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Scree for June, 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.
June, 1999 Vol. 33 No. 6
Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is Sunday 6/27/99
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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, June 8
Time: 7:30 PM
Program: Mission Peak Climb
Rather than see slides of peaks at PCS
meetings, lets go climb one instead!
Location: Stanford Avenue, Fremont
(PDF version has a drawn map here)
Directions: Take 880 to Mission Blvd exit. Go
under 680, about 1.5 miles, to the 3rd light. Just
beyond Paseo Padre (the 3rd light), turn right on
Stanford Avenue at the sign that says "Mission
Peak Regional Preserve".
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A Bedtime Story - May 16, 1999
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Once upon a time, there was a boy who fell in love with a rock.
This, of course, resulted in a long discussion with his therapist.
But in the end, it meant only one thing: he had to climb. And
climb he did. But of all the rocks to climb, there was one that he
most desired. And that rock was the fearsome and mighty
DOODAD.
On a lovely spring day, not far from the little village of Pom
Boobley, the boy and several of his very best friends gathered at
the farthest shore of LakeLake 2 and prepared to embark on a
wonderful adventure. The boy, JimJim No. 1, and his friends,
JimJim No. 2, TweedleDee and TweedleDot, and the invincible
Mr. Duck, loaded up their favorite camping toys and set out in
search of the Doodad.
Soon after they started, they began to walk on snow.
"My feet are so cold", said TweedleDee.
"Quack! Quack!" said Mr. Duck.
Along and up they went, over brush, snowhills and around rock
cliffs. They could see many great peaks along the way: Mt. Squat,
Diddly Peak, and North Bump looked especially nice with all of
the snow. The sun beat down upon their little heads as they
walked and sang together:
Carrying packs as big as a car -- Doodad! Doodad!
Today we probably won't get too far -- All the Doodad day!
All the Doodad night! All the Doodad day!
I wonder what the neighbors will say?
All the Doodad day!
Late in the afternoon, they walked past the great Horse Tower,
which greeted them with a loud "Winnie! Neighhh!" They were
very tired by this point and Mr. Duck felt especially out of sorts.
His webbed feet hurt him so, and He missed his pond very much.
So they decided to camp below the Po Po Pass and rest for the
night.
The wind came up and the clouds put on an exciting show.
JimJim 2 was setting up his brand new tent when he noticed a
very round cloud.
"That one looks like a hippopotamus", said JimJim 2.
Then, as the sun fell and the sky grew purple, it became very,
very, very, VERY cold. Into their tents they scurried to stay warm.
And they soon fell fast asleep. The surrounding mountains
grinned happily at the icy scene and, shoulder to shoulder,
hummed a soft deep chorus through the long night:
"Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Mmmmmm.."
In the early morning, JimJim 1 crawled out of his tent and,
shivering on the crunchy snow, exclaimed,
"What has happened to my thermometer here? All of the
Fahrenheits have disappeared!"
They rose reluctantly and prepared for their day. The cold air
made them move quite slowly, but soon they were ready to go.
Then, TweedleDot said,
"There are many bears out there! And they will come to eat our
food. So I will stay right here, while you climb the great
Dadood!"
So they bid farewell to TweedleDot, and put on their spiky shoes.
And up the giant slope they went, kicking and poking many holes
into the snow. Mr. Duck found that his webbed feet would not fit
into the footprints of his friends. So he used his large pointy beak
to hold onto the slope. And he flapped his wings now and then.
At last they came to the other side and there was a magnificent
sight: so many mountains and so much snow! It was very, very
beautiful to behold. Around the corner they went and then
carefully back up towards the top of the ridge. The rocks were
very loose and slippery. So they took turns stepping on each
other's heads to go higher.
Finally, they approached the sleeping Doodad.
"Shhhhhh!" said JimJim 1 to JimJim 2.
"Shhhhhh!" said JimJim 2 to JimJim 1.
JimJim 1 tiptoed as quietly as he could up to the great beast and
slipped into its large mouth.
"Grrrraaaarrrrrghhh!" said the half-sleeping Doodad.
"Yikes!" said JimJim 2.
"Oooof!" said JimJim 1, as he crawled up through its belly.
Then, as JimJim 1 stood on the Doodad's head, JimJim 2 wrapped
string around the giant beast's jaw, to keep it from biting, and
wiggled his way up through its belly. Soon, TweedleDee and Mr.
Duck were also worming and squirming to the top. They took
turns dancing on the Doodad's very flat head and singing:
Climbing up through snow and scree -- Doodad! Doodad!
No place else we'd rather be -- All the Doodad day!
All the Doodad night! All the Doodad day!
Wish we had more time to play
All the Doodad day!
But the singing and dancing woke the Doodad from its slumber. It
broke Free of the string that was around its jaw and began to roar.
"WHOOOO IS ON MYYYY HHHHEEAAAAAD?!" the Doodad
thundered.
"JUMP!!" screamed JimJim 2.
The Doodad began to shake back and forth very fast. JimJim 2
dove off of the Doodad's head and slid down to the snow far
below. TweedleDee hopped onto Mr. Duck's back and JimJim 1
grabbed one of his webbed feet.
Flapping his wings, Mr. Duck jumped off with his two friends.
And half-flying, half-falling, they tumbled down to the snow.
At last, they all gathered together at the top of the giant slope.
They could still hear the Doodad growling in the distance.
"That was close", said JimJim 2.
"I want to go home", said JimJim 1.
Back down the big slope they went, marked with the holes they
had already poked. As they neared the bottom, they waved to
TweedleDot... but she did not wave back. When they finally got
to camp, they saw her clothes wrapped around a pole and axe and
her hat perched on top. It was a scarebear she had made to protect
their camp from bears. But where was TweedleDot?
Then they heard loud snoring coming from one of the tents.
Inside they found her fast asleep, surrounded by many candy-bar
wrappers and empty tins of food.
"Quack!" said a very hungry Mr. Duck.
"Burp!" said TweedleDot.
"Time to go", said TweedleDee.
So they gathered together their toys and slid back down the snow
hill on their behinds. Soon they were at LakeLake 2 again, where
their adventure had started. Mr. Duck was very glad to have
water to paddle in again.
