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Woman Owned AMGA-Accredited Guide Service

Sierra Mountain Center was formed in 1996 and is the only locally-based AMGA-accredited guide business in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals to embrace the beauty and challenges of the natural world…

How to Find your Public Lands

Banner Peak Climb

Currently there are lockdowns preventing local lodging from hosting guests coming to the area to recreate. At the same time public lands are open. Without getting into the politics of it, we’d like to show you an easy way to ensure that where you are camping for the night is… copacetic. This is handy information for any time — not just when there are lockdowns!

The Eastern Sierra is a delicate ecosystem, and is the watershed for most our participants coming from the South. So please, read below about how to properly go to the bathroom (poop) outdoors when there is no toilet. Local land agencies have been having particular trouble with this issue especially since Covid began.

Especially north of Bishop, California, there is quite a bit of public land to park on. Whether you are headed up in an RV or with a campervan or simply wish to put up a tent or even sleep in your car, here is how to find those spots.

1) Go to caltopo.com. They may ask you to accept their cookies — click “Accept Use.” Then click the dark orange button on the upper right, “Start Mapping.” You’re in!

We support Caltopo with a paid membership, since Caltopo is a priceless resource to firefighting and SAR teams. If you can, consider supporting, but you don’t have to in order to get the information you’ll need.

2) Top center there is a small search bar with a binocular icon. Enter in the town name or major landmark close to what you are looking for. For this example, I’ll type in “Lee Vining,” a small town, the east gateway of Yosemite. Click “Go.”

This will center the map near Lee Vining.

3) Now, to find the public lands near Lee Vining, click a box that says “Map Layers” near the upper right corner of the map screen. Go below where it says “Map Overlays” in bold, and click “Public Lands.” Done? You just added a layer to the map which shows where land boundaries are: private, state, BLM, National Forest, National Park, Tribal, etc. The map will hopefully now be a lot more colorful.

caltopo mono lake public lands
A Caltopo map of the Lee Vining (Mono Lake) area with public lands layer enabled.

4) You are now looking for areas shaded in Green and Orange. Zoom in to discover which roads lead to spots you take interest in, and either

  • write down your approach plan
  • take a coordinate of your planned location and enter it in your GPS device
  • or if you’re ambitious and/or familiar with Caltopo, create a route and save it to your GPS device

Other things you want to take into consideration when using the “Public Lands” layer to plan an overnight are

  • accessibility of the spot. Is it steep? Could it be very rugged? Snowed in? Sometimes you can turn on the satellite layer and double-check the conditions. You can call the ranger station, but they are very busy at the desk half the time and don’t necessarily have current/reliable information.
  • proximity to private land or busy areas. Will you be bothering people, or will people be bothering you?
  • are you sure the spot is inside the orange (BLM) or green (National Forest) layer? Make sure.

You may find when you arrive, your site isn’t what you’d hoped. Maybe it’s under a special closure (there are some prescribed burns going on in the Eastern Sierra this winter), maybe it’s snowed in. Make sure to have a backup plan.

LNT

As our friends and clients, please be the best stewards of Leave No Trace. These are tricky times, we know. You might end up hauling your trash all the way back home with you because dumpsters will be harder to find. Do it. If you see other folks’ trash, maybe pick some up. Try to leave your spot better than how you found it. No new fire rings, no old fire rings, no fires at all. Absolutely do not feed any wild animals, no matter how cute they are or how much they beg. Plan ahead and prepare! Keep it simple, keep it safe, stay close as possible to major roads and have a plan in case something goes wrong – like a flat tire or getting stuck in snow.

Enjoy a rustic campout with an incredibly clear view of the stars and a (hopefully) snowy Sierra range.

We’ve only scratched the surface of what it’s really good for, but hopefully you have begun to see how useful Caltopo can be for trip planning during a lockdown.

