trip for an extra fee.

  • Buy a Gift Card to give your loved one an experience of a lifetime.

    Purchase a day of skiing in the form of a gift card through the “Book Now” link. Gift Cards are valid for two years after the purchase date.

  • All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. If you are interested in riding with kids younger than 14 please contact us at 760-206-3793 before booking, we may be able to accommodate them with special circumstances.

  • We love dogs, but they are not welcomed in the yurt for several reasons, mainly because of our aversion to leaving dogs unattended all day and the fact that we melt snow for dishwashing.

A woman skiing in snowy outdoors wearing a blue helmet with a Scott logo, reflective goggles, and blue ski jacket, smiling while moving through snow.

We’re here to help!

Our booking team is here to help you find your best Adventure, contact us today to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to working with you.

CONTACT US

land use

Land Use Acknowledgment: We would like to honor all of the ancestral stewards of this land on which we get to recreate and sleep on today. The Paiute and Shoshone tribes inhabited the Eastern Sierra Mountain area for thousands of years and continue to live in the area today. We are honored to be the contemporary custodians of this land. To learn more about native use of this land, click here.