The Year started on New Years Day when Lynn, Niki, and I went to Pinecrest
for a little snow shoe trip. The lake is way down so we headed out along
what would normally be the lake bottom. There was a small knoll we stopped
at. While Lynn and Niki built a snow man I decided to head over to another
bigger knoll and climb u pthen headed back. I then decided to dig a snow
cave and did not get very far when I hit granite. niki and I then headed out
and did a little loop to go down to the water's edge. After getting back to
Lynn we headed back to Lynn and then on back to the car. It was a nice day.
although it was quite crowded near what is normally the boat launch. In fact
it sounded like a normal summer day.
On Feb. 15 Joel and I headed back to the Mokelumne Wilderness with the
plan of finally making a summit of Round Top Peak in the winter. Once again
we were rebuffed. We snow shoed this time. The snow was very hard and Icy
near the trail head but softened as we got further along. It had snow a
couple of inches a couple of days before. The wind freshend as we neared
Winnemucca Lake. The blowing snow filled our tracks pretty quickly. We reaced
the lake in good time, about 1 hour. We then headed up the slope toward the
West Ridge. The wind kept blowing harder and harder. We got to about 9700-9800
ft. and the slope with the soft snow started to be a bit much for snow shoes
and it was too soft for just boots or crampons. There were two climbers that
we saw that were up on the ridge near the summit. I could tell they were
quite hunkered against the wind. A weather report I saw said the temperature
was 29° with winds of 16 mph at 8700 feet elevation. Our shells worked
well. Joel andd I stayed warm and dry. We had a snack, drank some fluids
and headed back to the car. A bit disappointing but a good trip non the less.
and follows the Ohlone Wilderness Trail for about 6 miles, where a right
turn and a 1.5 mile detour is needed. The trail to the falls brings you to
a creek crossing that forms the falls. A side trail is followed to the top
of the falls. To truly appreciate Murietta Falls, one should head down the
“goat” trail to the base of the falls, be careful if it is wet. The Ohlone
Wilderness Trail is rigorous with a deep canyon that must be hiked down
and back out, both coming and going. The falls were not much more than a
trickle as I went just before the spring rains started. This trip is best
done as a spring hike to see falling water. It is also a hot dry summer hike.
The 13 mile round trip took about 6 hours.
On Saturday March 29 Joel and I headed back to Carson Pass to attempt
the Crescent Moon Coulior on the North Face of Round Top Peak. We had snow
shoes but the snow was firm enough that we carried them until just below
Winnemucca Lake. There we finally put the snow shoes on, walked along the
lake and then headed up the slope toward the West Ridge. At a rock outcrop
that Joel and I have dubbed Break Rock, because we have often taken a break
her, we cached the snow shoes, put on our crampons (although they were not
really needed, at this point it is was easier) and headed for the mouth
of the coulior. We reached the point where we turned around the year before
and the snow was still perfect. The climb was steep but pretty easy most
of the way. As we approached the top the slope steepend to about 60°
and the snow got very soft. We worked over to the left trying to find firm
snow and were actually right up against a rock cliff. The snow was not packing
well and we actually hit rock a couple of times with our ice axes. At this
point I decided to work my way to the right to a small ridge to hopefully
make it past this point. When I was about half way there I heard a whoop
from Joel who had made it past the the problem. I moved back to my left and
followed his foot tracks. From here it was just a few yards to the summit.
We took a well deserved rest break a little ways down from the summit. As
we snacked a group of three approached who had come up the West Ridge. One
of them was a Summit Poster. We headed down the West Ridge and then down
the open slope to Break Rock get our snow shoes and enjoy the walk back to
the car. what an awesome trip. And to think that just a few few years before
I thought some people I saw headed up this route were out of their minds.
It is amazing what some knowledge and experience can do for you.