How to Poop Outside

If there is no outhouse around, do not just poop anywhere and leave your toilet paper to blow around! This is not only disgusting and ugly, but it is harmful to other humans and animals, the water, and your pride. (Not to mention the pride of the rangers and good citizens who DO come after you to clean up.) Please take 52 seconds and watch this quick video about how to make your poop disappear in the woods.

https://youtu.be/wroiv4bQKfg

 
Alternatively, if you like flowcharts and hate videos, this is for you:

A flowchart for what to do if you need to poop outdoors

Worried that you won’t have time to dig a cathole? Carry a wag bag. Don’t have a wag bag? Poop in ANY sealing bag, and dispose in a dumpster. Some smart campers scout a great cathole location and dig the night before, so there is no panic in the morning.

Pack out your toilet paper the same as you would pack out all your trash. Do NOT bury your toilet paper; an animal WILL dig it up!

Got it? Good! This isn’t weird; this is how all the cool outdoorsy folks have been doing it a long time. So carry on, wash your hands. We’ll see you soon!

Have Questions? Give us a call and

Talk with our team

Or use our contact form. If you do not hear back from us right away we are likely out enjoying the Sierra. We will get back to you very soon.

Colin Bogdan

Colin grew up hiking and camping via family vacations and the Boy Scouts across 15+ national parks. He still remembers the nervous exhilaration he had when his parents let him and his brothers do the exposed hike up Angels Landing in Zion National Park by themselves. When he joined the military after high school, he thought he would need to largely leave the outdoors behind. He was wrong. As part of his training, he got the opportunity to take part in two month-long NOLS courses mountaineering in Alaska and instead discovered a passion for big adventure and challenge in the mountains. After eight years on active duty and multiple deployments as a Marine Infantry Officer, Colin transitioned to reserve status in 2022 to pursue a career in mountain guiding and moved to Bishop after unintentionally falling head over heels for the Eastern Sierra during a weekend trip. He improved his skill sets as a client of fellow SMC guides Tyler Logan and Louie Allen before earning professional certification from the AMGA and NOLS to begin working as a guide/instructor in 2023. He is proud to now be in the position to call them both colleagues and also help others achieve their goals or experience the outdoors in more meaningful ways. His first love is to climb in the alpine regardless of the medium (rock, snow, or ice), though be assured, he isn’t picky and believes strongly that any day spent outside, no matter the activity or difficulty, is better than a day spent indoors.

Beyond the Eastern Sierra, he teaches three to four multi-week NOLS backpacking and rock climbing courses per year across various locations in Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. When not guiding/instructing anywhere, he works as the Online Sales Manager for Eastside Sports in Bishop, CA; actively serves on the Inyo County Search & Rescue team which covers missions everywhere from Death Valley to Mt Whitney; and, conducts ~6 weeks of reserve duty with the Marine Corps each year.

Allan Giernet

Allen Giernet grew up in San Diego and always had a thirst for the outdoors. Whether in the mountains, the ocean, or the desert – he had to be outside. After several years running the youth snowboard competition team at Mountain High, his longing to get into the peaks beyond the resorts took him into splitboarding. This in turn took him into the Sierras, The Rockies, The Cascades, and more. In 2010, he began teaching rock climbing as an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor in Joshua Tree and other So Cal Areas. In 2012, he founded So Cal Snow Avalanche Center, began teaching avalanche courses with the National Ski Patrol, and began to guide on splitboard. 

  He has traveled all over the west and beyond in search of great climbing and big snow covered mountains to find powder filled descents. But the magical Eastern Sierra will always hold a special place in his heart. 

  Allen currently calls Methow, Washington home in the North Cascades and still spends time in So Cal. He ski guides and teaches avalanche courses in The Eastern Sierra, Colorado, and the North Cascades. That thirst for the outdoors remains unquenched and Allen loves to share this enthusiasm with anyone and everyone out there. When not out in the mountains searching for the next descent, hiking, biking or paddling, he may be found running The Methow Store with his partner in the Methow Valley. Serving up cold beer and great food next to the best put in on the Methow River.

