Home | Scree | Back Issues
Scree for January, 1999
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This is the EScree - the Electronic version of the Scree newsletter from
the Peak Climbing Section of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.
It should be viewed or printed with a fixed-pitch font such as Courier.
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This publication may not be posted on any public news group.
January, 1999 Vol. 33 No. 1
Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is Sunday 1/24/99.
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This issue of Scree will be on the Official PCS Website at
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/pcs/scree
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Next general meeting (PCS meetings are the second tuesday of each month)
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Date: Tuesday, January 12
Time: 8:00 PM
Program: Ski Mountaineering
Eugene Miya will share his expertise on ski mountaineering with us.
Location: Western Mountaineering, Santa Clara
2344 El Camino Real, Santa Clara (between San
Thomas and Los Padres), parking in the rear.
From 101: Exit at San Thomas Expressway, Go
South to El Camino Real. Turn left and the Western
Mountaineering will be immediately to your right.
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Internet users take note: The PCS email list and
website have moved to Climber.Org, where there are
now 22 climbing-related email lists if you also
count the ones for the Colorado Mountain Club.
Check out the new service by sending any email to
"info@climber.org" or visiting http://www.climber.org
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Trip Planning Meeting
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Date: Tuesday, January 5, 1999
Time: 8:00 PM
Place: Home of Arun Mahajan, arun@tollbridgetech.com
The backcountry permits for Inyo NF are now available 6
months in advance. This means that permits for trips in
June are already available, and permits for trips in July can
be issued in January. As a result, I like to hold the
summer's trip planning meeting in January.
Directions From 101:
1. Take the Oregon Expressway exit in Palo Alto.
2. Go west, through a few lights. After Bryant is the Alma
exit. It is a sharp right. If you miss it, you will know because
you go under an overpass.
3. After taking the exit, follow the exit road till it meets Alma.
4. Go north (right turn) on Alma for a few blocks passing
roads like California, Santa Rita, Rinconada, Seale. These
roads are on the right. The CalTrain tracks are on the left of Alma.
5. After Seale is Tennyson. My townhouse is in a 4-plex,
1745 Alma, the second unit from the road. It is north of
Tennyson but south of the next road, Lowell. Off street
parking on Tennyson or Lowell, there is none in the
complex for guests, I am afraid.
From 280:
1. Take the Page Mill Road exit in Palo Alto.
2. Drive east on Page Mill, go through El Camino.
3. Alma (north) is a sharp right turn within half a mile of the
El Camino junction.
4. Follow the directions mentioned in 4 above.
Bring your calendars and trip ideas. And if you can think
ahead for fall trips, bring those too. This meeting is
primarily for trip leaders and would be leaders.
Toiyabe NF is sticking to its March date for permits. If
anybody has information about other areas permit
schedule, please post to the list.
-- Ron Karpel
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Your Information Superhighway At Work
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Greetings from Auburn, Alabama! This is the information
superhighway at work. Although The Scree is published for
members of Peak Climbing Section of the Loma Prieta
Chapter in California, this issue is being assembled and
edited 2500 miles away. I am in Alabama visiting my
mother during Christmas. Using my dated, but reliable
Macintosh Powerbook 170, I am receiving e-mailed trip
write-ups and reports just like at home and then putting the
Scree together with Word. The file is then e-mailed to Steve
Eckert for distribution.
-- Bob Bynum, Scree Editor
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New Members for the Mountaineering Committee
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With the appointment of new officers for the club last
November, we also have new members for the
mountaineering committee.
George Van Gorden, the new PCS Chair, asked me to
serve as the chair of the mountaineering committee in
addition to my position as Vice Chair/Scheduler. Last year
Arun Mahajan served as both Vice Chair/Scheduler and
chair of the mountaineering committee. This proved an
efficient arrangement as both functions have a lot in
common.
As the bylaw specifies, the Mountaineering Committee
Chair appoints the members with the approval of the PCS
Chair. After some searching, I got the following
distinguished members of the PCS to come aboard as
members of the committee for the new year Debbie
Benham, Bob Suzuki, and Kelly Mass.
I like to thank the members of last year's committee Arun
Mahajan, Kelly Mass, and Peter Maxwell. They have done
an excellent job. They work for maintaining the club's
operation and safety. I hope we can live up to their
standard.
-- Ron Karpel
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Official (PCS) Trips
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PCS trips must be submitted through the Scheduler (see back
cover for details). Trips not received from the Scheduler will
be listed as PRIVATE, without recourse.
*** Annual Beginners Snow Camping Seminar
Dates: Eves: Tues., Jan. 12th, Thur. Jan. 14th, Tue.
Jan. 19th; Weekend of Jan. 23/24 or Jan. 30/31.
Leaders: Chris MacIntosh, 650-325-7841
Tom Wolf, 650-961-2682
A planned winter overnight trip in the Sierra can be
wonderful or cold and miserable. A forced overnight due to
storm, injury or equipment failure presents far more
hazards in winter than in summer. For the 26th winter,
PCS (and STS) leaders present a snow camping seminar
to help backpackers, climbers, and others enjoy winter
sports safely and comfortably. Participants learn do's and
don'ts of winter planning, clothing, food etc. as well as
making emergency and non-emergency shelters in the
snow, then put these skills into practice on a weekend trip
to the Sierra ( traveling by skis or snowshoes. $40 cost
includes 3 books and equipment maintenance).
*** Treasure of the Serra Padre
Peak: Junipero Serra Peak, 5862 ft, Class 1
Date: Sunday, January 10 1999.
Maps: Junipero Serra 7.5'
Leaders: Arun V. Mahajan ,
(h) 650-327-8598
Ron Karpel
(w)510771-3231, (h)650-594-0211
The native Americans called it Pimkolam Peak, it has also
been called Santa Lucia Peak, and now goes by the name
Junipero Serra after the venerable padre. At 5862 ft, it is
the highest peak in the Santa Lucia Coast Range. It is also
the high point of Monterey County and the highest peak
that you can get to in the Bay Area.
Join us as we take an enjoyable and mildly strenuous (6
miles and 3900 ft gain, one way) tramp to this peak. There
is trail all the way to the top. Carpool suggestions from Bay
Area: Meet at the Carl's Jr. that is at the Dunne Avenue exit
on 101 in Morgan Hill at 7 am on Sunday, January 10. We
will carpool from there. Non Bay Area People: Contact the
leader for directions to the trailhead.