Joel forgot his shell pants and I thought the trip was over before it
started. Fortunately I had my fleece pants along and Joel wore those. We
basically made a bee line toward the summit from the parking area. after
crossing a small ridge we contoured along below the west ridge for a while
and then started to angle up toward the false summit. Once the we gained
the ridge just below the false summit we cached the snow shoes, since the
wind had cleared most of the snow off of the rocks. From here it was s pretty
easy walk toward the summit pinnacles. We saw some skiers and snowmobilers
to the north of the summit. After a snack and being foiled in picture taking
by dead batteries, we headed back to the car. As we neared the car I suddenly
had a feeling that I had forgotten to put the Snow Park Permit on the dash.
Sure enough, as the car came into view I could see the citation under the
wiper blade. Fortunately a phone call on Monday allowed me to send in
a copy of the permit, ticket, and a $15 check handling fee and thus avoid
the $75 fine.
On Saturday May 17 I had my longest ever single day hike, 20 miles round
trip from Sunol to Rose Peak and back. Arrived at Sunol at just past 7 A.M.
to find the entrance kiosk unmanned. Another free parking day. Headed out
along the Ohlone Wilderness Trail and saw no one until a little past the
Backpackers Camp at the east side of Sunol Park, where I caught a group of
backpackers making a 3 day trip from Sunol to Del Valle. After chatting for
a few minutes I continued on. As I neared Rose Peak I met up with a couple
who had started that morning at Del Valle and were hoping to day hike the
entire 28 miles of the trail ending in Fremont. Reached Rose Peak, the highest
point in Alameda County, where I had a snack and then started back. I met
more people now, some who didn’t seem to understand that they had to return.
They had very little water and it was getting warm. I also met 2 vehicles
and a large group carrying chalk and surveyors tape. The vehicles were setting
up rest areas and the groups were marking the route for a 50 km run along
the Ohlone Wilderness trail the next day. That is just nuts!! Arrived back
at the car at about 2:30, 7 hours for the entire trip.
wanted. we trudged on up the steep hillside right along the creek. After
a while we saw some people that appeared to be on a trail. We talked to
them and found out there was a trail and what we had not taken switched
back and was the correct trail. Followed the trail until we hit the
edge of the heavy snow. Joel didn’t want to put his boots on so we found
a nice place among the trees and made camp. Turned out to be a good choice.
We talked to a couple who had camped up higher and they had a very windy
night while we spent a very pleasant night. Awoke early and headed out about
5:30. Hit the snow and put on the snow shoes and headed for a large rock
to our right with what looked like a hallway through it. At the base it started
to get a little steep for the snow shoes so we changed to crampons and continued
through the “hall”. We made pretty good time. When we finally hit the top
of a little hill (about 11,200 ft.) near the base of the East Coulior, our
desired route, we looked at the time and realized we needed to head back if
we were to get my phone by 3 p.m. Had some nice glissade runs on the way down.
Once back at camp we broke camp, packed up, and headed back to the car staying
on the trail this time. Joel and I agreed the trail and our bushwhacking would
have been about the same time. The trail was not as steep but it was
longer. Got back to the restaurant at 2:45 p.m. and got my phone. Had a late
lunch and headed home a little disappointed but felling good about what was
still a good hike.
climbers trail this time. I was wrong. The trail has been so little
used that it was very hard to see despite my knowing where it should be.
I wound up going past it until the main Disaster Creek trail ended in the
high water of Disaster Creek. By the time I figured out where the trail was
I had wasted an hour. I followed it, more recognizing landmarks than actually
following the trail. The summit finally came into view and I headed cross
country for the summit. At first the ground was very boggy from snow melt
and springs. Finally I got above that area and onto the rocks which can
be a bit loose so you need to watch your footing. I finally reached
the summit totally bonked. Didn’t sign the register or take the pictures
I wanted. I ate and drank and started to feel better. As I started to descend
I remembered to take a few pictures. After stopping at a stream to get even
more water I was feeling much better and had a nice return trip.
equipment they would need at The Fifth Season. We headed up to the trail
head so the could take a look at the route and mountain a little closer up
and see what they were in for. Went back down to town for a big dinner at
the Black Bear Diner and then to the motel for the night. After breakfast
in town we headed back to the trail head. Headed out from the Bunny Flat
trailhead (6900 ft.) at 8:30 and headed for camp at Helen Lake (10,400 ft.)
