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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.
March, 2000 Vol. 34 No. 3
Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is Sunday 3/26/2000.
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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, March 14
Time: 8:00 PM
Program: To Be Determined
Directions: 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.
(PDF version has a drawn map here)
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Become A PCS Leader
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Why should you become a PCS trip leader?
Leading is a great way to give something back to the club that
taught you to climb.
Leading helps you polish your climbing skills in a way that
following never can.
Leading guarantees that there will be PCS trips going to the
destinations that you most desire.
How can you become a PCS trip leader?
Familiarize yourself with the requirements described in
http://www.climber.org/pcs/Binder/LeaderGuidelines.txt and
http://www.climber.org/pcs/Binder/Responsibilities.txt
Get your first aid certification, co-lead trips with current PCS
leaders, and send a letter of application to the chair of the
mountaineering committee.
Participate in PCS leader activities like leadership training hikes
and the annual spring trip-planning meeting.
But what if you're not a great mountaineer?
If you only ever lead beginner trips, you would still be doing a
service to the club and enjoying the personal benefits of PCS
leadership.
-- Aaron Schuman
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Mountaineering Leadership Course
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The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter is offering a four-weekend class
for people who want to lead mountaineering trips. The
Mountaineering Leadership Course features trip on rock and
snow as well as extensive classroom work on safety and trip
management. Cost is $100. The deadline to apply is March 8.
Prospective students should have made at least one rock trip with
ropes and one snow trip involving ice ax and crampons.
For more details, visit the Angeles Chapter Leadership Training
Web site at http://www.angeleschapter.org/ltc. Or send a self-
addressed, stamped envelope to LTC Registrar Ron Campbell,
21432 Dockside Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92646.
-- Ron Campbell
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Basic Backpacking Course
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Editor's Note: This is the finest backpacking course that I have
ever seen. Four years ago, I took the course so I can personally
recommend it. Even though I had been backpacking for 25 years
when I took the course, I learned many new things and perhaps
more important, made some new friends.
Date: Tuesday Evenings April 18 to June 6
Contact: Steve Stearns, 650-941-8676, Dan
Cobb, 650-631-9303, or Bob Bynum
510-659-1413, rfbynum@aol.com
Interested in learning how to backpack but don't know how
to get started? Done some backpacking but want to learn
the principles - what to buy, where to go, what to bring?
The Backpack Section's "Basic Backpacking Course" is for
you. The course includes seven two-hour classes covering
equipment, wilderness manners, mountain first aid, finding
your way and trip planning - and 3 backpack trips. The
course will help the participants choose the right
equipment. The discussion sessions will be held in the Palo
Alto area on successive Tuesday nights from April 18
through June 6, 6:30-8:30 PM. The field trips dates are:
May 6 and 7; May 20 and 21; and June 3 and 4 (drive up
evening of June 2). The first trip is to a local park, the
second will be a bit more remote (e.g. Ventana or Henry
Coe Park) and the third will be to the Sierra, snowpack
permitting. The trips are open to class members only, and a
person must go on one of the first two trips to qualify for
the Sierra trip. The class is limited to 40 people on a first-
come basis. An adult must accompany anyone under 18
years of age. The cost of the course is $75 per person
including books. The class proceeds are donated to
conservation and trail maintenance groups.
To enroll, send your name, address, and home & work
phone numbers to:
Basic Backpacking Course
2960 Monte Cresta Drive
Belmont, CA 94002
Enclose a check for $75 payable to "Backpack Section - Loma
Prieta Chapter". Also enclose a stamped, self-addressed, legal-
size envelope so we can mail you the
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2000 Advance Trip List
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This is the list of trips planned for Spring and Summer. Please do
not contact the leaders until the trips are announced in the "Scree"
or on the broadcast list.