And of course, they all lived happily ever after.
The end.
-- Jim Curl
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Wild and Free In the 21st Century
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A Campaign to Halt the Commercialization, Privatization and
Increased Motorization of Recreational Opportunities on
America's Public Lands
In the next millennium, will Americans enjoy free access to
pristine forests, deserts, mountains, rivers and streams, or will
wild nature be developed into recreational products and sold to
those with thick wallets or those most willing to buy access? The
answer to this question will be decided in the next few months
and you can play a major role in determining the outcome.
In 1996, Congress began a test to determine whether people were
willing to pay to visit public lands. This program, called the
"Recreation Fee Demonstration Program" (Fee-Demo), was
developed in partnership with the American Recreation Coalition
(ARC). ARC is a trade association that primarily represents
motorized recreation and has testified before Congress that
"Recreation fees on public lands were one of the issues which
prompted the creation of the American Recreation Coalition in
1979". ARC also represents numerous companies that are eager
to construct and operate privately owned recreational facilities on
public lands now managed by the US Forest Service and other
federal agencies. Current laws severely restrict such private
undertakings, strictly limit the fees which may be charged and
attempt to exert some minimal level of regulation upon motorized
wreckreation. ARC is industry's vehicle for getting around all of
these obstacles.
Fee-Demo is a small part of the larger effort to promote Industrial
Strength Recreation and to redefine how people recreate on
public lands in the 21st century. Fee-Demo is intended to
demonstrate how to most effectively charge for the enjoyment of
amenities that have traditionally been free. Before 1999 ends,
ARC and other proponents of this pay-to-play ethic will attempt
to pass legislation to facilitate what many have dubbed The
Corporate Takeover of Nature and the Disneyfication of Public
Lands. Once it becomes legal to run public lands for their
revenue generation potential, there will be no end to the new
products and services that will be offered. For the US Forest
Service and their private partners, the perceived financial
opportunities are simply irresistible.
In recent months, over 100 environmental organizations, outdoor
recreation groups, state and local governments have called for an
end to the highly unpopular Fee-Demo program. Bipartisan
legislation, called the "Forest Tax Relief Act of 1999" has been
introduced to immediately eliminate this program from all
National Forests. Yet even with all this opposition, the land
managers who stand to gain from charging recreational fees are
telling Congress that people actually like to pay them. They are
telling President Clinton that Fee-Demo is so successful, that he
should call for fees to be permanently authorized without further
delay.
To keep these lands wild and to continue the long tradition of free
access, we must use the remaining months of this millennium to
send an irrefutable message to Congress and the Clinton
Administration. We must let them know that we OPPOSE being
treated as customers and that we oppose the current attempt to
commercialize, privatize and motorize lands that we own.
To ensure that our intense disapproval is heard loudly and clearly,
Saturday, August 14, 1999 shall become a National Day of
Action. In communities and on public lands across this nation,
people will be demonstrating their determination to protect our
forests and other special places and to keep them forever 'Wild
and Free'.
For information on how you can participate in this special event,
or to learn more about this extremely important issue, please
contact:
Scott Silver
Wild Wilderness
248 NW Wilmington Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
phone: 541-385-5261
e-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.orgInternet:
http://www.wildwilderness.org
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Congratulations Nancy Fitzsimmons!
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I would like to inform you all that in late April the Chapter
Excom accepted my resignation as Activities Chair and appointed
Nancy Fitzsimmons as the new Chair.
Many of you know Nancy, as she's active in several sections.
She's going to do an excellent job of helping you all with
information, resources, and listening to your problems.
I'd held this position for some years, and felt it was time to let
someone else bring new ideas and enthusiasm to the role.
I'd to thank all of you for an interesting and rewarding time. I'm
always impressed by how hardworking our leaders and officers
are, and how eager to ensure outings participants have a good
time and return for more. I hope that now I'll be able to go on
more hikes, and lead some outings again.
You can reach Nancy at Pkclimber@aol.com, home phone 408-957-9683.
See you on the trails.
-- Chris Macintosh
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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.
*** Kings Canyon Peakfest
Peaks: State Peak 12,620
Dougherty Peak, 12,244'
Marion Peak, 12,719'
Kennedy Mtn, 11,433'
Dates: July 3 thru July 10
Contact: Debbie Bulger, 831-457-1036, dfbulger@cruzio.com
This week-long backpack will take us on a loop. The peaks are
mostly second class. After ascending from the trailhead in Kings
Canyon, we will proceed north in a counter-clockwise loop, both
on and off trail, climbing as we go. If the terrain cooperates, we will
cross from Volcanic Lakes to E. Kennedy Lake on our way to
Kennedy Mountain.
Hardy, experienced backpackers welcome. Suitable for beginning
climbers who are comfortable backpacking 10-15 miles/day with
4000-5000' elevation gain the first day.
*** Williamson and Tyndall
Peaks: Mt. Williamson (14,375) class-2, Mt. Tyndall (14,018) class-2
Dates: June 11-13 (Fri-Mon)
Map: Mt. Williamson 7.5' topo
Leader: Kelly Maas, 408-279-2054 kelly.maas@idt.com
Coleader: Ron Karpel, 650-594-0211 ronny@luxsonor.com
Mt. Williamson is the second highest peak in California, we will
climb it from Shepherd Pass via the standard Bolton Brown Route.
Mt. Tyndall is right there near Shepherd Pass, which is as good a
reason as any to climb it. This is an MOC approved trip.
Participant must be current sierra club members, must be
experienced with snow climbing and the safe use of ice axe and
crampons, including self-arrest. Participants must be in top
physical condition. Friday, we will pack in from the trailhead at
Symmes Creek to the top of Shepherd Pass (11-mile, 7,000') and
setup camp. Saturday we will climb Williamson and return to the
camp. Sunday we will climb Tyndall and pack out to the trailhead.
Because of the early date, we expect to run into last winter's snow
pack.
*** Mt Goethe
Peaks: Mt Goethe, class 1, 13264
Mt Emerson, class 2/3, 13204
Dates: June 19-20 Sat-Sun
Maps: Goddard 15 min.