*** Tam Times Two
Peak: Mt. Tam (east peak and west peak), class 2
Date: Saturday, January 30
Leader: Steve Eckert 650-508-0500
Co-Leader: Jeff Fisher
This has become a classic hike for the leader... including
redwood groves, lunch on the beach, and a loop route that
includes both East and West peak of Mt Tamalpias (that
big lump north of the Golden Gate). You might not think
there is class 2 on this well-trailed peak, but we guarantee
you'll use your hands without leaving named trails. Short
days require a fast pace. Send email or call for meeting
time and lace, and be prepared to convince us you can do
20+ miles and 5000+ feet of gain/loss "in good style".
*** Pyramid Peak
Peak: Pyramid Peak, Class 2 - 9,983'
Date: February 13/14/15 Saturday-Monday
Leader: Palmer Dyal, H: 650-941-5321 pdyal@msn.com
Co-Leader: Wanted
Topo: Pyramid Peak 7.5'
This will be a moderately-paced 3 mile snowshoe trip to
climb a relatively easy peak in the Desolation Wilderness
area southwest of Lake Tahoe. The elevation gain is about
1000' per mile and we plan to camp at tree line.
We will have time to build snow caves on the first day and
view the marvelous glaciated scenery of the whole Tahoe
basin from the peak on the second day.
There will be a choice of returning on Sunday or Monday
depending on the weather, etc. This will be a good trip for
beginning climbers.
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Riding El Nino's Tail (Matterhorn)
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May 23-25, 1998
Ten miles north of Bridgeport, Pat Callery and I awoke after a
restful night in the sagebrush to gray skies from horizon to
horizon. Throwing our wet sleeping bags in the car, we drove
down to the familiar trailhead at Twin Lakes, where we were
soon joined by Jim Curl, Dot Reilly, Milushe Kudnrnovska, and
trip leader Kai Wiedman. It was early Saturday morning on
Memorial Day weekend and time for another one of Kai's assaults
on the Sawtooth Ridge.
After breakfast by the lake and the usual sorting of gear, we
headed up the trail into Horse Creek Canyon about 8:30. We hit
snow at the top of the first long, forested hill. Jim, Kai, and Pat
put on skis, while Dot, Milushe, and I donned snowshoes, and we
continued up the rugged canyon. The plan was to climb
Matterhorn that afternoon, head west across the ridge to tackle
Blacksmith Peak on Sunday, and hike out on Monday. El Nino
had other plans
Around 1 o'clock, we stopped for lunch at the top of a huge hill in
the canyon and had lunch at about 10,000 feet. The weather
turned cloudy and a bit windy, with the jagged peaks of the
Sawtooth Ridge socked in above us. We turned right (north),
climbed up out of the canyon, and set up camp in a large open
snow bowl next to snow-covered Matterhorn Lake. The
mountains were still shrouded in dark clouds, so we decided to
postpone our climb. Jim, Kai, and Pat took off on skis to yo-yo
the slopes above our camp, while Milushe and I played on some
class-3 ledges and hiked to the base of the spectacular Horse
Creek Tower above our camp. Dot was suffering with a recently
broken hand that was still quite painful, and had to restrict her
activities all weekend.
Around 5 we gathered at camp to melt snow and cook. The cold
wind picked up and sent most of us to our tents by 7:30. After an
11-hour sleep (close to the PCS record), we threw open the tent
flaps and gazed into cloudless, crystal clear skies, with every
ledge on the neighboring peaks etched by fresh snow. Because
we hadn't been able to climb the day before, we agreed to forget
about Blacksmith Peak and just do Matterhorn, so Kai told us
there was no need to do anything radical like leave camp early.
After lengthy cooking and relaxing, we finally left camp at 9:45,
with Jim, Kai, and Pat on skis, and Dot, Milushe, and I on
crampons. We ran into several other parties returning from
Matterhorn or skiing up in the high snow bowls, including a large
group of experts from the Southern California Ski
Mountaineering Section, who were carving turns and crossing icy
slopes with apparent ease on their wide random skis. We
wandered upward in the warm sun while occasional snow and
rock slides clattered down the huge wide face of the Dragtooth to
our right.
At 11 we started up the east couloir, the snow a bit soft as the sun
had been hitting it for about five hours already. This couloir is
not real steep, with an average angle of about 30 degrees. Part
way up it, the skiers stashed their skis and donned crampons. At
11:45 I reached the notch and talked to a couple of guys with
alpine ski gear, then headed up the last 300 or so feet to the top.
In summer, you head left, then double back to the right along the
ridge -- easy class 2 all the way. Or you can climb straight up the
class-3 rock at the top of the southeast slope. In search of some
sportier climbing, I decided to try that, though the class-3 rock
was buried by the El Nino snow.
Things went fine until the last 20 feet, where the slope steepened
to about 60 degrees, topped by a 8-foot high vertical cornice of
soft unconsolidated snow. Yikes. I climbed up to the vertical
step and hacked away at the cornice with my ice axe, looking for
something solid enough for a secure foothold. I probably
should've downclimbed 200 feet or so to the standard route -- if I
fell, an arrest was unlikely until I tumbled down to the lower
angled slope, and even there, sharp rocks poked through the snow
like sharks' teeth. Deep snow had made easy class-3 rock into
something quite different.
Finally I carved out a stable foothold at waist level, shoved my
cramponed boot into it, reached up over my head and over the lip
of the cornice, and planted my ice axe shaft all the way to the
hilt. Now all I had to do was make the move and hope the whole
shebang didn't come down on top of me. With a thrash I flopped
over the top, and a couple minutes later I was on the summit,
letting my breathing slowly return to normal.
Jim Curl, Kai, and Pat also decided to avoid the tourist route off
to the left. They went even farther to the right than I did -- Kai
and Pat climbing an exposed class-4 rock step that scared even
Kai, and Jim tackling a short vertical squeeze chimney with ice in
the back of it. Oh those fun-loving PCSers, doing stuff like this
with dangerous fall potential, while a well-trodden footpath to the
summit lay just a couple of hundred feet away.
