From Aug 6th to 11th Hiking-n-stuff embarked on an epic journey to the east side of the high Serra to climb one of California’s 14ers; Middle Palisade, at 14,012 feet, is the highest several members of the group have ever been. On Wednesday August 6th we drove over Monitor pass and down highway 395, to the famous Whoa Nellie Deli for lunch and some mango margaritas. We stopped in Bishop to pick up our permits and turned onto Glacier Lodge Road in Big Pine. The latecomers from the Bay Area contacted us via radio and we were all in camp by 10pm. We grabbed a nice car camping site next to a small creek filled with brook trout, and a camp fire and some wine rounded out a surprisingly relaxing day.
The next morning on Thursday August 7th, we packed up our gear and began the approach to our base camp near the mountain. At the end of Glacier Lodge Road we took the South Fork of the Big Pine Creek into the John Muir Wilderness toward Brainerd Lake. Leaving the trail at a shallow unnamed lake we ventured up to Finger Lake, our home for the next few days. We found a well used campsite above the lake, and the old Middle Palisade Summit register on the ground. It was dated 1934 from the Serra club, most likely bought down and replaced when its lid broke. Some left over thunder storms from the days before sprinkled on us in the evening, and the wind picked up during the night.
Our route up the Middle Palisade
On Friday August 8th, we went for a day hike in order to scout out a route for our final summit push. Just days before, Adam had purchased new hiking boots and they produced massive open blisters on both his heels during the hike in the previous day. Adam opted for sandals from this point forward and his successful summit was then in jeopardy, as it was not the distance but the terrain to worry about. The approach from Finger Lake to the beginning of the actual climbing was still in question and our scouting hike greatly helped to make a final decision. The SummitPost.org route page stated “You cannot climb to the south end of Finger Lake along the shore” so we attempted to gain elevation early and head along the east side of Finger lake around to the tarns (small glacial lakes) above. The other option would be the west side of the lake up the slabs mentioned in the route page. We reached the glacier via some small snow chutes using crampons and ice axes, but were too tired to actually climb on the glacier after we reached it. We split into two groups on the way down and one group, after glissading down the snow fields, attempted to traverse the shoreline of Finger Lake to look for a faster approach route. We found a well used trail skirting the lake shore and leading right back to our camp, this would become the approach route for our final summit push.
On Saturday August 9th we decided a rest day was in order after the approach and our scouting hike, since all of us needed some rest, especially Adam’s feet. The extra day above 10,700 feet also helped everyone acclimate to the higher elevations before attempting the summit. We spent the day bouldering (rock climbing problems close to the ground) and free soloing (climbing without a rope) on the numerous routes we found around Finger Lake. Adam gained some much needed experience climbing class 4 and 5 in sandals, and he felt much more confident about our push to the summit of Middle Palisade. Some went swimming while others drank booze and rested around camp. We spoke with our neighbors who had come up for the weekend; they attempted the summit and had failed that day. We gained valuable information about the route when they returned, but more importantly, their group was now off the route and we would have it to ourselves. With six people in our group and lots of loose rock, the greatest danger becomes your partners and the rocks they dislodge while scrambling. In the evening we prepared for our summit push, packing gear and making our plans for the next day.
The view from the top of Middle Palisade
On Sunday we awoke with the sun and set off around the east side of Finger Lake, we reached a waterfall at the south end and began our climb up to the glacier. The talus and scree (piles of boulders and loose gravel) slowed us down so we stuck to solid rock as much as possible. We reached the glacier and ran into a solo climber named Chad; he was resting where the route crosses the glacier to the base of the rock. This is Chad’s third attempt on the Middle Palisade, failing twice before because of weather or logistics. Chad lacked an ice axe or crampons and was somewhat perplexed as to where the route was and how to cross the short glacier section. Before our entire group even reached Chad some of us began cutting steps using our ice axes; we did not bring crampons because Adam was in sandals, so cutting steps was our primary plan for crossing the glacier. Chad joined in on the fun and followed us to the rock. He would climb with us for the remainder of the day and became the honorary “red shirt” (Star Trek guy that always dies on the away missions), but we never caught his last name.