Leader: Aaron Schuman aaron_schuman@yahoo.com
H 650-968-9184, W 650-943-7532
http://sj.znet.com/~cynthiam/goethe.html
Saturday, pack from North Lake (9200) to our campsite at Muriel
Lake (11423). Climb Mount Goethe for the view into Evolution
Valley. Sunday, as we hike out, we'll drop our packs near Piute
Lake for a side trip to Mount Emerson. This trip will be strenuous
but only of moderate technical difficulty.
*** Rolls Merriam
Peaks: Royce Pk (13,280) and Merriam Pk (13,103), class 2 / snow
Dates: June 19-20 (Sat-Sun)
Maps: Mt Abbot 15' topo
Mt Hilgard, 7.5' topo
Mount Tom, 7.5' topo
Leader: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
By June much of the approach should be on trail, but the saddle
between these two peaks is steep and there is a permanent
snowfield.
We'll take crampons and ice axes for the summit but hope for dry
camping at Pine Creek Pass. About a 4000' / 7 mile pack in, and
about a 3000' / 6 mile summit hike means we'll be able to pack out
the second day... but it will be strenuous. Views of Bear Creek
Spire, Seven Gables, and Humphreys will reward our efforts.
Submit resume of recent experience and a $10 deposit
(refundable less any permit fees at the trailhead) with your Sierra
Club membership number (this is a restricted mountaineering trip)
to secure a spot. Trip is limited to 6 people.
*** On Guard, Brewer!
Peaks: North Guard (13,327) and Mt Brewer (13,570)
Dates: June 25-27 (Fri-Sun)
Leader: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Co-Leader: Richard Vassar, richard.vassar@lmco.com
Brewer has the better view; North Guard has the better climbing.
Get them both in a classic weekend trip - we'll pack up the Sphinx
Creek trail until the trail goes the wrong way, then go the RIGHT
way and camp off the beaten path. Saturday's main goal is North
Guard (3rd class), hopefully leaving time for Brewer (2nd class).
The more gain we do on Friday, the more time we'll have on
Saturday! Ice axe and crampons required if the snow conditions
warrant, and a belay may be required for the summit block -
submit resume of recent experience with your Sierra Club
membership number to secure a spot.
*** Tune My Finger
Peaks: Tunemah Pk (11,894), Finger Pk (12,404)
Dates: July 23-26 Fri-Mon
Leader: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Co-Leader: Erik Siering
Pack in from Wishon Reservoir through Woodchuck Country to
the Blue Canyon headwaters and bag these two fine (or at least
remote) peaks. Good views of Black Divide and Enchanted Gorge
should make up for the 20 mile pack in and lots of gain on the trail.
Co-listed as an official trip with both the PCS (Loma Prieta
Chapter) and the SPS (Angeles Chapter).
*** Middle Palisade
Peak: Middle Palisade, class 3
Dates: July 3-5 (Sat-Mon)
Map: Split Mtn 7.5 minute
Leader: Kelly Maas, maas@idt.com
(408) 279-2054 (h) or (408) 330-1717 (w)
Co-Leader: wanted
Middle Palisade is one of the Palisades; what more need be said?
Three days allows plenty of time for this outing, which starts at
Glacier Lodge on Big Pine Creek, high above the town of Big Pine.
We will climb the easiest route, which is class 3. It will also involve
traversing some snow on the Middle Palisade Glacier. Please note
that the group size is very limited, so be sure to sign up early.
*** Mt. Bolton Brown
Peak: Mt. Bolton Brown, Class 2, 13,538'
Dates: August 1-3 (3 days)
Leader: Debbie Benham, 650/964-0558 benham4x@aol.com
After reading about Bolton's first ascents, and seeing Lucy
Brown's footpath, my curiosity was peaked. This summit hides
from viewing via Hwy 395 behind the magnificent eastern Sierra
skyline. We'll see! Could be just a pile of old' scree. Trailhead is
Birch Lake, out of McMurphy Meadows, off Glacier Lodge Road.
Permit for 6. $3 covers permit fee
*** Dragon Weekend
Peaks: Dragon Peak (12,955) Class 3 and Kearsarge Peak (12,598) Class 2
Dates: August 7-8 (Sat.-Sun.)
Map: Kearsarge Peak and Mt. Clarence King 7.5'
Leader: Bill Isherwood, isherwood2@llnl.gov
925-254-0739 (h) 925-423-5058 (w)
We will meet Saturday morning at 9 AM at the trailhead for
Golden Trout Lake on Onion Valley Road out of Independence. A
2000-ft. climb will bring us to a camp near one of the two
unnamed lakes just north of Golden Trout Lake. For the ambitious,
Kearsarge Peak may be climbed Saturday. Sunday, we will climb
Dragon Peak from the col immediately south of the peak. Hike out
Sunday afternoon. Send a $10 deposit (call first) to secure your
spot. Trip limited to 8.
*** McDuffie, Black Giant, Charybdis, Fiske, etc.
Peaks: McDuffie, Black Giant, Charybdis, Fiske,
Huxley, etc. (Class 3)
Dates: August 7 thru 15 Sat thru Sun (9 days)
Maps: North Palisade, Mt. Thompson & Goddard 7.5'
Leader: Charles Schafer, (408) 324-6003 (w)
cgschafer@lucent.com
Co-Leader: Bob Suzuki, (510) 657-7555 (w)
bobszk@bigfoot .com
If you've ever climbed to the top of Bishop Pass, looked off into the
interior of the Sierra, and thought that those magnificent peaks on
the horizon looked awfully appealing; then this trip is for you. . We
will hike in over Echo Col on Saturday and set up camp near
Helen Lake (at Muir Pass).
Secor says McDuffie, Black Giant & Charybdis are easily day
hiked from there, so we want to give them a try. There are also a
number of other peaks in that area that are worth climbing, and
between Bob and I we'll go after most of them. Towards the end of
the trip we will move south and climb Wheel, and perhaps others
in that neighborhood. Saturday and Sunday we will hike out over
Bishop Pass.
This should be a lot of fun, but it is a pretty ambitious trip so we
are looking for experienced class 3 climbers to join us. Ice axes
and possibly crampons will be required.