We all relaxed on the summit for a bit, and then Jim Curl and I
went down to check on Milushe. As I feared, she was following
our somewhat fool- hardy path to the top. We advised her to go
down to the tourist route, and after trying a couple of different
routes and after a stern warning from Kai, she finally agreed to
do so. But then she found she couldn't downclimb the class-3
rock and snow she'd just come up. As he's done for others in the
past, Jim Curl went down, climbed up next to her, and coached
her down.
Finally, around 2 p.m., Milushe, Kai, Jim, Pat, and I were all
back at the notch (Dot had stopped farther down because of her
hand). Milushe really wanted to summit, and Kai and I agreed to
go back up with her as we'd kind of left her stranded on the way
up. Undaunted by her trials, Milushe quickly led Kai and I up
the normal tourist route. Someone from another party had told us
that it had "a class-5 move" -- ludicrous of course, but it did have
some awkward class-3 moves up snow-covered blocks.
The three of us soon topped out and started heading down -- a
good thing, because the wind was picking up, thin clouds were
racing over the summit, and a thick cloud bank was moving in
from the west. We quickly descended the east couloir, while Jim
tried skiing the lower half of it. He made one nice turn, slipped,
slid down a couple hundred feet, then got up and continued.
Below that, the three skiers had a great run back to camp, while
Milushe and I got in some great sitting glissades.
Back in camp we dried gear, melted snow, and played with the
shovels to enlarge our kitchen and improve our snow walls. A
long leisurely supper ensued, as we all watched Kai go through
his ritual of wine, soup, chicken curry, tea, and gourmet cookies.
The clouds moved in over the peaks and the wind picked up as
night came on, and strong gusty winds to about 40 MPH knocked
the tents around all night. Just before dawn it stated snowing, and
at first light we looked out of our tents into a full-on spring
blizzard.
We ate breakfast in the tents, then packed up quickly as blowing
snow stung our faces. It was about 30 degrees though, and the
snow wasn't accumulating enough to cause avalanche problems,
so there was no real storm hazard. Still, it was quite something
for Memorial Day. As we descended the first steep hill below
camp, I looked back at the others a few hundred feet above me,
barely visible in swirling whirlwinds of snow. Descending on
crampons was effortless, but the skiers were having a hard time
on the crusty, frozen snow. It sure wasn't doing any melting this
day.
By 9 we were down out of the wind, and the snow slowly turned
to sleet and then rain. We reached the cars at 10:30 a.m., washed
up, then gathered in Bridgeport for brunch. The excellent Hayes
Street cafe had a long line, so we made do with the dark, gloomy
Sportsman's cafe. Our drive home was enlivened by more snow
flurries while driving over just-opened Sonora Pass, where we
marveled at the 12-foot vertical walls of snow cut by the
snowplows on both sides of the road. May 25, and the El Nino
winter was not in any hurry to loosen its grip on the mountains.
-- Jim Ramaker
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Seven Gables I - Heat And Dust
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August 7-9, 1998
Charles Schafer led this trip into the central Sierras from the
west. Climbers included Landa Robilliard, Kelly Maas, Roger
Crawley, Andy Skumanich, and your scribe, Jim Ramaker. We
assembled at the boat dock at Huntington Lake on Friday
morning, and boarded the boat ferry that takes you to the
trailhead at the south end of the lake. The boat is an old scow
like the one in the Humphrey Bogart movie "African Queen," and
it held over 20 tightly packed climbers and backpackers. Fare is
$15 round-trip.
After fiddling at the trailhead (7300'), we started toiling uphill in
the hot sun about 9:30 a.m. Sorry, but this trailhead gets my
nomination as one of the worst in the Sierras. The ferry runs on
bankers' hours, so on the first day you can't start hiking before 9
a.m., and on the last day you can't really do any climbing because
you have to complete the long hike out to the ferry landing before
the last boat at 5 p.m. In addition, the first ten miles of the hike
up to Seven Gables meanders through low elevation woods and
meadows -- on this day, hot, buggy, and polluted by horses from
the huge pack station.
In the late morning we toiled up some hot, unshaded switchbacks,
then worked our way up past Sally Keys Lakes. Finally around 4
p.m. after more than 10 miles of hiking, we broke above
timberline into the alpine scenery around Heart Lake, then
popped over Selden Pass (10,800') to the incredibly beautiful
basin of Marie Lake. This mile-long lake has many grassy
peninsulas and was surrounded by gorgeous meadows and cliffs
still streaked with snow. The plan was to continue across another
ridge and camp at Sandpiper Lake below Seven Gables, but right
at 6 p.m. we passed a gorgeous campsite on a bench above Marie
Lake and the tired team rebelled. After mild resistance, Charles
gave in and we camped there for the night. The clouds that had
been building all day dissipated at sunset, and weather for the
rest of the trip remained clear and mild. Bugs were moderately
bad, and we got to watch Charles eat supper through his bug
headnet.
Saturday we crossed the ridge to Sandpiper Lake and headed up
Seven Gables, an easy climb up brushy class-2 cliffs and a huge
scree terrace above. Near the summit we had to cross a frozen
snowfield and some people wished they'd brought crampons to go
with their ice axes, but the runout below wasn't bad and it was
safe as long as you went carefully. Above that came 100 feet of
nice class-3 blocks, and we stepped onto the airy summit
(13,080') with its tremendous drop-off to the east about 11:30.
The view was so good and the weather so pleasant that a
profound lethargy overtook the team, and no one except Charles
could get up any enthusiasm for the long complex traverse over to
Gemini (12,880 and 1.5 miles away). Secor says that the route
goes down the cliff just 20 feet below the summit, and after much
exploration by Charles and Kelly, they finally found the elusive
slot. But looking at a potential return to camp of around 8 p.m.,
the team slowly decided that it would be okay for once to have a
relatively easy day on a PCS trip, with no route finding struggles
up and down loose gullies and no late return to camp.
About 1:30 we headed for our home away from home, glissading
down the now-softened snow. Around 4 we stopped for a long
rest on the shoulder of the ridge above our camp, reclining on a
nice sofa-like ledge with a spectacular view to the north. We
talked and dozed in the sun, and soaked up the relaxing alpine
antidote to hard days in front of the computer in Silicon Valley.
In ones and twos, we departed and wandered back to camp.
In a meadow on the way back, a ptarmigan confronted me in a
frightening display, extending her wings and running right up to
my feet, where she stood and puffed up her chest and hissed at
me. Stunned by this assault, I withdrew, and her motive soon
became clear as two chicks scurried up a nearby snow bank.