with a short break near Horse Camp along the way. The snow was pretty firm
most of the way. It did start to soften up as the day warmed and made for
some trudging as we neared Helen Lake. Arrived at 12:30, set up camp and spent
the afternoon enjoying the spectacular views, beautiful weather and talking
with the other climbers. This was the first trip of this type for Mike and
Ed. They had taken the hikers trail to the top of Mount Whitney before. As
the sun dipped below Casaval Ridge the temperature dropped quickly and the
snow started to freeze up nicely. Hit the sack a little after 8 for a restless
sleep. The wind came up suddenly (a couple of times), blew hard for an hour
or so, and then just as suddenly died. Awoke at 3:30 to a clear and cold
morning. The plan was to head out at 4:30, but we dawdled a bit melting snow
for our breakfast and didn’t leave until 5. The snow was hard and made for
nice climbing. Headed up Avalanche Gulch for Thumb Rock (about 12,500 ft.).
We arrived at about 7:30 and it was still very cold ( I pulled out my drink
bottle to find I had a Gatorade slushy) and now the wind was blowing hard.
After rehydrating and having a small snack we continued on, making the summit
at 9:30. Spent just a few minutes on top to sign the log and snap a picture
or two before heading down. The trip down was fairly uneventful. Once below
Thumb Rock the wind was calm again. The snow was still a bit firm for glissading
until somewhere between 12,000 and 11,000 ft. Then it was a nice slide back
to camp. Below Helen Lake it was starting to get quite warm and the snow
was getting very soft and so we were only able glissade a short distance
then had to walk while slipping and sliding back to the car. A very fun trip.
On July 2 I decided to make my annual day trip Highway 4 to the Ebbetts
Pass area. Set out from the Ebbetts Pass Trail Head about 9:20 for Raymond
Peak (10, 014 ft.). It was a very pleasant hike along the PCT. After about
an hour and a half I reached a creek that I thought was Pennsylvania Creek,
turns out it was Eagle Creek. I pulled out my map to check and found I had
grabbed the wrong one as I headed out the door. I also had not bothered to
print out Bob Burd's map or trip report. I decided to head up the ridge to
my left to see what was what. I reached a small saddle and could see Raymond
Peak in front of me and a steep gully leading down to what I now realized
was Pennsylvania Creek. Rather than retreat to the PCT I slipped, slid,
and bushwhacked my way down to the creek. After crossing the creek and making
my way through a thicket of willows I found myself at the base of the peak.
I thought the route on Summit Post was Southeast Ridge rather than Southeast
Face and so started working my way up and to my right rather than straight
at the summit. Bad move! The ground was not to bad and made for fairly quick
travel. Route finding was pretty easy. When I reached the east ridge I was
greeted with great views Freel Peak and the Minden, Nevada area to the north.
As I turned to head up toward the summit I had some large gendarmes blocking
my way. I climbed a bit but could not find a route around them and to continue
up meant a lot of exposure. I sat down, had a snack and contemplated what
do do. I Finally decided rather than down climb and then head back up to
the summit, I would leave this summit for another day. I looked south and
could see where the PCT came over a saddle in the ridge I had climbed earlier,
so I decided to head for that. I down climbed to a saddle just east of gendarmes
and headed down the gully. The ground was soft and made for easy plunge
type stepping for awhile. Things then changed. The gully became steep and
rocky and required an little more work and route finding. I finally reached
Pennsylvania Creek again and took a short break. Rather than head down the
creek to catch the PCT, I headed straight up the hill in front of me and
gained the trail at the saddle I had spotted from the mountain. The trip
back to the car was very windy but otherwise uneventful. Arrived back at
the car at 4:30. I did meet and talked to a couple of people through hiking
the PCT from Mexico to Canada. Maybe someday!