Ian McEleney

An enthusiasm for backpacking was Ian’s gateway into the mountains and soon led to a love of climbing. After cutting his teeth on the rock and ice crags of New England he traveled all over the country making ascents of everything from short roadside rock climbs to big peaks in remote areas. Over a decade ago he discovered that the Eastern Sierra hold a magical mix of amazing mountains and climbing, easy access, and good weather. Now this place is home for him and his family.

Though he loves all kinds of climbing, big walls and winter routes hold a special place in Ian’s heart. He rounds out the year with forays to Alaska, Red Rocks, Joshua Tree, Moab, the North Cascades, and Canada.

Mike Mourar

Mike is originally from Pennsylvania where he learned to ski on the icy mountains of the Northeast. He moved to Northern California soon after high school and received degrees in Outdoor Adventure Education from Feather River College and later Southern Oregon university. He has worked in outdoor education for over 15 years, leading wilderness education expeditions all across the world and the American west. Mike currently ski guides and teaches avalanche education courses in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He loves to ski steep narrow couloirs on warm sunny days in the Sierras! When not guiding on skis, Mike can be found kayaking the rivers in the Pacific Northwest. 

Heather Shaw

Heather grew up in the Bay Area and has many fond memories of backpacking and camping in the Sierra as a kid. She moved up to Oregon to attend Lewis & Clark College and obtained a degree in Environmental Studies focusing on education and food systems. While living up in Oregon Heather fell in love with the Cascades and began guiding her peers on backpacking trips, cross-country skiing and even local mushroom foregoing. Following her passion for guiding and the outdoors she spent the summers guiding children on backpacking trips and adults in sea kayaking. Heather enjoyed living in the Portland area, skiing on Mount Hood and doing lots of cycling but eventually she decided it was time to come back to sunny California. For the past couple of years she has been spending summers and fall in California guiding students in backpacking, river trips and day hikes. She is excited about guiding backpacking trips in the Eastern Sierra this summer. Heather is a Wilderness First Responder and Leave No Trace Trainer.

Robert "SP" Parker

Robert “SP” Parker, hails from the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand. His journey into the realm of mountaineering began during his days at the University of Auckland, where he delved into the world of climbing alongside the university tramping club (akin to “backpacking” for our American counterparts).

He relocated to Yosemite Valley in 1979. He traveled the US climbing in all the great places: Yosemite, Tuolumne, Colorado, Joshua Tree, Devils Tower, Canada. In 1996, he joined forces with Todd Vogel to found Sierra Mountain Center. SP has over 40 years of full-time professional mountain guiding experience. He has earned IFMGA certification in Rock, Ski, and Alpine disciplines and has served as a past director of the AMGA.

As the torch of ownership at SMC passes into the capable hands of Emma, his passion for guiding in the breathtaking Sierra region continues to burn bright, and he eagerly supports Emma in her new role.

Larry Gumina

Larry is a native of the New Jersey shore. Raised as an ocean lover, Larry spent his early days surfing and being in the water as much as he could. Through an active involvement in scouting, as well as an adventurous friend group, Larry found a passion for the mountains. Naturally, this passion had him trade his surfboard for a snowboard, and he went west! Larry graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with degrees in Environmental Studies as well as Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation. In Colorado, he fell more in love with the mountains. After graduating, Larry moved to Alaska to explore the wilderness of the last frontier through backpack and canoe guiding. When COVID struck and found Larry abroad in Central America, he came back to the states hoping to get back to Alaska, but discovered the Sierra along the way. And the high peaks and the fairer climate of California was as far as he made it. Larry now resides here in Bishop, where he spends his time exploring the mountains via roped climbing, splitboarding, and hiking. When not guiding, Larry enjoys traveling and climbing the high, glaciated peaks of Central and South America. Larry’s favorite trip to lead in the Sierra is the Bishop to Mammoth backpack as the variety of the terrain offers tremendous opportunities for natural and human history studies! Larry holds a certification as a Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace Trainer, and a AIARE Level I.