-- Dee Booth
DATES PEAKS LEADERS
MARCH
12 Tinker Knob Aaron Schuman
12 Tinker Traverse Steve Eckert
19 Round Top Arun Mahajan, Adrienne Van Gordon
APRIL
1 Mt Diablo Bob Suzuki & Rex Jennett
5, 8-9 Rock Climbing Class Ron Karpel
8-9 Sawtooth Peak and Spanish Needle Aaron Schuman
21-23 Siretta, Rockhouse, Taylor Dome, Sawtooth Bob Suzuki & Joe Budman
29-30 Baker or Adams(Washington) Steve Eckert
MAY
6-7 Mt Lassen & Borkeoff Peak Ron Karpel
6 Mt Lassen George Van Gorden
7 Leadership Training Kelly Maas
13-14 Split and Prater Steve Eckert
27-29 Feather Peak Kai Weidman
27-29 Mt Shasta, Bolam Glacier George Van Gorden
JUNE
3-4 Mt Shasta Sargent's Ridge Kai Weidman
10-11 Lola & Donner or Castle Aaron Schuman & Pat Ibbetson
10-11 Gilbert & Johnson Dee Booth
10-11 Morrison &Bloody Bob Suzuki & Sam Wilke
16-19 Thomson & Powell Bob Suzuki
23-25 Mt Shasta Avalanche Gulch No Leader
24-28 TBD in the Rockies (CMC exchange trip) Steve Eckert
JULY
5-8 Mt. Rainerr Camp Hazard/Kautz Glacier Ron Karpel & George Van Gorden
8-9 Four Gables Debbie Benham & Chris Macitosh
14-16 Muah & Cartago Bob Suzuki & Rich Leiker
22-23 Dana & Gaylor Debbie Benham &Chris Macintosh
22-23 Mt Hoffman Joan Marshall & Nancy Fitzsimmons
28-31 Mt Whitney & Mt. Russel Ron Karpel
29-8/6 Climb-o-rama, Mt Stanford & Mt. Erricson Area Bob Suzuki & Steve Eckert
AUGUST
5-7 Mt Lamark, Goethe & Pilot Knob Aaron Schuman
8-9 Bear Creek Spire & Mt Dade Aaron Schuman
10-11 Mt Baldwin & Bloody Peak(day hikes) Aaron Schuman
12-13 Iron Mountain & San Joaquin Mt(day hikes) Aaron Schuman
14-15 Boundary Peak Alan Ritter
16-20 Mt Whitney Alan Ritter
19-20 Mt. Humphreys East Ridge Bob Suzuki & Nancy Fitzsimmons
SEPT
2-4 Highland Peak Aaron Schuman
2-4 Sawtooth, Needham, Vandever, Florence Bob Suzuki & Joan Marshall
9-10 Excelsior, & Warren(day hikes) Joe Budman
15-17 University, Kearsarge, & Independence Bob Suzuki & Joan Marshall
23-24 Blackhawk Aaron Schuman
OCT
28 Leavitt & Disaster Aaron Schuman
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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.
*** Tinker Knob
Peak: Tinker Knob, 8949 ft, class 1 snowshoe/ski trip
Date: Sunday, March 12, 2000
Leaders: Aaron Schuman, aaron_schuman@yahoo.com,
Arun Mahajan, arun@tollbridgetech.com
Tinker Knob is a rounded hump of a peak in the Tahoe National
Forest. It can be approached either from Sugar Bowl or from
Squaw Valley. The PCS group will do a there-and-back trip from
one of the ski resorts.
On the same day another group will do a one way ski traverse
with a car shuttle.
*** Mt Diablo
Peak: Mt. Diablo (3,849')
Date: April 1, 2000
Leader: Bob Suzuki rsuzuki@dspt.com H: 408-259-0772
Co-leader: Rex Jennett datsrex@netzero.net H: 650-961-1618
Description: Bag this desirable peak and enjoy a 17 mile loop and
panoramic views in this East Bay park. Wear boots if trails are
muddy. Heavy rain cancels.
Co-listed with the Day Hiking Section.
Carpool Time: 7:00 AM
Carpool Location: Cubberly High (Middlefield & Montrose) in Palo Alto
Time at Trail head: 8:00 AM
Trail head location: Macedo Ranch at end of Green Valley Road in Danville
*** Rock Climbing Practice
Dates: Tue. April 4th (evening session), Sat. April 8th
(practice), Sat. April 15th (backup date)
Leaders: Ron Karpel, Kelly Maas, Rick Booth
Contact: Ron Karpel, email: ronny@karpel.org (W)510-771-3231
This is a restricted outing of the Sierra Club. To participate, you
must be a Sierra Club Member. Participants must be experience
on class 3 terrain and will be required to use a helmet.