*** Grand Canyon of The Tuolumne
Backpack: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, Class 1/2,
Yosemite National Park
Dates: August 20-22 (3 days)
Leaders: Debbie Benham, (h) 650/964-0558
benham4x@aol.com
Bill Kirkpatrick, (w) 408/279-3450
wmkirk@earthlink.net
Join us for a 'reverse' peak trip through a pristine wilderness
canyon in beautiful Yosemite National Park! We will be out three
days, walking approximately 23 miles total with roughly 4-5000'
elevation loss and gain. We'll start at White Wolf Campground and
finish at Lembert Dome in Tuolumne Meadows, a one-way jaunt
up the canyon. $10 deposit required on sign-up and fully
refundable at the trailhead. Permit for 8. Co-listed with
Backpacking Section/Loma Prieta Chapter.
*** Merced Peak
Peak: Merced Peak, Class 2, 11,726', Yosemite National Park
Dates: August 27-29 (3 days)
Leader(s): Debbie Benham, h: 650/964-0558, benham4x@aol.com
Anouchka Gaillard, h: 408/737-9770, anouchka@cup.hp.com
A long hike in to another classic of the Clark Range set in lovely
Yosemite National Park! Approximately 16 miles (one way) to the
summit with 4,000' gain/loss over three days. We'll climb the
northeast ridge after leaving the Red Peak Pass Trail near Upper
Ottoway Lake. Hearty and fit newcomers are welcome, and must
be able to carry full pack a long way on trail! Deposit of $10
required for signup, which is refundable minus $3, charge for
permit. 10 on permit.
*** Mt. Langley
Peak: Mt. Langley (14,042), Class 1
Dates: August 28-29 (Sat.-Sun.)
Maps: Mt. Langley and Cirque Peak 7.5'
Leader: Bill Isherwood, isherwood2@llnl.gov
925-254-0739 (h), 925-423-5058 (w)
This is the southernmost 14,000-foot peak in the High Sierra.
Clarence King and Paul Pinson climbed it in 1871, believing that
they were making the first ascent of Mt. Whitney. They found a
cairn with an arrow on the summit.
We will meet Saturday morning at the Cottonwood Lakes
trailhead (driving instructions from Lone Pine are available) at 10
AM. We will camp at Long Lake (11,135) on Saturday and climb
the South Slope to the summit via the New Army Pass trail on
Sunday. Drive home Sunday night. Join us for a leisurely climb
with time to enjoy the scenery. There is a $10 sign-up fee,
refundable at the trailhead, less the cost of the permit. Send check
to Bill Isherwood, 37 La Encinal, and Orinda, CA 94563. Space is
limited to 8.
*** Yosemite: Petit, Piute, and Volunteer
Peaks: Petit, Piute, and Volunteer Class 2
Dates: Sep 4-6 (Sat-Mon) Labor Day weekend
Leader: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
A one-way walk through northeastern Yosemite should provide
some of the best early fall scenery available. Hopefully the
mosquitoes will be dead or dying, and hopefully it won't have
snowed yet. The plan is to enter at Saddlebag, exit at Twin Lakes
(requires car shuttle). There is a bit of cross-country travel at the
beginning and some 2nd class near the peaks, but basically it's a
lot of trail walking (15 miles/day) with an average of about 4000' of
gain per day. To avoid a dawn-to-dusk sort of trip we'll need to
move fairly quickly, but skipping one or two of the peaks or adding
a fourth day could provide an easier trip if desired.
*** Kern Peak
Peak: Kern Peak (11510) LIST FINISH!
Dates: Oct 2-3 Sat-Sun
Leader: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Co-Leader: Erik Siering
Help the leader celebrate finishing the SPS Peaks List in good
style. The 9-mile pack in, over almost-flat terrain with uncrowded
camping, should give rise to a nice party Saturday. A quick 7-mile
romp to the peak on Sunday and we're back in camp for the stroll
back to the cars. Reserve a spot early and pack the good stuff (for
the mother of all happy hours)! Co-listed with the Angeles Chapter SPS.
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Yosemite Valley Peaks - April 24-25
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There were five people on this trip (Dot Reilly, Jim Curl,
Suzanne Novalis and her son Cameron, and myself). If all went
as planned we would climb Sierra Point, Grizzly Peak, Mt.
Broderick, and Liberty Cap on Saturday, and on Sunday climb the
Three Brothers. If Roper's guidebook is correct, none of the
climbing was expected to be harder than class 4.
After rendezvousing in front of the Mountain Shop at Camp
Curry at around 9:00am we set out for Grizzly Peak by way of
Sierra Point. After following the old abandoned trail to Sierra
Point, we headed up the Southwest Arete of Grizzly Peak which
Roper's old guide lists as class 4. Unfortunately, after climbing
several hundred feet of easy class 3 low on the route, we
encountered rock more difficult than class 4. Nevertheless, we
roped up and pressed on. Before long the going became easier as
we moved directly up the spine of the ridge. On both sides the
ridge dropped almost vertically for hundreds of feet. Eventually
we came to what is the crux of the climb - a very narrow 30-foot
5.7 chimney. This was definitely something we hadn't bargained
for in a so-called class 4 route. By the time each of us finished
struggling up this slot, as well as hauling each pack up, it was
rather late in the afternoon and it had started to rain. After one
final roped pitch, we struggled upwards through dense brush for
hundreds of feet to the summit of Grizzly Peak. It was late and
we were all wet from the rain. Mt. Broderick and Liberty Cap
would have to wait for some other day. From the summit of
Grizzly Peak, we began the long descent down LeConte Gully,
which required five rappels. Darkness overtook us before we
reached the bottom, and we were forced to make the last two
rappels in the dark. Finally, we reached Camp Curry at around
10:00pm.
On Sunday we got off to a slow start. Fortunately, the weather
had improved and after some discussion it was decided that we
would do Liberty Cap. From Camp Curry it took us about three
hours to reach the summit of Liberty Cap.
From the top we enjoyed great views of Little Yosemite Valley,
the South Face of Half Dome, Mt. Clark, Starr King, Yosemite
Falls, and Glacier Point.
Fortunately, there were no surprises on Liberty Cap. It was class
2 just as
Roper said it was.