After much excited peeping and calling, mother and chicks were
reunited. For those who don't know, a ptarmigan is a rare,
ground-dwelling, alpine bird known for its lack of fear of people
and for changing color from mottled brown in summer to pure
white in winter.
Back at camp, the team spent a pleasant dinner hour, with bottled
beer appearing from a nearby snow bank and the bugs nearly non-
existent compared to the night before. On Sunday, with 13 miles
to go before the 5 p.m. ferry, we didn't have time to climb a major
peak like Hooper or Senger. But Kelly and I wanted to get a little
more climbing in, so we got up at 5:30 a.m. and tackled the
beautiful 1000-foot, class-3 cliff above our camp. Except for a
couple of brushy spots, this gave us super climbing up smooth
rounded slabs and ledges. We almost got stopped by cliffs a
couple times, but there was always a ramp or ledge that gave safe
passage. About 6:40 we arrived on the ridge top and traversed it
for a few hundred feet to a small summit at 11,600'. The view
down to our lake and down the other side into the Seven Gables-
Gemini basin was spectacular at this early hour, and reminded us
why we love the mountains.
Back at camp we had breakfast, packed up, and departed at 9.
The first hour of hiking, up to and over Selden Pass in the
morning light was incredibly beautiful and the cameras were
really clicking away. Then the fun was over, and about six hours
of hiking in the warm sun finally brought us to Huntington Lake
at 4. After our hot dusty hike, washing up and swimming in the
lake felt like heaven, and as we cruised across the lake on the
cool, breezy ferry ride, we realized that the pleasure of climbing
must sometimes be purchased with an equal measure of
discomfort and pain.
-- Jim Ramaker
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The best backpacks are named for
national parks or mountain ranges. Steer
clear of those named for landfills.
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Seven Gables II - Rainy Day, Climb Away
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Hooper, Senger, Gemini, Seven Gables
September 4-7, 1998
This ambitious four-day trip over Labor Day weekend was led by
Bob Suzuki and included Rich Leiker, Maggie Hudson, Eddie
Sudol, Eddie's friend Skip, and myself (Jim Ramaker). After
spending Thursday night at the Badger Flat campground on the
road to Florence Lake, we caught the 8:30 a.m. ferry across the
lake under dark threatening skies.
The 3500-foot gain, 13-mile hike up to Marie Lake has three
parts -- a long, relatively flat stretch through forest and meadow
past the large pack station, a steep uphill stretch on manzanita
slopes, and a long up and down ramble through woods and past
some alpine lakes. With the cool cloudy weather, the hike in was
infinitely more pleasant than when I'd done it four weeks earlier
on a hot August day. In this El Nino year, the woods were
carpeted with wildflowers and the meadows were still lush and
green -- more like mid-July than Labor Day weekend.
About 4 p.m. we arrived at Marie Lake and set up camp in a light
drizzle. Most of us then took naps and fell sound asleep for
awhile. I find this helps my acclimatization greatly on the first
day of a climbing trip. Around 6 the drizzle let up and we cooked
and ate supper, and then it returned to soothe us to sleep.
Counting the nap, we got about 11 hours of sleep that night.
Saturday we got up before dawn at 5:30, and when we left camp
at 6:30, the weather was sparkling with just a few tiny clouds.
We headed west toward our first objective, Mt. Hooper (12,349),
and climbed up class-3 blocks on the east slope, foregoing easier
ground around on the southeast slope. By 9 a.m. we were at the
interesting summit block -- a 20-foot tall monolith split by a
single narrow crack. Secor rates it class 4, which raises the
perennial issue of just what class 4 means. The crack is too
narrow for good jamming, and the actual climbing difficulty is
probably around 5.6. However, there's no big exposure, so the
class-4 rating is a good compromise I guess. Bob and Skip soloed
the crack after a little thrashing. Eddie and I did it on belay, and
Maggie and Rich traversed around the west side of the block to
an exposed class-3 crack on the north side. If you're going to
Hooper, I'd say you won't need a rope as long as everyone in the
party is a strong class-3 climber or better. But if anyone is less
experienced than that, bring a short rope and a couple of slings.
Our next objective was Senger (12,286), 2.5 miles to the
southwest. We hiked across some beautiful slabs and meadows
to Selden Pass, taking a lunch break at noon under increasingly
cloudy skies. From Selden Pass we headed up the valley
northwest of Senger, and climbed a snow slope and some easy
class-2 rock to Senger's huge summit plateau. As we took a
break on the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started hailing,
and we headed down in visibility of about 50 feet. Descending to
the west, we soon found ourselves on an unfamiliar, low-angle
slope, and couldn't agree on the direction to our descent route.
Changing direction, we were soon utterly lost in the impenetrable
mist. Consulting maps and compasses, we made an educated
guess about where we were and changed direction again.
Then the clouds below parted a bit, revealing the first corner of a
lake, then slowly the entire lake, which I recognized as Heart
Lake. Finally getting our bearings, we found the saddle leading to
our snow slope, descended it, and hiked back to camp in steady
soaking rain.
By the time we got back to camp at 5, most of us were pretty wet
-- even Gore-Tex seems to soak through after hours of steady rain
with pack straps pressing on it. The experience showed us the
wisdom of not wearing a couple items of clothing on a cold, wet
day -- even a very thin layer of dry polypro can do wonders for
your warmth when you strip off your wet clothes, put on a dry
layer, and climb into your sleeping bag. And that's what we all
did. After a short nap, we got up to cook and eat, then returned
to our tents for another long sleep.
The weather pattern continued on Saturday -- sparkling and clear
in the morning, then increasing clouds leading to rain and hail as
the day wore on. Our objectives this day were Gemini (12,880)
and Seven Gables (13,080), and we again left camp about 6:30.
(Eddie wasn't feeling well and stayed in camp.) We headed east
this time, over a ridge and down into the spectacularly beautiful,
rarely visited lake basin just west of Seven Gables. Small lakes
and fjords, pocket meadows, clean granite slabs, small trees and
bushes -- this lake basin is a backpacker's dream. We climbed up
past a waterfall, and around 9:30 we emerged onto the more
austere terrain near Seven Gables Pass and got our first close-up
view of Gemini. It looks pretty steep from the pass, but it's not
once you get on it -- just pleasant class-2 slabs. Ignore Secor's
confusing reference to the "West Spur," and just climb straight up
the wide chute that makes up the north face.