Our practice will emphasize safe rock climbing using rock
climbing gear. The goal is to cover the kind of rock climbing
situations one might encounter during mountaineering in the
Sierra Nevada. We will practice climbing rock routes of class-4
and easy class-5 (up to about 5.4) levels. Participants will train in
general use of ropes, tying knots, using harnesses, using
protections devices, setting anchors, using slings and biners,
providing belay to leaders top rope belay to followers, tying in to
a belay station, using belay devices, and practice rappelling. We
do not intend to train in leading rock climbing.
The theory session will take place in a suitable location in the
Bay Area (the Peninsula Conservation Center is one option). The
practice itself will take place in the Pinnacles National
Monument.
*** Ohlone Traverse
Peak: Conditioning hike
Date: April 8
Leaders: Cecil Anison cecilann@earthlink.net (408)395-4525,
Vreni Rau, (510)582-5578
Please come with us for a 20 mile hike from Del Valle to Sunol.
With multicolored carpets of wildflowers, the Ohlone Wilderness
Area is in its finest form. We hope to smell some of them along
the way by hiking at a moderate pace. A key-exchange will make
this a one-way trip.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Last weekend a climber took a bad fall off +
+ Half Dome, crushing half his body. His left +
+ arm and left leg were both amputated. +
+ But don't worry, he's all right now. +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Mt. Silliman - Saturday, January 22, 2000
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We made excellent time leaving the bay area and arrived at the
Lodgepole campground in less than 5 hours on Friday. Saturday
morning the sky was clear and we started at 830.
There were others who camped nearby who also set off to ice
climb, though it seemed too warm (the river was flowing).
The trail was easy to follow even with a few inches of snow
(mostly ice), and we saw many footprints of recent travelers.
After 2-2.5 miles we turned right to walk up the river, while the
footprints continued up the trail. A faint use trail was visible in
places that had no snow.
Around the 8000-foot level we put on instep crampons to make
the going a little easier on the hard snow/ice. The correct thing to
do would have been to keep following the river and follow the
right fork once it splits. Then go up to Silliman Lake, but we
were veering more and more to the right of the river to make the
going less of a bushwhack, and foolishly decided to climb up to
the ridge. This turned out to be very steep and hard snow at the
top, but once we got up to the ridge it was quite easy.
Eventually we got to the part of the ridge directly across from
Silliman and we realized that to follow this ridge all the way to
the summit would involve many more steep ups and downs. But
the descent to Upper Silliman lake looked equally steep and
treacherous with the thick ice layer. Around this time the wind
started howling and clouds began to fly by overhead.
We followed the ridge for another hour and found a snowy slope
down to the upper lake (in the summer this would probably be
class 3 but the hard snow made it much easier). From here it was
a quick snowshoe to the summit in the soft mushy afternoon snow
(1-2 feet on the ground).
As we got to the summit all clouds disappeared and the wind
stopped, giving us incredible views in all directions. The
Kaweahs looked especially striking. Even more incredible was
the sea of clouds that lay below us to the west at the ~6500 foot
level from which tops of peaks stuck out! Bakersfield and the
whole central valley had a completely foggy day while the peaks
were in the sun.
After digging out the register, I noticed that many of the pages
seemed to be eaten by mice/rats/marmots/hungry hikers?! The
canister looked intact. It was left open in the summer.
We were the first group on the summit in 2000, and after taking
many photographs we didn't start down until 3:45.
From the upper lake we followed the course of the river to where
it splits and followed that back down to the trail. We made it to
the campground at 6 just as night fell. If we had followed this
route up, it would have taken only 3-4 hours (6 miles, 4500 feet
gain). Sunday the plan was to do Alta, but the weather Gods
foiled those plans.
After some photography in the sequoia groves we took off when
the snowfall became really heavy. We escaped from the snowy
part of the road minutes before chain requirements were posted -
one in every 3 cars that we saw driving out had crashed into the
rocks or trees alongside the road.
The relatively short mileage and mild slopes (if you go up the
easy way!) make Silliman a really good winter dayhike. If you
have time to go up to one of the highpoints on the ridge on the
other side of the lake, you also get a good view of the area
between Silliman and Alta Peak/Pear Lake, which is obstructed
from the real summit.