Louie Allen

Louie began guiding with Sierra Mountain Center in 2015 after falling in love with the people and places of Bishop, CA, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.  He grew up climbing and backpacking in the southeastern US and moved West to pursue bigger mountainous terrain.  He is a passionate and dedicated climber in all of its forms and has backpacked extensively across the Sierra.  It is a joy for him to share his favorite peaks and trails with visitors.  Louie is an equal-opportunity cookie lover and die-hard Cincinnati Bengals football fan.  He travels to the eastern US often in order to pursue world-class rock and ice climbs, but always finds his way back to the Sierra.

Louie is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and is pursuing Alpine Guide certification.  He holds an MS in Recreation and Sport Sciences and a Graduate Certificate in Sport Coaching.  He works as a guide, strength trainer, and climbing coach to help developing climbers and hikers achieve meaningful goals in the mountains.

Anouk Erni

Anouk grew up on the glaciers and peaks of Switzerland where her family is from and currently resides. Anouk has had an appreciation for the elevated outdoors from an early age. She has lived in Europe, America’s east coast, and finally, she came to the west coast in her teens, and never left. Even though she calls the Eastern Sierra her home, she began her guiding career in the Pacific Northwest, where she worked on glaciated peaks such as Mt Rainier and Mt Baker, and rock guided during the summers. However, having learned to rock climb in California and frequenting the Eastern Sierra during her years living in Los Angeles, she ultimately returned to California eight years ago and has been guiding here year round. In the summers, Anouk guides rock and alpine trips, and during the winter seasons, she ski guides and teaches avalanche courses. She sees her guide work as a way to increase and infuse passion and knowledge into the outdoor community – her way of giving back after having been fortunate enough to receive solid mentorship during her initial years climbing in California.

 

Anouk is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Apprentice Ski Guide, and Apprentice Alpine Guide, as well as an AIARE avalanche course leader and AAI course leader.

Dave Stimson

Dave is originally from Alberta, Canada, but has traded in his Canadian passport for his American one, lured by clean Sierra granite and perfect California weather. He graduated from Mount Royal University in 2007 with an undergrad in Ecotourism & Outdoor Leadership and has been working ever since as a ski patroller and avalanche forecaster in Canada during the winters. Dave has been climbing since 2003 and has climbed in Squamish, the Canadian Rockies, The Bugaboos, the Tetons, Red Rock, Indian Creek and Peru, to name a few destinations. His first time climbing in California was in 2103 in Yosemite Valley and was instantly in love. He has been with the SMC team since 2015 and is excited to continue climbing and guiding in the Range of Light. 

Dave holds a Wilderness First Responder certification, and a Canadian Avalanche Association Level 2. He began the AMGA program in 2014 and has become a fully certified IFMGA Mountain Guide.

Emma Gasman

Emma joined the Sierra Mountain Center team in early 2021 as the Program Director. Fast forward almost three years, and she has now taken the reins, becoming the proud owner of the company previously helmed by the legendary Robert “SP” Parker. Emma is passionate about making the marvels of the mountains accessible to individuals of all skill levels. Emma grew up backpacking and skiing in the western Sierra Nevada, where her personal connection to these majestic landscapes began. While attending college in Oregon she discovered rock climbing and skiing touring, which ultimately led her to the Eastern Sierra. Emma is ready to carry forward the rich legacy established by SP back in the 1990s, eager to nurture and expand upon the successes of the company.

Barb Bemis

Barb began working for SMC in the summer of 2016 as a backpacking and climbing guide. After 4 summers, she began working as an adaptive sports instructor and program coordinator with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra in Mammoth Lakes. Fast forward to 2024 and Barb is back in the office at SMC. She enjoys organizing all the trip details and other behind-the-scenes tasks to help guests get outside and enjoy the Eastern Sierra. She has always been involved in the outdoors in a variety of ways: hiking, climbing, mountain biking, running, and more. Moving to the Eastern Sierra was a great choice!