After a break on the summit, with its tremendous views over
toward Mt. Humphreys and the Abbot group, we descended and
crossed over to the bottom of the 1500' south face of Seven
Gables. We clambered over and around some car-sized granite
blocks, and then Rich led us up smooth, class-3 slabs and ledges
just as the first raindrops started to fall. Higher up, the angle
eased off and we slogged up a long scree slope as the rain turned
to hail and then snow. At 1 p.m. thunder boomed a couple times
and we all gathered under an overhanging rock to discuss what to
do. At the back of the overhang, snow trickled through a crack
and piled up in a melancholy fashion. Prudence said to descend,
but prudence was not leading this trip. We knew that going back
down those smooth, somewhat exposed slabs would be no picnic
in snow, and that if we could somehow get over to the northwest
face, the descent was easy scree almost all the way. Trouble is,
on Seven Gables, the only reasonable way from the south face to
the northwest face is straight over the summit.
Standing under the overhang, we hadn't heard any thunder for
awhile, so Bob made a leadership decision -- go for it.
A half hour later we reached the top of the south face and
surveyed a dismal, somewhat frightening scene. An very
exposed, snow-plastered, knife-edge ridge led over to the summit
about 100' away. While we had another discussion in the
blowing snow, Bob scampered across the ridge and summited. In
search of the "100-foot, class-3 crack" described in Secor, I
descended about 50 feet and started traversing northward. I
found the crack (it's about 50 feet high, not 100), and climbed
most of the way up it with Skip. But right at the top was an
exposed move on downsloping, snow-covered holds. Damn -- I
could talk to Bob 10 feet above me, but we'd left the rope in
camp, and he said it didn't look safe from his vantage point. But
he said the ridge he'd done wasn't too bad, so we decided to try
that.
I descended, climbed back up, and traversed the ridge. At two
spots it felt like class-4 -- a move on the knife edge with 1500
feet of air on the right, and an awkward step around a bulging
corner on a wet, downsloping ledge, with one mediocre hold
around the corner and a death fall below. With a little coaching,
everyone made these moves without complaint, and at 2:15 we
were all celebrating on the snowy summit. Bob hopped out onto
the actual high point, which juts out over the 1500-foot east face
like a diving board. Skip crawled out there, and the rest of us
decided to forego this additional excitement.
I led down a short class-3 section and a snow slope to the broad
scree terrace northwest of Seven Gables. Then it was down down
down the brushy cliff to Sandpiper Lake and a long break, and
then up and over the ridge back to Marie Lake. Sun broke
through the clouds as we arrived in camp at 5:30, and it was
actually hot for a few minutes. But then clouds and rain returned.
We ate in the tents, then gathered outside for a bull session in the
dark as the rain let up around 7 p.m.
On Monday we departed at 8, hoping to make the 3 o'clock boat.
After a snack break at 11, Bob, Rich, and Maggie left early and
around 11:30 I realized they might be trying to make the 1 o'clock
boat. So I raced along the trail, finally catching up to them at
1:05 just as they descended the last hill to the boat landing and
just as the boat was just pulling in -- a fitting end to a highly
successful trip.
We'd done the 13 miles in five hours. As afternoon storm clouds
gathered over the peaks again, we relaxed in the cool breeze of
the boat ride with smiles on our faces.
-- Jim Ramaker
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Yosemite From Another Perspective
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 31, 1998
On many occasions I've seen Yosemite from the marmot's
perspective, up high, but waddling slowly, glued to the granite by
my own weight. I've seen golden eagles cruising thermals above
me, but to see what the eagles see, I might as well sprout wings
on my back.
Yesterday David Harris, Jon Richards and I flew to Yosemite in
the Cessna that David shares with the Stanford Flying Club.
We left Palo Alto, crossed the Bay, the Diablos, and the valley of
the San Joaquin. We soared up Yosemite Valley, with El Capitan
just below us to the left and Glacier Point on our right, close
enough to touch. We turned south, passing Mt Clark, and circling
the three smooth domes of Mt Starr King. I reflected on climbs
I've made of those peaks, and how differently the mountains
appeared while I was on them. We made another turn up the
valley, covering the distance of multi-day hikes in minutes. Half
Dome stood by. David noted that he had never hiked the Grand
Canyon of the Tuolomne, and neither had I, so we turned north,
and explored its ice scoured precipices and waterfalls. With a
few minutes left in our flight plan, we crossed over the Merced
almost out to the headwaters of the San Joaquin for an
unobstructed close up view of Mts Ritter and Banner, and the
ghostly Minarets. We passed around the Clark Range to the east,
climbing to 12000 feet to make the pass, then swooped down
Yosemite Valley one last time. A mist had begun to fill the
valley, enshrouding Cathedral Spires.
David handed me the controls of the plane. My job was an easy
one; drop down to 6500 feet, and hold that elevation, while
maintaining a compass bearing to Livermore. I learned that my
intuitive sense of where the horizon lies is different from the
reality of it. To fly level, I had to monitor the instruments, not
just the sky, and to point the nose of the plane downward took
real concentration.
I was surprised to discover how broad the Central Valley is.
Driving, we always rocket across those flatlands at approximately
the same speed as a Cessna can fly, but then slow down for the
windy uphill grades. The plane, which flies as straight and fast
in Yosemite as it does over Modesto, reveals how narrow the
Sierra Nevada is compared to the whole width of California.
David took back the controls to land us in a light rain for our
brief stopover in Livermore, then flew us back home through the
controlled air space of the lower San Francisco Bay. I drove
home from the Palo Alto airport with my Honda hovering eight
feet above the pavement. This morning, still thrilled about my
visit to a Yosemite in a new dimension, the vertical dimension, I
am still flying.
"People wonder why I don't express more interest in traveling
around the world. The fact is, I really haven't completed
exploration of my own backyard! Two dimensionally, I am
jealous as Hell over your flying over the Himalayas! JEZUZ!!!
But - after all - the other day I walked by some fresh green moss
in my garden; this is a terrible confession for an old grizzled
mountaineer to say - but that moss looked mighty impressive to
me!"
