Late winter ascent of Mt. Lola (and North Lola) from the Snowmobile Staging area on HWY 89. I brought xc skis and snowshoes. I skied the first 4.5 mi over icy snow-mobile tracks, then switched to snowshoes for the rest of the ascent. Along the way, I stashed the skis at Cold Stream Meadow before heading up the steep slope towards Lola North. The snow was relatively firm, with a little powder on top - fine for a snowshoe ascent. Sunny and a little windy at the top with fantastic views of the northern Sierra. From the summit, I dropped down the east ridge, then down into the Cold Stream creek bed back to the Meadow. From here I switched backed to skis and skied down about 8 miles of forest service roads back to the car. First time using skis to bag a peak - It wasn't always elegant but it was definitely more fun than a long hike out.

Totals: 19.5 mi, ~3400 ft gain, 8:45h.