-- Joe Budman and Alex Kuperman
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Kilimanjaro 2000 - Jan 17-23, 2000 (summit Jan 22nd)
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At the bottom is a list of participants, several URLs to other
reports from our group, the URL where you can mail order a good
topo map, the email address of our guide/hotel, and GPS
waypoints for some points along the route. I was frustrated by a
lack of solid info about a climb that has thousands of people on it
every year, so please forgive my overuse of numbers in the report
that follows. Also beware "the tyranny of a single data point",
since conditions and weather patterns that we encountered may
not be typical.
We had an overnight layover in Amsterdam and two nights in
Tanzania before the climb. That was long enough for several of us
to start having cold, flu, and GI tract problems... no surprise
when you cross 11 time zones and eat unusual food after washing
your hands with water that is unsafe to drink. (I know, the guides
are fond of saying that all the water is just fine, but a bunch of us
got sick anyway.)
Already popping Cipro pills, and after two nights in the Marangu
Hotel (4700', waypoint MARHOT), we bounced up a very dusty
road to the Machame trailhead (6200', waypoint MACHTH)
where we all signed in and ate lunch. It was all uphill to the
Machame Hut camp (10200', waypoint MACHAM) with some
mud deep and sticky enough to remove Rebecca's shoe. (Did I
mention she was hiking in running shoes because the brace
around her stress-fractured-ankle hurt in hiking boots?)
One of our duffels showed up late to camp the first day, and we
never saw that porter again. For the rest of the climb, our tent
was up and our duffels were waiting by the time we got into
camp. I had brought my own Sierra Designs expedition tent,
wanting something more sturdy and roomy than the standard
trekking tents Marangu provides, and it was always an adventure
to see how the complicated poles were rigged since the porters
had never seen a tent like this before. None of the "huts" on this
route are what you could call climbing huts - they were used for
cooking only by other groups, and we were seldom camped
within sight of them. The first campsite was near treeline, and
featured a stagnant pool of drinking water that made those who
brought water filters glad we had them. My 4 micron pre-filter
clogged every two quarts, and needed frequent backflushing, but
did protect the main filter element.
Day 2 dawned damp but clear, and we headed up the steeper trail
as the temps dropped and the clouds built in. By noon, our group
was well spread out. Those of us at the back could no longer see
the front when they stopped for lunch and hot tea, so my plan to
light a Twinkie and have the whole group sing for my wife's
birthday fell apart. By the time we reached camp (2:30pm) it was
starting to sprinkle and my (unrefrigerated? 2 day old?) beef
sandwich lunch was exploding in my gut, so I skipped dinner in
what turned out to be the low point of the trip for me health-wise.
I managed to drag myself out of the tent and present the "birthday
cake" twinkies (with 39 wooden matches standing in for candles),
but mostly tried to sleep it off.
Shira Camp is at 12800' (waypoint SHIRAH), but we hit 13000'
that day as the trail popped up onto the plateau. GREAT scenery
here, by the way, with scrub brush and moss on the rocks but no
streams except the murky one in camp. The experts say you're
supposed to gain 1000 to 1500 feet per day to avoid altitude
sickness. We stayed at 4500', 10000', and then 13000'. People
weren't feeling all that great, and we were looking forward with
false hopes to an easier third day.
Day 3 saw us leaving camp as much earlier clouds started to
form. Overnight temps had been in the 20s (F), and threading our
way along sandy paths between volcanic boulders was a sharp
contrast to the jungle that was behind us. The Cipro was working
(both on my GI problem and my bronchial infection?), and I
selected a spot near the back of the group to establish a plodding
but sustainable pace. Rebecca had never been over 10000' before,
so every step was a new personal altitude record... and an
exercise in pacing herself.
Seamus had said there was a 15.5k pass, but I think it was more
like 15k. Actually, there were two or three cold ridges to cross in
the blowing fog-clouds, each adding to the day's gain, before we
dropped steeply down to Barranco Camp at 13200' (waypoint
BARNCO). Along the way we saw our only good clear-water
stream of the trip, and I pumped a couple quarts of cold water as
we relaxed in the sun before waking up the guide and finishing
the day.
Day 4, and we're losing people. Betty had turned back after the
first day, and now Leanne and Dixie were headed out via the
Umbwe Trail - as much to avoid climbing "the wall" out of
Barranco as anything else. The trail climbs steeply up a cliff face,
looking very exposed from below, and there are one or two places
where hands should be used. The maps are all wrong here, since
the trail climbs in and out of valleys where the map shows a level
traverse.