-- Ansel Adams, in a letter to Dorothea Lange, 2/22/1959
-- Aaron Schuman
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Telescope Peak 11049
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 14th, 1998
The web page for this report including pictures is at
http://home.earthlink.net/~karpel/Telescope98.html
After many plan changes and participants dropping in and out,
the seven of us finally gather at the Mahogany Flat trailhead in
Death Valley for our hike up to Telescope Peak. The ranger's
warning of a significant snowfall the Wednesday before were
proven wrong. There was some snow visible on the higher peaks,
but no more then an inch or 2. Wildrose's southern slops were
completely free of the white stuff. Snowshoes ice axes and
crampons were left in the car. Bob insisted on carrying his ice
axe, but it stayed in its holster the entire trip. I carried my ski
polls, but I used them only on the way down to help absorb some
of the impact of the hard trail on my ankles.
A couple hundred feet into the hike, we all stopped to get rid of
extra clothing. This was a tee shirt and sunscreen weather; not
what one would have expected in mid November. There were a
few patches of snow on the shady side of the mountain, but never
more then a couple of inches deep, and always well stamped out.
Three and a half hours including 2 lengthy brakes got us to the
summit. The weather was as close to perfect as could be
expected. Temperatures were around 60 degree, perfect visibility,
and warm sun. The only negative was the lively wind that blew at
around 10-20 mile an hour. We spent about 1 1/2 hours basking
in the sun, eating summit chocolate, taking pictures, and
identifying the summits of the high Sierras which were clearly
visible to the west.
On the way down, Bob, David, Joan, and I made a detour to
summit Mt Rogers. We got back to the cars by 3:40.
Participants: Bob Suzuki, David Hough, Jeff West, Joan
Marshall, Milus Kudrnovska, Nancy Fitzsimmons, and scribe:
Ron Karpel.
Special thanks to Bill Kirkpatrick for scheduling this trip for such
a beautiful day.
-- Ron Karpel
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unofficial Trips
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private trips may be submitted directly to the Scree Editor,
but are not insured, sponsored, or supervised by the Sierra
Club. They are listed here because they may be of interest to
PCS members.
*** Mt Baldy
Peaks: Mt. Baldy/Gorgonio
Dates: Jan. 22, 23, 24
Contact: Tony Cruz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinnacles Hike
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 13, 1998
Ten of us showed up for this day hike in Pinnacles National
Monument: Bill Fitzpatrick and his wife, Ann, Tony Stegman,
Andy Macia (spelling?), Joan ?, George Van Gorden, Arun
Mahajan, Ron Perkins, Bill Hauser, and Roger Crawley. The
pancakes at the Hyatt Coffee Shop were splendid with lots of
butter and maple syrup; but, of course, it's surpassed by the
Bishop Grill's biscuits and country gravy plate.
So, we drove down to the east entrance station and walked up to
North Chalone Peak and ate our lunch there. The weather was
fine and the sky was clear. We enjoyed views of Junipero Sierra
Peak in the Coast Range and San Benito Peak to the southeast.
At this time of year the sunlight is at a low angle and produces
shadows in the rock formations that make them dramatic to look
at. We encountered a few groups of rock climbers in the Bear
Gulch area, but almost no one on the trails. In the afternoon we
got over to the Balconies Trial which is a little spectacular with
steps gouged into the rock and railings to hang on to. When we
left the Monument and drove north it started to rain; our timing
was lucky. Most of us stopped in Hollister at the San Andreas
Micro Brewing place for delicious beer and burgers and stuff.
Everyone comported themselves in a suitable civil manner.
-- Roger Crawley
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Zeal for Freel
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December 12, 1998
In summertime, Freel Peak is a stroll in the park, a lark, a day
hike from the edge of town in South Lake Tahoe to a nearby high
point. How ordinary! On December 12, 1998, we set out to
make Freel Peak an adventure.
We parked our cars at the corner of Oneidas and Chibcha, in
Myers, a suburb of South Lake Tahoe. I looked over the crew for
the outing: Scott Kreider, Noriko Sekikawa, Jim Curl, Tom Curl,
Rich Leiker, David Harris, Stephane Mouradian, Patricia Kroeni,
Jonathan Claman, and Tim Kutscha. Kelly Maas was the leader,
and I was his assistant.
We picked up a thirteenth trip mate, an eager golden retriever
who apparently lived in one of the nearby houses. She started up
the trail with us, stayed with us for two days, attaining the
summit and returning home. (Who can imagine what pets do
while their people aren't paying attention? I think my cats spend
their private time on the phone with their stockbroker, trading
securities and amassing a boundless fortune.)
The 1940s era topo map showed a confusing tangle of unpaved
forest service roads, but the reality was that there was one
obvious main route and a number of conspicuously smaller spurs.
We followed the road for five miles to a location named Fountain
Place. The snow on the road was firmly packed by snowmobiles,
and we crossed it quickly and easily. Fountain Place is shown on
my street atlas as a town, but we didn't see any buildings there,
not even the ruins of a hunter's cabin.
Tom's old leg injury was hurting him, and so he and his brother
Jim spent the night in Fountain Place while the rest of us pushed
on ahead.
We left the road and headed north, up an unnamed drainage.
David, a geyser of energy, walked out in front, trampling down a
path with his snowshoes that the rest of us could follow more
easily. About halfway up to the summit ridge, we found a flat
spot, and set up our tents on the snow.
The sun set early, and by five o'clock, we were sitting by our
small campfire under a dazzling blanket of stars. It was
December, and the night seemed to last forever. When dawn
finally melted away the last of the shooting stars, we arose, and
discovered that a wind had come up and some clouds were
moving in. I hoped we could still get to the mountain top, but I
resolved to watch the weather closely to make sure we didn't get
trapped in a storm.
Leaving camp set up, we hustled up to the ridge. As we ascended,
familiar sights hove into view: Round Top and Pyramid Peak
were first, followed by Lake Tahoe, Heavenly, Tallac, Dick's and
Jack's Peaks, and Mount Rose. But then, as the clouds gathered,
the scenery began to disappear. Jim overtook us, having skied up
alone from his lower camp. After we passed timberline, the wind
howled. Spindrifts the size of skyscrapers towered over the north
flank of Freel. The wind-stripped upper slopes were about half
bare of snow. We kept our snowshoes on anyway, because where
there was snow, we wanted the snowshoe cleats to grip the
shallow, polished, wind hardened crust.