-- George Sinclair
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You'll never be awakened by the call of a loon if you have an unlisted number.
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White Red Slate - 7 May 1999
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Prologue: Those of you who wonder if 'getting married means the
end of peak bagging' should meet my wife! She saw me pacing
the house after a recent trip blew up (two people turned back and
the remaining one twisted his knee), and almost shoved me into
my car saying I'd feel better after being in the high country for a
few days. Of course, no one else was free mid-week so this
turned out to be a solo trip.
On May 7th, I flew over Carson Pass on wonderfully dry and
deserted roads, spending about 6 hours from San Francisco to
Mammoth. The McGee Creek road was clear of all snow
(including the shoulders - it was BARE) to the trailhead, and it
was about an hour's walk to where snow first covered the trail.
Another hour later you needed snowshoes or skis in the
afternoon, but the morning snow was hard as a rock.
The truly skiable snowline was around 9000' and by 10000' all
the streams and lakes were buried in an amazingly thick blanket
of snow. Of course I lost the trail as soon as it entered the trees,
but the going is pretty easy with climbing skins on the right
(north) side. Don't stay too close to the stream, but watch out for
the rocky ridge that points toward Grass Lake... too high and it
becomes cliffs. Anyway, this is a very scenic approach, with much
more snow than I saw in the Convict Lake drainage once I got to
the summit.
I wound up at my anticipated campsite around noon, so decided
to camp higher (11000+ near Little McGee Lake) where there are
no trees but plenty of soft windslab from which to cut snow
blocks. I built a snug wall around my bivy bag and settled in for a
nap just about when the wind kicked up. The next four hours
were fairly unsettling - clouds raced in from several directions
and wrestled directly overhead. They shredded each other and
regrouped for another wave of kamikaze attacks while a higher
layer darkened the sky. Oops? Nope. It was just a reminder who's
boss: the clouds slowed down and drifted away just about as it
got dark, but I had fair warning.
Friday (summit day) I was walking by 6am, at McGee Pass by
730, and on the summit of Red Slate by 9am. I wasn't going to
wait for the return of the clouds! It turns out, however, that I
could have left my skis in camp and taken only crampons. Dicey
icy on skis! I used skins and tried to stay off the edges, preferring
to go straight up the center of the drainage on heel blocks. There
was no sign of any avalanches anywhere along my route, but
there were some snowballs that had rolled off the rocks and made
hash of the upper slopes. From the pass to the summit I left the
skis and just kicked steps. Some places required two or three
hard kicks with plastic boots to get a firm foothold, but the
styrofoam would have been perfect for self-arrest had I slipped.
There will soon be a picture of the "ice cap" on the PCS website
(www.climber.org/pcs/Reports/), but for now it should suffice to
say that the register is somewhere under what looks like 5 to 10
feet of snowdrift. It should burn off quickly in the spring sun and
wind... Did I mention the wind? I climbed in three layers of
polypro and full coverage gortex, gloves, face mask, cap, and my
hood pulled tight around my face. It was windy, and it was below
freezing, but a spur of the summit ridge got me out of the wind
for close to an hour of gazing and relaxing. Once back down to
the saddle the clothes flew off and the late morning slush made
for an easy ski back to camp. I should repeat that there appears to
be NO avalanche danger in either the McGee or Convict
drainages, but that's just my observation (the steep cliffs are bare,
and the less steep ones don't have any slumps or slides).Use
caution
I saw some yo-yo-skier tracks, and two people had been in the
area on snowshoes, but no one was around while I was there.
Peaceful, mostly warm, no rain or snow, no traffic on the roads,
just what the doctor (uh, "wife") ordered. Stopping in Mammoth
for food and gas reminded me of what I had gone high to escape -
crowds and noise and impatient people.
-- Steve Eckert
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A Homeric Epic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not wanting to battle the brush described by Aaron Schuman in
the 1996 Steve Eckert led climb of Homer's Nose, Richard and I
decided to approach on dirt roads from the north. Here the East
Fork of the Kaweah crosses the Mineral King Road, avoiding the
brush as described by Mark Adrian. Despite the rather indelicate
title of Mark's report, the directions were detailed and accurate
except for one omission. That omission cost us three miles of
cross-country.
As Mark reported, the climb is extreme class one. If his
directions hadn't been so detailed, we would probably have spent
more time looking at the roads on the map and checking UTM
coordinates. What was missing from his narrative were two road
intersections. As a result, we took the wrong road fork, climbed
Salt Creek Ridge too early and traversed its entire length,
paralleling the dirt road below us which we discovered on the
way back.
Since the climb was 22 miles and began at 2500 feet, we decided
to do it as a two-day backpack, camping by a creek about 6 miles
from the trailhead. We left Santa Cruz at 6:00 a.m. and were on
the trail by 1:00 p.m. after issuing ourselves a self-permit at the
Foothills Visitor Center. At the lower elevations the redbuds were
in bloom and the wildflowers spectacular. There were many I had
never seen before: blue fiesta flower, purple Chinese houses, rosy
fairy lantern, two subspecies of common madia, whisker brush,
Indian warrior, and wally basket. And lots of old favorites such as
baby blue eyes, lupine, fiddle neck, poppies, penstemon, golden
brodiaea, western wallflower, and white ceanothus. It was a
glorious display.
As we climbed, we traversed several habitats: chaparral, oak
woodland, grey pine/sugar pine, ponderosa pine and finally red
fir at the 9023-foot summit. The snow level was at 7500 feet, but
we did not need the showshoes we carried. Few people climb
Homer's Nose. We were the first party this year. I think only three
groups had signed the register last year including Mark.
The historic aspects of the climb were very interesting: an old
logging camp surrounded by enormous sequoia stumps and a few
remaining living giants, and in another place, four circular bowls
carved in the granite bedrock, each about four feet in diameter
and at least a foot deep. What were they? Does anyone know?
They looked like acorn grinding mortars but much, much bigger.
The extra cross country slowed us down and, as a result, we spent
another night in camp. The next morning we hiked out just as the
road grading crew was erasing the critter register signed in the
wet weeks before by mother and baby bear, deer, mountain lion,
Douglas squirrel, coyote, and others.