We did 1200' of climbing, 1400' of dropping, and wound up in the
Karanga Valley (13000', waypoint KARANG) where our guide
wanted to spend the night even though we had all paid extra for a
layover day at high camp. Continuing up to Barafu Camp
involved 2400' of additional gain and would take us over 15000',
but staying in Karanga meant we'd have only half a night at high
camp before the summit. We were told there was no place to
camp between the valley and high camp, but that was not true.
We walked by several areas that were flatter than our site at
Barafu. Since all the water had to be carried up from the valley to
high camp, stopping somewhere halfway up would have been
easier on the porters.
But wait, there's MORE! The group voted to stay in Karanga
Valley, as our guide requested, but someone in the other lunch
tent started a stampede and we headed up the trail shortly after
voting not to. I still haven't gotten anyone to tell me what
happened in the other tent, but someone there should have a role
in presidential politics! As an added bonus, it started raining just
after we started walking, and the rain slowly turned into snow
which accumulated on us and the ground as we lost sight of each
other and plodded our way up the hill. Jeff stayed behind with
altitude sickness, probably enhanced by a chest infection or the
flu setting in.
Enrique arrived at Barafu way before the rest of us, and was
astonished to find the porters (some dressed in thin cotton, no
gloves, bad shoes) huddled under rock outcroppings to stay out of
the still-falling snow. The guides, needing them to set up camp,
threw handfulls of dirt and snow up under the overhangs to drive
out the porters. As our climbers arrived, several were
hypothermic (one took her temperature to check, another just got
thrown into his sleeping bag). We should have stayed in the
valley. It wasn't a very fun afternoon, and the long day probably
stopped a couple of people from climbing the peak.
[Weinstein comments on this report: "I don't agree with your
opinions or observations regarding staying at the Karanga valley.
I believe the number of people who made the crater, and the
relative health of those people (Ray aside), speaks for the
correctness of the decision to respect our original itinerary, and
the height of the mountain. In any case, most everyone seemed to
enjoy the vacation and to complete it safely. In the final analysis,
that's all that matters."]
Day 5 was a layover day at Barafu (15300', waypoint BARAFU).
Some people did an afternoon hike about 1000' higher, but most
of us laid around in our tents. Some had headaches that lasted the
entire time we were at high camp, the result of climbing too fast
too soon. Others were having GI problems, and I think a few
tossed it, but I just read my book and tried to keep drinking
fluids. Jeff showed up after all, but didn't feel well even though
his climb had been broken into two days.
Summit Day! Up at 11pm, walking at midnight, our guides set a
pace so slow that even the sick among us could keep up. They
kept us in a tight group for quite a while, but as various people
turned back each of them took a guide with them. Others who
weakened had a guide assigned to them (carrying day packs, in
some cases steadying them as they climbed). As we climbed, it
started to snow again: This was good news and bad news! It was
far degrees warmer than just a few nights before, when climbers
reported below-zero (F) temps, and the thin skiff of snow which
collected on the ground reflected the full moon so we could see
better. On the other hand, the wind and high humidity really
made the 15F temp feel much colder. I had my baffled gore-tex
down parka and expedition mitts on, and was not overly warm.
This is the first time I've used chemical handwarmers in those
mitts when it was above zero (F), and I've never buttoned up the
down coat while climbing (not even on Denali's summit!). I was
not at my best, still fighting off variousailments and afflictions,
but pacing myself was easy on the mostly-dirt trail.
As dawn approached, we were within sight of Stella Point. The
group took almost no rest breaks, but I was stopping on my own
to fiddle with boots and gloves, and to tank as much water as I
could. (Seamus said not to drink more than a quart, and we were
provided nothing to eat for the 10+ hour summit climb, but I
sloshed down 2 quarts of water and about 1500 calories of snacks
brought from home.) A short sprint to the crater rim (waypoint
STELLA) allowed some sunrise photos INTO the crater, plus a
nice sunrise shot of the rest of the group. It was about a 45
minute stroll over to the high point on low-angle trail from there
to the high point (waypoint UHURUP, 19.3k).