Someone standing beside me shouted over the roar of the gale,
asking how fast I thought it was blowing. I had no idea, but I had
to lean hard on my poles just to stay upright. A gust knocked me
down. As I was laying on my side on the scree, with my back to
the wind and snowshoe edges dug in to keep me from sliding, I
glanced up the slope and saw Stephane and David laying in the
same exact pose. When the gust abated, we got up and climbed
higher. Another gust lifted me off my feet. I hit the ground
running so I wouldn't fall down. Running in place while sailing
like a human box kite, wearing snowshoes, is harder than it
sounds! We gathered on the summit, at 10881 feet, the highest
point in the Tahoe Basin. We didn't linger.
Descending, the raging wind was in our faces, laden with pinhead
sized ice crystals. I buried my cheeks in the crook of my elbow.
Tim wore a neoprene face mask, with only tiny holes over the
nostrils and mouth. That was a piece of gear we all needed for
this climb.
Noriko was still struggling up the slope with Kelly as we hustled
down. She accepted some good advice, and retreated back to the
timber while Kelly sprinted for the top. Even though Noriko
didn't go to the summit, she deserves credit for the toughness,
confidence and determination she displayed on the mountain.
Back at camp, I saw that my tent had lifted off its stakes and
blown a short way before catching on a tree. Stephane showed
me how he had dug small holes for each stake, and then turned
the stakes at oblique angles and buried them. Extracting the
stakes was a chore, but his tent stayed put.
Down below, the weather was milder, and we hiked out easily.
Tom was waiting for us by his car. He had passed the day
pleasantly in town, nursing his sore leg, sipping a beer and
watching televised football at a cafe. Scott knocked on a few
doors until he found where the retriever lived. We savored the
moment, an exciting finish to a great year of mountaineering.
-- Aaron Schuman
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gear Comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Occasionally we see discussions about gear on the PCS e-mail
broadcast list. Since winter is coming up, I feel that it is
beneficial to publish this discussion on snow shoes.
Snow Shoes
I'm in the market for some snowshoes and I'm especially
interested in comments about Atlas and MSR.
-- Kelly Maas
There is nothing to discuss. The MSR are hands down better
then the rest and they far cheaper.
Why better: They have more crampons underneath to grab into
icy snow. Being solid and having side edges they are better on
traverse. The tails can be extended to provide more flotation, or
shortened for better control and going downhill. They also have
better friction for going downhill facing forward.
-- Ron Karpel
I tend to disagree: The "crampons" suck and need to have a file
taken to them to make them useful. The side rails are useful only
when the flex of the shoe itself doesn't impair their ability. Often
these shoes flex on a steep sidehill and don't quite provide good
lateral support. As someone else stated, the long-term durability
is also very questionable.
I do like the "modular" style of these shoes. On moderate powder
w/ a daypack, the shorter length allows you to travel a bit faster
without the annoying heel slap of longer shoes. That the MSR's
are plastic is good and bad: Snow doesn't tend to adhere to and
add weight to the shoe. The down side is that they have not so
great traction on steep downfall's, but this also means they
become great skis.
The December issue of Rock & Ice has gives the Sherpas the
highest score, as I have heard previously. They are also pretty
expensive next to the MSR's.
-- Michael Gordon
It seems there are conditions where the MSRs are great (crust
over solid corn) and conditions where they are not (powder).
Same with most gear.
Think about how much you will use them. My Sherpas are 15+
years old and going strong. They came with a LIFETIME
warranty, and I've had the bindings repaired for free but the
footbed is not damaged at all yet. I use them often. The new ones
may not come with as good a warranty or materials: caveat emptor.
The "laced" footbed (a tough sheet with actual lacing to connect it
to the tubular frame) is remarkably effective in conditions where
the snow can push up between the lacing. Traction is much
greater than with the Atlas style where the smooth footbed fabric
wraps around the frame with no lacing.
You don't need crampons on the bottom unless you are on ice! If
you are in soft corn (e.g. 90% of Sierra use) the bottom crampons
are just an excuse for snow to collect. If you NEED crampons,
WEAR crampons! It's very rare to be on ice hard enough to need
good snowshoe crampons without also being on ice hard enough
to support your weight. Kicking steps or wearing REAL crampons
may be a safer solution. You can't arrest in snowshoes.
The guides on Denali all provide Sherpa. There are no choices
I'm aware of. (They are expensive, but "cost per use" is lower and
field failures can kill.)
-- Steve Eckert
I have the Tubbs Kathadin. I have rented Atlas and also Red
Feather and Sherpas before I bought the Tubbs. I have seen a
couple of friends use the Polar Paws of Bob Wallace fame and
seen quite a few friends use the new MSRs.
If I had to buy something now, I would buy the MSR because:
1. Light weight
2. Modular, you can get an attachment if you want more flotation
3. Pack very well
4. Have edges instead of tubes, so you can traverse
5. Also have serrated tracks on the inside for traction, maybe they
borrowed this concept from the Polar Paws?
6. Cheaper than the Katahdins, though I have seen the Atlas'es
and other Tubbs brands
I bought the Tubbs just before the MSR's came out and they
were also twice the amount. The bindings swivel nicely and have
a good claw for uphill traction. I like them very much and I
thought they were the best of all the snowshoes that were
available, as far as I knew. The problem is while traversing hills.
The Atlas and Sherpas are also good, but a little lower in my
personal scale than Tubbs Katahdin.
The Red Feather would be good for snow plodding on flat
terrain but not PCS trips.
Polar Paws were all metal, is that a good thing to have in the
snow? They conduct the cold and all that, so at least on that count
it may not be a good thing.
The negative against the MSR's (this was told to me by Steve
Eckert) is that a few years down the road, after a period of use, if
they break while in the back country, then you may well have no
snowshoe, since they appear to be of some kind of uniform
material. Now, the Atlas and the Tubbs and the Sherpas have
webbing. So, if the webbing breaks you can still lash it together
and be mobile. So, only time will tell if the MSR's are good in the
long run or not. But, at that price, they are hard to beat.
Another advantage of the webbing being the added amount of
traction you get with the snow catching in the webbing as you
climb up.
I have also heard (unverified) that there are folding snowshoes
with shock-corded tubes, like tent poles almost. I have not seen
those.
I used to imagine that it would be a boon if someone invented
snowshoes with snap-on bindings, much like the step-in
crampons, and I have also heard that someone already has.