-- Debbie Bulger
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A Knack for Tallac, The Rose Parade - May 15-16, 1999
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
We held a beginner spring snow-climbing trip to Lake Tahoe.
Hakan Yalcin, Tony Stegman, Mike Bowes, Scott Renfro, and
Greg Daggett participated, I co-led, and Charles Schafer led.
We car camped in the spacious and nearly empty Fallen Leaf
Lake national forest campground. Saturday morning, we drove
around the lake to the Stanford conference center, which became
our trailhead for Mt Tallac. Soon after we hiked up from the
6700' lake, we met continuous snow cover, at around 7000'. Since
the snow was still firm, Charles took the opportunity to introduce
walking in crampons. Mid- morning, we found a steep bowl with
a safe run-out, and spent an hour practicing ice axe self arrest in
all of its variations: face first, on our backs, etc. After lunch, we
shed the crampons and made a long grind up a snowy face, then
up the summit plateau to the 9735' mountaintop. The view of
Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe, ringed by white peaks, was
stunning. We met a snowboarder at the summit, and saw him
carve 'S' turns down a steep face. We descended quickly with
sitting glissades, plunge steps, and boot skiing.
Sunday, Tony went to do some hiking by the lakeshore, and the
rest of us paraded up to the opposite end of Lake Tahoe to climb
Mount Rose. We parked just below the pass on Nevada highway
431 at around 8800', and hiked into the backcountry on a snow-
covered dirt road. Although we were in a wilderness area, where
motorized vehicles were prohibited, there were at least a dozen
snowmobilers, deafening us and perfuming the mountain air with
their exhaust as they roared by. We turned cross-country up a
canyon on the south side of the mountain, crossed over to the
gentler north slope, and walked to the 10776' summit. We had a
close up view of Reno, and distant views all the way to Mt
Lassen and to the
Sweetwater Range. This peak had a snowboarder too. He chatted
with us a bit, took group photos of us with our cameras, fortified
his courage with a mixture of pot and some white powder, and
then leapt on his board and plunged down a 1500' natural half
pipe. We made a more stately descent. At the base of the
mountain, we strapped on our snowshoes to practice our
bowlegged waddle in the rapidly softening snow.
It was the first PCS weekend for Greg, Scott, Mike and Hakan,
and it was a successful introduction to Sierra Club climbing.
[Note: Technically, this wasn't a PCS trip, it was a private trip
that included some PCS members.] Charles and I welcome the
newcomers and wish them many more great climbs.
-- Aaron Schuman
Butch Suits Adds
Aaron,
I encourage you to report the violation of a wilderness area by
snowmobilers that you observed near Mt. Rose. The Nordic Voice
website has an online form for this (http://www.nordicvoice.org/);
writing a letter to the appropriate Forest Service Supervisor is
better (Toiyabe for Mt. Rose?).
I too saw evidence of abuse this last weekend: snowmobile tracks
in northern Yosemite National Park near Hawksbeak Peak. This
after seeing two snowmobiles in Dinkey Lakes Wilderness in
March.
Report all violations!
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Crevasse Rescue Practice
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"There's a rattlesnake!" Yes, a rattlesnake was the main safety
concern of 15 people who joined me at Rancho San Antonio
County Park on May 23 to practice crevasse rescue. Well, if you
don't have real crevasses, you need something to worry about.
The snake preferred a particular spot in the tall grass and thistles
near the oak tree we were practicing on, but stayed just far
enough away that we didn't risk stepping on him. This was
roughly the fifth straight year I've organized this, and once again
people came away with a newfound respect for the complexities
involved in both the self-rescue and team-rescue. Anyone want to
practice later in the year on a real glacier on Shasta?
-- Kelly Maas
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Unofficial Trips
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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.
*** Shasta Once Again
Peak: Mt. Shasta
Maps: Mt. Shasta USGS 7.5
Dates: June 26-27
Contact: George Van Gorden 408 779 2320
We will climb Shasta from the north side by either the Bolam
Glacier or the Hotlum-Bolum Ridge depending on members and
conditions. The Bolum Glacier would require roped travel. I could
be persuaded to try the Whitney Glacier, but this climb would
require on more day.
*** Broad Peak Expedition!
Peak: Broad Peak 26,400 ft
Dates: June-July 1999
Contact: Tom Masterson, masterst@ucsu.colorado.edu
phone, fax (303) 499-6363
250 31st Street, Boulder, CO 80303
We are a Boulder based group seeking to add 3-4 more members
to our June-July 1999 expedition to attempt the standard route on
Broad Peak.
This is a non-commercial, non-guided, non-profit expedition! Price-
wise, it is a great deal: Land costs should be about $3800, plus
airfare of 1200-1500. We want to put together a Colorado-based
team, so that we can climb together this winter & spring, get to
know each other and get used to climbing with each other.
Experience climbing over 20,000 ft very helpful. For more
information call Tom Masterson at 303 499-6363 or Mike Marsh at
303 499 3395.
*** Arrow Peak
Peak: Arrow Peak, Northeast Ridge, Class 3
Dates: July 3-5
Contacts: Kai Wiedman (650)347-5234.
Cecil Ann, cecilann@earthlink.net
John Moynier says Arrow Peak is a beautiful, symmetrical
mountain when viewed from nearby Bench Lake. Kelly Mass calls
it the best 3rd class climb he has done in the Sierra. The
Northeast Ridge is an ever narrowing, hideously exposed, knife
edge. We will go light and fast as we leave the desert floor to
climb to Taboose Pass with its breathtaking views. From here, our
adventure takes us to our camp at Bench Lake with its classic
view of Arrow Peak.
*** Castle Mountain, Colorado
Peak: Castle Mountain, 14,265
Dates: July 3-5 (Sat-Mon)
Contact: Bill Isherwood, isherwood2@llnl.gov
925-254-0739 (h), 925-423-5058 (w)
This is a class 2 climb up one of Colorado's beautiful 14'ers. The
plan would be to fly to Denver Friday evening, drive to the base of
the climb Saturday, make the climb on Sunday and stay overnight
in the Aspen area, returning to the Denver airport on Monday for
return home. Contact leader for coordination of travel plans.