As far as I can tell, Kilimanjaro refers to the entire mountain with
many summits, Kibo refers to the highest volcano which is part of
Kilimanjaro, and Uhuru Peak is the high point on the rim of the
Kibo crater. Our arrival at Stella Point put us between Gillman's
Point, where the standard route reaches the rim, and Uhuru.
By Stella Point, our group was mixed with others and we had no
idea how many had turned back. At the summit, we thought about
12 people had made it. As we headed down some time later, we
were surprised to pass several of our group still ascending (in all,
20 out of 30 made it all the way to Uhuru). At least one of the
late arrivals was unresponsive, not looking at me or
acknowledging my greeting, but no one keeled over and died.
Does that mean we were safe, or that we got away with it? Ray
turned back at Stella after his vision started to go - later
examination suggests it was early cerebral edema, with the vision
problems caused by a burst blood vessel in the eye. His vision
returned in a day or two, but it was frightening to know that he
could not descend on his own even after a rest in Barafu.
The descent back to camp went very quickly, aided by guides who
knew where to charge down sandy chutes and where to cross rock
ribs. Generally the return route stayed north of the ascent route
between Stella and Barafu. We relaxed in camp until the last
people returned (several hours later), then headed down the
Mweka Trail. From sand to rocks to mud, it was a damn long way
down to our final camp (waypoint D6CAMP, which may or may
not be the Mweka Hut at about 10000'). We passed one hut along
the way, where people offered us water, but continued to the
lower camp where you can buy beer. It rained within minutes of
the last person reaching camp, but no one cared.
NOTE: Waypoints&pictures are in the web version of this report:
http://www.climber.org/TripReports/2000/kilimanjaro.html
-- Steve Eckert
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Traipsing Around Tucson 2000
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In February, Gretchen and I traveled to Tucson, Arizona so that
she could exhibit her mineral collection at The Tucson Gem and
Mineral Show, the largest show of its kind in the world. While in
Tucson, we went on several hikes in the area. In the March 1999
Scree, I gave a trip report on three hikes I took last year. This
year I had to do get out and do some hiking. While the Sierra is
socked in with snow pack, Tucson is enjoying temperatures in the
upper 70's.
Waltzing up Wasson
Thursday, February 10, 2000
Mt Wasson at 4687 Ft is the highest peak in the Tucson
Mountains, the range that borders the city to the west. The
trailhead starts at about 2800 Ft and the distance to the top is 4.6
miles. We started at 10:27 AM and I summited at 1:02 PM.
Gretchen summited 10 minutes later. We left the summit 35
minutes later at 1:37 PM. One interesting feature at both the head
of the trail and close to the summit was a logbook where we
signed our names, city, time of entry, time of exit on return, and
whether we had water. This is a good idea from a safety
standpoint so that rangers can know where to look if a person is
missing We took a slower pace so that we would not become
dehydrated in the desert sun. We wanted to conserve our energy
and our water. We arrived back at the car at 4:30 PM.
The trail and Wasson Peak is located in the western section of the
Saguaro National Park. Here you see an exceptional display of
the giant Saguaro Cacti as you climb the peak. Saguaro cacti can
grow as tall as fifty feet, live to as old as 150 years, and weigh as
much as eight tons. Here you can see the cacti in all stages of
growth ranging from tiny plants a few inches tall to 30-foot giants
with as many as eight arms. The cacti grow straight up like a
narrow pole until they reach seventy-five years in age. Then they
will sprout their characteristic arms, which first appear as tiny
buds.
Although Wasson's 4687-foot summit is nowhere close to the
elevation of the 12000-14000 footers where we hike in the Sierra,
it is still a very respectable peak climb offering spectacular views
of Tucson and the surrounding area. We have to ask ourselves
why climb a peak in the first place. Do we climb to see what
elevation we can achieve? Do we do it for exercise? Do we climb
to see the scenery along the way? Do we climb for the great
views? For me personally, I climb for all of these reasons. Even
thought this peak is a relatively low peak, it still offers all aspects
of class 1 climbing. Also I enjoy seeing different plant life. The
Sonora Desert is like no other place on earth.