We cut steps through the ice and snow to the base of a small ledge system; we leapt across the bergschrund and began the climb up the ledges to the couloirs above. I guess I should have already mentioned the handicap of another member in our group; a_requiem had broken his finger in a climbing competition recently and did this entire trip one handed. Even with a broken finger, requiem was one of our more able climbers and was out in front at this point doing the route finding. He must have been dragging to one direction due to the broken hand and we ended up climbing a more difficult class 4 route before finally ending up in the easier class 3 couloir. During the climb we knocked numerous rocks down, no one was injured but a few of us were hit. The most important piece of equipment we carried was our helmets, and everyone was wearing one at this point. It took us 3 hours to reach the top from the glacier; we landed on a small world of rock perched above everything around us. The Palisade crest stretched out to the north and south of our position, a long jagged knife. Just to the north was Norman Clyde Peak, named for the most famous Sierra mountaineer; this was his backyard while living in a small cabin at the end of Glacier Lodge Road.
Adams sandals on the top of Middle Palisade
Four hours later we were back at the glacier. Climbing down was much slower than the climb up and we took our time in order to remain safe. Two groups of climbers zigzagged left and right in the couloir staying away from the fall line of flying rocks from the other members. We all stopped to watch one particular rock bounce higher and higher as it fell down the face of the mountain, its last bounce sending it hundreds of feet down to the glacier. Everyone’s nerves deserved the well-received relief once down at the glacier; 7 hours of class 3 climbing can place a heavy toll on your mind. We were successful and no one had died; even Chad lived for another away mission. With one-armed Requiem and Adam wearing sandals we were lucky that all 6 made the summit. It was obvious that the extra rest day and flawless planning by all those involved attributed to our success.
The next morning, Monday August 11th, we decided to hike out and hit up the hot springs down the highway. We pulled off the road in what looked like a desert and found a small stream with multiple swimming/wading holes built to pool and enjoy the warm spring water. There are many hot springs on the east side of the Sierra Mountains and Nevada; some are developed tourist traps while others are just little streams like the one we visited. We all changed our clothes and cleaned the back country grime off our bodies. We met for lunch again at the Whoa Nellie Deli and of course some victory mango margaritas were required. We split up there and the guys heading back to the Bay Area took Hwy 120 through Yosemite.
All in all it was an uneventful trip, but only because all our plans went well despite the circumstances. Starting with 6 people: an old guy, a one-armed bandit and another with giant open blisters it’s astonishing that we made it to the summit with our limited experience. Safety and planning were paramount and the entire group preformed above and beyond what we are normally used to. This was the 1st 14,000 foot California peak for some of us and I’m sure it will not be the last, our trips just keep getting bigger, better and higher as our abilities grow. We all deserve a good break after pulling this off, and Chad if you’re out there, it was a pleasure meeting and climbing with you.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, August 26 @ 10:22:08 EDT (33 reads)
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Pyramid Peak 2008
On Aug 1st 2008 I did my 1st solo adventure and summited Pyramid Peak (9,983 feet) via the Rocky Canyon Creek route. I took 4 liters of water a sandwich and my backpacking gear, it must have weighted about 35lb's. I had the entire summit to myself and I only ran into people lower down the trail who where coming up for day hikes as I was leaving. The Rocky Canyon route up Pyramid Peak is probably the greatest vertical climb in the Tahoe Sierra. Starting from a base elevation of 5,900', the route climbs up nearly 4,100' to the summit of Pyramid Peak in 3.3 miles. I have done this route in the summer and winter and I was confident it would offer a challenging yet safe solo adventure. In just a few days I plan to summit the Middle Palisade and I have been preparing for 14,000 feet. I've been running every other day, hiking, climbing and I figured the best way to acclimate to higher elevations is by going to higher elevations. On a whim I planned to spend the night on top of Pyramid Peak and because it was a Friday (I had to work Sunday) I would need to go solo, all my partners would be working, and I'm kind of glad. I always wanted to go solo, I guess I just never put my money where my mouth is and stepped into the unknown. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I went through with it. Click read more for the rest of the trip report.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, August 05 @ 19:59:06 EDT (35 reads)
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Yosemite Valley 2008
On June 7th 2008, Lis and I visited Yosemite again like we do every spring. We decided to brave the crowds of the Valley this year and explore some new areas. Lis had been sick just days before and was still recovering during the trip so some of our hiking plans were cut short. We did get a chance to venture up the upper Yosemite Falls trail, a beautiful trail that goes straight up the valley walls following a ravine all the way to the top. Yosemite Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in North America, but arguably the most dramatic. We stopped short of the top and took some great pictures of the upper falls, the normal crowds of the valley were in full force and we made every attempt to avoid them.