*** Tower Peak
Peaks: Tower Peak (Class 3)
Dates: July 3 thru 5 Sat thru Mon (3 days)
Maps: Tower Peak & Pickel Meadow 7.5'
Contact: Charles Schafer, (408) 324-6003 (w)
cgschafer@lucent.com
This trip will expose us to some new and different views of the
area just north of Yosemite. Tower Peak is said to be the
northernmost Sentinel of the High Sierra, in that the character of
the range changes at about this point. It is the tallest peak in the
neighborhood, so the views from the summit should be great. It is
also rated as one of the Sierra classics, so it should be a very
satisfying, although not too difficult, climb. It is a long hike to get to
it (about 15 miles), which is why the trip is scheduled for three
days.
This should be a great trip, but you'll need a bit of class 3 climbing
experience to join us. Ice axe may be required.
*** Taboose: Climb-O-Rama '99
Peaks: Wynne, Pinchot, Pyramid, Striped, Goodale,
Cardinal, Ruskin, Pinchot, Marion, State,
Prater, and Observation
Dates: July 3-11 (Sat-Sun, July 4th week)
Leaders: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Bob Suzuki, bobszk@bigfoot.com
We're planning another Climb-O-Rama for peakbaggers who just
can't live with only one peak per day. This year's trip features
fewer campsites (we hope to spend two nights in the same place
several times) and more seldom visited peaks (probably including
some first ascents of the year) and you get at least one peak
every day, but the first one.
Editor's Note: This trip is full. However, a waiting list is being kept
so send in your name anyway.
*** Mt Sill
Peak: Mt Sill 14,162' Class 3, Map, USGS Mt Goddard 15
Dates: July 17, 18, 19, 1999
Contact: Bill Kirkpatrick, wmkirk@earthlink.net
(408) 279-3450, H(408) 293-2447
Co-contact: Ahmad Zandi, ahmad@zandi.com
(408) 616-5783 H (408) 255-4233
Secor says that Mt Sill " .has the best view from any summit in the
Sierra." We will climb from the southwest ridge. Leaving from
South Lake, we will backpack about 10 miles over Bishop Pass
and Thunderbolt Pass to camp in the Palisade Basin. To gain the
summit we will have to cross difficult terrain and climb about 4,000
feet. Use of ice axes and crampons may be required. This trip will
be a lot of grunt work, but worth the effort. Permit for six.
*** Ragged & Conness
Peak: Ragged Peak (10,912'), Mt. Conness (12,590')
Map: Tuolumne Meadows 15' topo, Class: 2-3
Dates: July 24-25 (Sat-Sun)
Contact: Bob Suzuki, w: 510-657-7555 >8pm: 408-259-0772;
bobszk@bigfoot.com
Bonnie Ruesch w: 408-795-1393 h: 408-997-8323,
BonnitaR@aol.com
Enjoy a moderate backpack hike from Tuolumne Meadows
to our basecamp at lower Young Lake; we'll bag Ragged
Peak on the way in. Sunday morning's ascent will reward
us with scenic vistas from the summit of Mt Conness.
Expect mosquitoes and bears. Ice axe maybe useful.
Note: Trip is full, but we will maintain a wait list.
*** Lucky Sevens: Mt. Ritter Annual Pilgrimage
Peaks: Mt. Ritter (13,150'), Banner Peak (12,900')
Dates: July 26-31, 1999
Contact: Alan Ritter, jar@storz.com
(314) 225-7600, x5362 (7:30 - 5:30 p.m. CST)
Reference: http://www.climber.org/pcs/Feature/Ritter1998/
Not being one to give up easily, I will make a lucky seventh
attempt at my namesake peak this summer. Trailhead date is
Monday, 26 July, at Agnew Meadows. We will hike in via the
Shadow Creek trail and camp near/above Ediza Lake (9,200').
From there, the climb will follow the same route as last year (sans
route-finding error!), via the Southeast Glacier and on to the
summit of Ritter. Summit day will involve about 3,500' of gain,
almost all class 2, perhaps a little low class 3 snow, depending on
conditions. Ice axe and crampons will be required. Time, weather,
and energy permitting, we will attempt neighboring Banner Peak
(12,900') one of the following days. Plan to return to Mammoth on
Friday, 30 July or Saturday, 31 July.
*** Palisade Crest
Peak: Palisade Crest 13520', Class 4
Dates: July 30- Aug 1
Contact: Peter Maxwell (408) 737 9770
We'll start off hiking the South Fork of Big Pine Creek, heading to
camp at Elinore Lake. The route up the peak will be the Northwest
Ridge, which leads off from Scimitar Pass. This is a class 4 peak
for experienced climbers only. The trip is private and participants
should be known to the organizer, or be able to be vouched for by
someone known to the organizer.
*** Bear Creek Spire
Peak: Bear Creek Spire (13,713 ft.), Northeast Ridge, Class 4
Dates: Sat. July 31 - Sun. Aug. 1
Maps: Mt. Morgan, Mt. Abbott, Mt. Hilgard
Contacts: Bob Suzuki, bobszk@bigfoot.com
W 408-259-0772, H 510-657-7555
Co-contact: Jim Ramaker, ramaker@vnet.ibm.com
W 408-463-4873, H 408-224-8553
People who climb this route rave about the exhilarating climbing,
great rock, and spectacular setting. We have room for one or two
more rope teams -- let us know if you're interested.
*** Colby Pass Cleanout
Peaks: Glacier Ridge (12416) Kern Point (12789)
Picket Guard (12302) Whaleback (11726)
Dates: July 30 - August 3 (Sat-Tue)
Contact: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
I'll be joining RJ Secor for part of his CMC trip, entering on my
own permit a week after he starts and exiting before he does.
Expect some high mileage days, and a bit of class 4 near the
summit of Glacier Ridge. Whaleback is class 3, the others are
class 2 with trail approaches to all of them. Since we're joining
another group mid-trip, schedules may change and everyone
should be comfortable without a formal leader.
*** School's Out
Peaks: Recess, Gabb, and Hilgard
Dates: Aug 13-16 (Fri-Mon)
Contact: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
A somewhat mellow west-side trip starting near Lake Edison. The
permit is full, but there is a short wait list if you want to get in line.