-- Bob Bynum
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Tinker Knob - Saturday February 19, 2000
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After getting back from Tinker Knob last week, I saw that both a
ski tour and a snowshoe trip there are planned for March, so we
probably should have climbed a different peak... Anyway, hope
this helps people going to that area soon:
We started on the little turnout from 89 south marked O8/Pole
Creek. A few skiers and snowshoers had been on this road in the
previous days, but there were still lots of powder and snowshoes
became necessary almost immediately as the sun came out and
the temperature climbed.
The road is quite curvy in places (we stayed on O8 - a few other
roads branch from it) but gets you up to 8000' quite fast. It took
us about 2 and a half hours to get to the brand new Bradley Hut,
which is apparently open for free for the public.
We saw many ski turns on Silver Peak and surrounding slopes,
but no skiers. We went up to the pass in the ridge just to the right
of peak 8597', which was very heavily corniced, as were many
parts along the ridge. Besides the possibility of those sliding, the
avalanche danger seems to be fairly low in this area once a few
sunny days help consolidate the snow...
We dropped about 500' from the main crest (the slopes are much
steeper higher up), meeting what must have been the PCT since
we followed a pretty well-cleared path through the trees to the
plateau 200' below Tinker Knob. There was a group of about 30
skiers taking a class from some guiding company, so the summit
wasn't too quiet that day! Views in all directions were
nevertheless excellent.
I originally had the overly ambitious plan of traversing to Granite
Chief, but the powder had made the going slower. The traverse
seems to involve plenty of elevation loss and gain - many of the
peaks along the way have very steep summits and shoulders, so
it's probably easier to follow the PCT route approximately.
Any skiers going there this winter might be interested/amused by
a HUGE ski jump that was built about 1/4 mile west of the
summit, at the edge of the summit plateau area. It's hard to
exaggerate how big it is, and the slope a few feet out increases to
well over 45 degrees!
No matter how much new snow falls this winter, I'm sure this
jump will remain visible. If you dig out the middle, you'll have a
snow cave with room for a small army.
-- Joe Budman
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Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were on a camping trip.
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They had gone to bed and were lying there looking up
at the sky. Holmes said,
"Watson, look up. What do you see?
"Well, I see lots of stars."
"And what does that mean to you?"
"Well, I guess it means we will have a nice day
tomorrow.
"What does it mean to you, Holmes?"
"To me, it means someone has stolen our tent."
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Private 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 Tinker, And Beyond!
Peaks: Mt Judah (8243), Mt Lincoln (8383), Anderson Pk (8683),
Tinker Knob (8949), Granite Chief (9006)
Rating: "Class 2" snow, no ice axe or crampons
Date: Sun, Mar 12
Contact: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
This is a ski traverse over intermediate terrain, timed to coincide
with another group's snowshoe trip. We'll start together, and the
snowshoers will return from Tinker Knob while the skiers complete
the traverse from Sugar Bowl to Squaw Valley. If we have time for
Granite Chief at the end of the day, there will be one black
diamond run and we'll finish on groomed slopes. With GC, it's
close to 15 miles and 5000' of gain, but there are ways we can
shorten it (like taking the ski lift to start, and skipping GC.)
*** Roustabouts Roundabout Roundtop
Peak: Roundtop
Date: March 19, 2000
Details: Roundtop, 10,381 feet, snow/winter
Contacts: Arun Mahajan arun@tollbridgetech.com,
(w)408-585-2114, (h)after 9 pm: 650-327-8598
Adrienne Van Gorden, 831-728-2160
The locals of the quaint town of Jackson, Ca, pick daffodils and
dandelions this day to herald the arrival of spring. Paying no heed
to this mushy stuff, we gnarly souls from the PCS will attempt to
climb Roundtop in snowshoes or skis with axes and crampons on
the ready for the final summit ridge. Meet at 8 am at the Carson
Pass snowpark on Sunday the 19th of March (remember to get a
snow park permit else face the hefty fine). Snowshoes or skis for
the approach and axe and crampons for the summit ridge needed.
Basic ability to use axe/crampons a must. Get adequate warm and
windproof winter clothing and footwear. We should be back to the
cars by 3pm.