-- Arun Mahajan
Having been behind Ron, slipping and not being able to get a grip
on the snow and ice with my Tubbs as Ron was effortlessly
climbing on his MSR's. I would concur with him completely.
However, there is some discussion.
I am 188 lbs, and at the time 215 and could not get enough
flotation on the Ms's even with the back panels attached.
Something to consider for the heavier among us-- then add 40-50
lbs of gear. The Tubbs and the Atlas's I used to own were far
superior (being wider and longer).. so if the MSR's matched your
weight I would evaluate all specifications mentioned earlier (i.e.,
in previous email) as:
1) MSR with longer tails
2) Atlas
3) Feathers: similar to Atlas almost a clone in the model I saw.
4) Tubbs a distant last
-- Rich Calliger
I have a pair of MSRs (I forgot the model name something with
Denali in it???) that I love. They perform extremely well IMO
and I have done about 20 climbs in them so far. This weekend in
great basin NP we encountered a fair amount of steep climbing.
My MSRs worked beautifully, while the people with traditional
snow shoes seemed to have some trouble in those spots.
Sadly, what they have in performance, they lack in craftsmanship.
On my first climb ever using them (Quartzite Peak, Great Basin
NP, Jan 1998) one of the bolts holding the crampon to the
floatation deck was severed and I had to travel through neck deep
powder with only one snow shoe on. Also, they are pretty small
but you can buy extension decks for them. I bought the ones
recommended for my weight (210 lbs without pack) and used
them this jan. Halfway to the peak, one of the decks disappeared
into the powder never to be seen again.
Needless to say, I was pretty ticked. I went to the hardware store
and purchased some bolts and lock nuts and after fixing them,
they have worked very well. I lost my other deck a few months
later in Kings Canyon.
If you are heavy enough that you need the extension decks, I
would be very careful about attaching them. Tony Cruz almost
lost his this weekend in GBNP.
Even though they aren't the best made snowshoes, they certainly
outperform any of the others I have looked at and would
recommend them, feeling that what they lack in craftsmanship is
made up for by superior performance in adverse situations. In
many situations where you would need crampons versus normal
snow shoes, the MSRs will perform admirably. Just keep in
mind they are a little flimsy...
-- Pat Ibbitson
SNOWSHOE OPINIONS, My $00.02 worth = Buy the MSR`S!!
Ron Karpel is right. I've had (and still do have somewhere I'm my
closest) other kinds of snowshoes, like Tubbs - Atlas and I have
also rented a few differing brands, but the MSR`S are really my
favorite. I like the way they feel when walking, it seems they
slide forward in a more natural manner, and I don't seem to step
on one snowshoe with the other a soften. but their most
outstanding feature is their ability to traverse, they have full
length cleats which really seem to grip. the little detachable tails
(which were on sale at REI for $12.00, but I missed the sale) Are
perfect for peak bagging, where you might have a heavy load one
day and a light load the next.
Also-snowshoe oddities: I have a pair of RAMER "ASSAULTS"
snowshoes. These are really strange little gizmos that are actually
just an anti-postholing device. They look like a pair of oval fry
pans strapped to your feet. They are designed for ascents of steep
slopes with deep snow. under the right conditions they can really
work well -step-in bindings like a crampon.
Bottom Line: Don't' spend 300 bucks on snowshoes, get these
MSR`S you won't regret it.
-- John Zazzara
See the December issue of Rock & Ice for a discussion on
snowshoes. This is not a formal review of snowshoes but a
discussion of factors to consider. Their is a comparison chart
though of the various brands. With regards to the MSRs the
comment is "1/2 the price for 2/3 the performance."
-- Greg Johnson
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Least Climbed Sierra Peaks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the past few weeks, people on the broadcast list have been
discussing seldom climbed peaks. I thought it would be useful to
list these in one place.
Check out Excelsior. It is about 12,700 and is a simple peak to
bag. A few years ago when I climbed it with my Uncle, there
were only about 50 names signed in since 1980, the earliest entry.
It has great views, and the face looks like it would be a great
technical climb rock climber s.
-- Eric Beck
I can think of peaks like Cartago and Lamont that seem to be
staggeringly unpopular.
-- Arun Mahajan
Try the "true" Mt. Powell, not what the SPS thinks is Mt.
Powell. Doug Mantle climbed the "real" Mt. Powell. He wrote to
tell me there is a 1997 register there with only four entries
including Doug's. So, that's my vote for a "least climbed, but
named, Sierra peak".
-- Mark Adrian
I climbed Trojan Peak (13,947') in September. I was the second
person to sign in this year. A direct assault from the Williamson
bowl is +3 on crappy rock but there are easier routes. There's a
fun traverse over to Mt Barnard (13,990'). Barnard is climbed a
lot more but it did have the original 1936 summit register on it.
-- Neal Robbins
I climbed Mt Stanford in 1992. The summit register had been
placed in 1940 and was still only about half full. What's more, the
first two pages were photocopies of entries dating from the first
ascent. In one small book we had the entire history of everyone
who had climbed the peak.
-- Peter Maxwell
I vote for Tunemah Peak. Yes, I know it's on the list, but it's a
very remote peak. Wren Peak is dayhikable via the Deer Cove
trail near Cedar Grove, but I`ve never seen any reports from
anybody who's climbed it. Maybe that's another candidate.
-- Gary Craig
The least visited peaks will be those nobody has climbed or
knows about, certainly not any on the SPS list. On a 40-year old
map of Kings Cyn and Sequoia Parks on my wall I see peaks I
never hear anybody talk about, and submit a few of them here as
examples. Palmer Mtn, Sentinel Ridge, Ball dome, Cross Mtn,
Stag Dome, Slide Peak, Burnt Mtn. Some of these are in
Secor's book.
-- Ron Hudson
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BACK PAGE
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Rock Climbing Classifications
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The following trip classifications are to assist you in choosing trips
for which you are qualified. No simple rating system can anticipate
all possible conditions.
Class 1: Walking on a trail.
Class 2: Walking cross-country, using hands for balance.
Class 3: Requires use of hands for climbing, rope may be used.
Class 4: Requires rope belays.
Class 5: Technical rock climbing.
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Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is Sunday 1/24/99.
Meetings are the second Tuesday of each month.
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"Vy can't ve chust climb?" - John Salathe
First Class EMail - Dated Material as soon as it's published!