You could also get another permit and join us!
*** Agassiz & Winchell
Peaks: Agassiz (13,893'), Winchell (13,775') class 2,3
Maps: Big Pine, Mt Goddard 15' topo
Dates: August 28-29 (Sat-Sun)
Contact: Bob Suzuki, bobszk@bigfoot.com
w: 510-657-7555 >8pm: 408-259-0772
Nancy Fitzsimmons, Pkclimber@aol.com
w: 408-764-1761, h: 408-957-9683,
Last fall our attempt to climb these 2 magnificent peaks in the
Palisades never got beyond Sam Mack Meadow. Constant snow
almost from the trailhead encouraged us to save these high peaks
for another weekend. We'll try again this August.
A fast hike in to basecamp will be followed by an assault on
Agassiz via the class 2 south ridge. Sunday won't be easier. We'll
enjoy the classic east arete of Winchell, then backpack out to the
cars for a late return to the BA, hopefully, with fond memories of
two successful climbs.
*** Clarence King & Gardiner
Peaks: Clarence King and Gardiner.
Dates: Sept 3-6
Contact: Rick Booth, 408-354-7291
rick_booth@worldnet.att.net
Dee Booth, rdbooth@worldnet.att.net
Pack in from Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass and Glenn Pass
into Rae lakes and eventually into Sixty Lakes Basin. Estimated
distance is 10 miles. This is kind of a chug.
Clarence King has a fifth class summit block requiring a few
moves of about 5.4. Gardiner has a longish fourth-class summit
ridge.
Requirements: Both peaks require rope and modest rock climbing
skills. You should know my wife or me or know someone who
knows us. This is a private trip.
*** Capitol Peak, Colorado
Peak: Capitol Peak, Colorado (14,130')
Dates: Sept 4-6 (Sat-Mon)
Contact: Bill Isherwood, isherwood2@llnl.gov
925-254-0739 (h), 925-423-5058 (w)
This is a class 3-4 climb up one of Colorado's more difficult 14'ers,
noted for its exposed knife-edge ridge. The plan would be to fly to
Denver Friday evening, drive to the mountain and hike in to a high
camp on Saturday, make the climb on Sunday and hike out,
staying overnight in the Aspen area. We would return to the
Denver airport on Monday for return home. Roped climbing
experience required. Contact leader for coordination of travel
plans.
*** Needsaw, Hamtooth
Peaks: Needham (12467), Sawtooth (12343) class 2
Dates: Sep 18-19 (Sat-Sun)
Contact: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Depending on who signs up, we'll do the standard grunt to
Needham over the top of Sawtooth, or we'll skip Monarch Lake
and go directly to Needham (which might involve a bit of class 3
scrambling on an unscouted route). This area is great in the fall,
when the bugs are dead and the marmots have their fill of salt
bush (so your car doesn't look like a buffet). Needham could be
done as a very long day hike if you just want to join us on
Sunday's climb.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Sierra Guidebook, Second Edition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The new and improved edition of "Encyclopaedia Polemonia"
(the working title [for the book titled "The High Sierra: Peaks,
Passes, and Trails"]) is now in The Mountaineers' warehouse. It
is about a third bigger than the first edition, in a 7 x 8« format
(easier to photocopy onto 8« x 14 paper), with improved maps,
more and better photographs, and an index featuring named as
well as unnamed places. 432 pp.; $29.95. It should be available
in a week or two at better mountain shops and bookstores. And at
some pretty ordinary mountain shops and bookstores, too. If you
can't wait, order it direct from The Mountaineers' bookstore: 1-
800-284-8554.
-- RJ Secor
NOTE: RJ posted this note on the sierra-nevada@climber.org
email list, where you will also find trip reports and information
not included in the Scree due to space limitations.
Due to a mixup in communications, our errata page didn't make it
into this printing of Secor's book... but you can still check the
web for comments, updates, and corrections to this valuable
guide book:
http://www.climber.org/Secor/
(and yes, the page was sanctioned by the publisher and author -
see the URL above for a copy of the memo)
Please send submissions to "webmaster@climber.org", including
passages you think should be clarified and typos you might find
(like which summit of Seven Gables is higher).
Thanks in advance for helping make this a useful resource!
-- Steve Eckert
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The best backpacks are named for
national parks or mountain ranges. Steer
clear of those named for landfills
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BACK PAGE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scree is the monthly journal of the Peak Climbing Section
of the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter. Visit our website at
http://www.climber.org/pcs/
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Elected Officials
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Chair:
George Van Gorden / pcs-chair@climber.org
408-779-2320 home
830 Alkire Ave, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Vice Chair and Trip Scheduler:
Ron Karpel / pcs-scheduler@climber.org
650 594-0211 home
903 Avon Street, Belmont, CA 94002
Treasurer and Membership Roster (address changes):
Dee Booth / pcs-treasurer@climber.org
408-354-7291 home
237 San Mateo Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030
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Publicity Committee Positions
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Scree Editor:
Bob Bynum / pcs-editor@climber.org
510-659-1413 home
761 Towhee Court, Fremont CA 94539-7421
PCS World Wide Web Publisher:
Aaron Schuman / pcs-webmaster@climber.org
650-943-7532 home
223 Horizon Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043-4718
Publicity Chair:
Steve Eckert / pcs-listmaster@climber.org
650-508-0500 home
1814 Oak Knoll Drive, Belmont, CA 94002-1753
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Subscriptions and Email List Info
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Hard copy subscriptions are $10. Subscription applications and
checks payable to "PCS" should be mailed to the Treasurer so they
arrive before the last Tuesday of the expiration month. If you are
on one of the PCS email lists (either the sierra-nevada@climber.org
discussion list or the california-news@climber.org read-only list,
you have a free EScree subscription. For online info, send Email to
info@climber.org. EScree subscribers should send a subscription form
to the Treasurer to become voting PCS members at no charge. All
subscribers are requested to send a donation of $2/year to cover
operating expenses other than printing the Scree. The Scree is on
the PCS web site (as both plain text and Adobe Acrobat/PDF at
http://www.climber.org/pcs/Scree/Scree.html
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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 6/27/99.
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!