*** Waddell Beach to Saratoga Gap/Highway 35
Date: May 13, 2000
Time: Before Daylight
Contact: Joan Marshall (jmarshal@legato.com or eves. 408-972-8222)
Claire Marshall (clairem14@excite.com)
Bonnie Ruesch bruesch@worldnet.att.net
Bob Suzuki (408-259-0772 rsuzuki@dsptlg.com)
Details: Rated 6E, 28 miles, approx. 4,500 ft. gain
Hike may take twelve hours, depending on how much partying and
lollygagging goes on. Many of you have done this hike downhill,
but how about UPHILL? Some of us crazies would like to try it.
But, we will need help and lots of planning to make it work. That's
why the notice is going out SO early! It would be fun to organize
another group of hikers going down, (those who have to work on
getting the knees in shape) to meet the Uphill Crazies somewhere
in the middle for dessert and drinks. Also, looking for kind souls
willing to volunteer to shuttle these sick, sick, people to Waddell
Beach at an ungodly hour in the morning, or shuttle them back to
Waddell Beach in the evening. Leaders are working on some sort
of reimbursement, but right now the reward is good Karma. All
participants must sign up, and be experienced day hikers.
*** Spring Split Break
Peaks: Split Mtn (14,042), Mt Prater (13,471)
Rating: "Class 3" snow, ice axe & crampons but no rope
Dates: Sat-Sun, May 13-14
Contact: Steve Eckert, eckert@climber.org
Get high this spring! People seem to like the 14ers, so I've agreed
to go back to Red Lake (10500) and bag Split from the east side.
We should have steep hard snow, not the rubble you'll find here in
the summer, so you must be comfortable with self arrest and
crampon techniques. If time allows, we'll get Prater on the way
back from the saddle between them. If you haven't been to Prater,
beware the 10' knife edge that pushes the Class 2 rating.
*** Feather Peak
Peak: Feather Peak (13,242 ft.), Class:4 snow
Date: May 27-29
Contact: Kai Wiedman, (650)347-5234
Feather Peak is a striking landmark dominating the Royce Lakes
basin. As a climbers' peak, known not only for its isolation but for
its difficulty by any route, it has earned the respect of many a
Sierra climber. We will attempt the North Couloir featured in the
book "Sierra Classics."
*** Mt Shasta
Peak: Mt. Shasta 14,162 ft.,Class: 2/snow
Date: June 3-4
Contact: Kai Wiedman (650)347-5234
Co-Contact: Cecil Anison cecilann@earhlink.net
Mt. Shasta is a climbers' mountain, singular in its magnificence.
Sargent's Ridge will be an airy, challenging route with steep
traverses and mixed climbing. Please join us on this exhilarating
adventure.
*** Mt. Shasta via Avalanche Gulch
Date: June 23 - 25, 2000
Details: Mt. Shasta, 14,161 feet, class 2/snow
Contacts: Joan Marshall jmarshal@legato.com
Beginners Trip. No Leader.
Backpack. Details to come later. Trip limited to six.
*** San Benito County Peaks
Peaks: Laguna Mountain & others in San Benito County
Date: No set date
Contact: Bill Hauser, 408-243-4566
Bill Hauser is looking for people to climb San Benito County Peaks.
*** Nepal
Peak: Chulu West, 20,500 ft.
Date: October, 2000
Contact: Warren Storkman, 650-493-8959, dstorkman@aol.com
Climb or Trek, We'll combine both for the ultimate adventure. The
trekking peak is Chulu West, 20,500ft. Its rating classifies it as
moderate-difficult. Chulu West is on the Annapurna circuit, north
of the village of Braga. After the climb we pass over the Thorung
La Pass (17,700 ft) Our walk down to beautiful Muktinath brings
us to a Hindu religious setting. You'll see many older Indians from
India who made this arduous jouney. Most of the older people
consider this visit the fulfillment of their religious life. Before
reaching Jomson Airport, there will be a side trip to Kagbeni, a
village that lost its way in time. It's a 19 day trek from Besisahar,
return from Jomson
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THE BACK PAGE
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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:
Rick Booth / pcs-chair@climber.org
408-354-7291 home
237 San Mateo Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Vice Chair and Trip Scheduler:
Dee Booth / pcs-scheduler@climber.org
408-354-7291 home
237 San Mateo Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Treasurer and Membership Roster (address changes):
Bill Kirkpatrick / pcs-treasurer@climber.org
408-293-2447 home
435 N. Second St. #217, San Jose CA 95112
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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-pub-chair@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/index.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 3/26/2000.
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!