Friday morning found me up early and full of excitement. This was the big
day. I did a final check and pack of my stuff. After saying good-bye to Lynn
and Niki, Leticia drove Russ and I to the Summit House in Ashford. We were
all assemble into our groups, Russ and I in group C and Heather in Group
A. After all of the introductions, we loaded our equipment into the busses
and headed for Paradise. I was surprised to see our van in the lot as we
arrived at Paradise. There would be picture taking and the groups sent off
in intervals so I had time to find Lynn and Niki. WOW, this was great. After
all the pictures our group finally headed up the trail about 10:30 and the
girls joined us for a while. After about and hour we took a break. In fact
we took about 10 to 15 minutes every hour. Once up on the Muir Snow field
we saw an incredible ice fall come down the Nisqually Glacier. It took us
about 5 hours to reach Camp Muir. The wind was screaming but the actual air
temp wasn’t too cold. We stowed our stuff, got ourselves situated, took pictures
and had a talk about what to expect the next day. The views were great. We
could see Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and even Mount Hood. After a dinner
of chili and fruit cocktail we had a little while to visit and then it was
lights out at 7 p.m. No one really sleeps, what with the anticipation and
the wind rattling everything. We got a wake up call at 12:30 a.m. Breakfast
of oatmeal and or pop tarts. Each group was divided into 2 rope teams and
each group was sent out at 30 minute intervals. Russ, our guide Jeff and
I were one rope team and 3 others with Murph were the other. We finally set
off about 2:30 a.m. The route crossed the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap.
Here we walked on scree up and over to the Ingraham Glacier where we finally
stopped at Ingraham Flats for a short rest. We continued and hustled past
a n ice fall area and onto the Disappointment Cleaver. We were now short
roped and continued up over a mix of snow patches and scree. Upon reaching
the top of the cleaver we continued on for a short distance and had our second
rest. The sun was now up and the views were spectacular, with Mount Adams
in view to the south and Little Tahoma below us. Here on of the guys on the
other rope called it quits as his boots were tearing up his feet. A tent
and sleeping bag were set up for him and a climber from another group to
stay out of the wind until someone returned to
take them back to Camp Muir. We ten set out up a fairly steep part of the
Emmons Glacier. There were several switch backs and a long traverse to avoid
crevasses. As we headed along the traverse, a message came over Jeff’s radio
that one of the climbers with murph was spent and the last one would clip
in with us. Upon reaching us the last climber too said he was done. Murph
turned back with them and Jeff, Russ and I pressed on. We reached our last
rest area and there were many people there. Most had come up the Emmons from
camp Schurmann. At this point Jeff asked if we would like to try a little
different route than the beat in boot path. he said that he was looking for
a new route as there was a snow bridge that he felt would not last much longer.
So we took off angling up and to the north. There were no signs of others
having recently been along this way. We bypassed several large crevasses.
In fact at one snow bridge Jeff checked, said it should be good but arrest
his fall if it wasn’t and he’d climb out. It was a good one. In a short while
we came to a short but very steep section, about the steepness of the top
of the Crescent Moon Coulior on Round Top. It needed no protection as the
snow was in great condition and the height was just less than the length of
rope between each climber so once jeff was on top a fall by Russ or I could
be arrested. There was one more bit of excitement as I punched through to
my knee and russ to his thigh on a small crevasse. We finally reached the
crater rim in the north side rather than the usual east as everyone else had
done. The route took us longer than we thought it would so we had only about
15 minutes to try to rehydrate, eat , take our hero shots and start down
the mountain. We headed down the route everyone else used and made great time,
in fact by the time we reached Ingraham Flats we had caught and passed group
B. Once back at Camp Muir we had just a little time to pack up all of our
stuff. One surprise was that Sandra had hiked up the snow field to meet us
and as had past Climb for Clean Air participants and they had sodas and snacks
for us. We were above the clouds but had to descend through them on our way
back to Paradise. We weren’t allowed to glissade but did some boot skiing.
As we came around a bend I heard a loud “RUSS” and looked down to see Leticia,
Lynn and Niki. What a great welcome back as I got to hike the last mile or
so with them. We were then treated to a room at the Paradise Lodge and and
a very nice dinner after getting cleaned up.