We found a great secluded spot on the Merced River for a bottle of wine below Half Dome, the old campgrounds and closed areas were perfect for avoiding the hordes of day trippers and tour buses. Lis has never been to Glacier Point so on our way home we made a side trip up there, Monday morning was a great time to stop at some of the normally crowded locations and vista points such as the classic tunnel view. Check out the new gallery, we took some beautiful pictures. This is obviously a place that needs to be seen in person to appreciate the scale. Everyone should make an attempt to visit Yosemite Valley during their lifetime. Obviously weekdays are much more enjoyable, but don’t shy away from the busy springtime season, the waterfalls flowing in full force are worth the hassle.
Posted by squishy on Thursday, June 12 @ 12:49:35 EDT (64 reads)
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Crescent Moon Couloir 2008 (video)
Posted by squishy on Friday, May 16 @ 18:29:33 EDT (92 reads)
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Machete Ridge traverse (Old Original) 2008
by A_requiem
The weather at Pinnacles National Monument over President's Day Weekend (Feb 16-18, 2008) was clear and dry and almost too warm in the sun; the nights were chilly, with frost in the morning and ice in the water bottles when we woke up on Sunday. Monday morning there was fog through the campsite until the sun rose over the ridge to chase it away. The climbing at Discovery Wall, the most popular climbing area at Pinnacles due to its proximity to parking and concentration of good routes with (relatively) solid rock, was a bit crowded but the local climbers were quite friendly and open with their beta. Machete Ridge was an adventure and a trial of our mountaineering skills: elusive, quiet, airy, and quick to turn dark and unforgiving. A short hike to the Overlook afforded us views of Hawkins Peak and the High Peaks, which we relished over lunch before heading home. Click Read More on the bottom for a complete and very detailed trip report.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, March 11 @ 13:32:14 EDT (164 reads)
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Mt St Helena Climbing 2008
by Squishy
During the winter we visited Mount St. Helena twice for some top rope rock climbing. We climbed the quarry area, site of the old Silverado mine from the 1880’s and another out of the way area called “the far side”. The 2 mile approach to the far side was short and it was a nice day to relax, climb and enjoy the great views. The quarry area was a tourist trap with passing groups stopping to check out the mine which is close to the main summit trail. Mount St. Helena becomes way too hot in the summer, but it’s a perfect place to play in the winter time.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, March 11 @ 13:31:22 EDT (153 reads)
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Big Sur 2008
by Squishy
In January Lis and I made it out to Big Sur for a weekend of hiking and exploring. Big Sur is about 120 miles south of San Francisco, where the Santa Lucia Mountains meet the sea. We visited several waterfalls including one that drops right into the ocean, but the wildlife was the highlight of the trip. We spotted the California condor, deer, turkey, sea otter, seals, many birds and even migrating grey whales. We met two very nice rangers at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and they told us about the whale watching spot on hwy 1. They provided binoculars and a wealth of information, Lis was spotting whale spouts in the ocean for the remainder of the weekend. We spent dusk on Pfeiffer state beach with a bottle of California red wine while reading excerpts from Jack Kerouac’s “Big Sur”. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park was especially beautiful with redwoods, waterfalls and beaches all within close proximity. We also visited Point Lobos State Reserve on the way back to Sacramento, with its crowed trails and beautiful coast. I took some great pictures from Monterey to Big Sur, here's some sleepy seals. Big Sur has so much to offer I wish we had a few more days for longer excursions; this would be an awesome place to do some backpacking.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, March 11 @ 13:02:02 EDT (145 reads)
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Fall Rock Climbing 2007
by squishy
This fall the crew has been out climbing instead of just hiking, we are still very new to climbing but are gaining valuable experience whenever we can. A_requiem pioneered a new route near Horsetail Falls which he named "baby steps" and we also broke in a bunch of new climbing gear. We again visited the Cosumnes River Gorge, and everyone learned to rappel and belay, no nude people in sight still. The snow has begun to fall and we are preparing to take it on instead of just sitting around all winter. I compiled a picture gallery consisting of four separate climbing trips, here's a link to the gallery.
A_requiem sending a new route ("baby steps" 5.6) near Horsetail Falls in Desolation Wilderness.
Posted by squishy on Tuesday, December 18 @ 00:10:08 EST (165 reads)
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Thunder Mountain 2007
by squishy
When I was very young I remember looking up at the Thunder Mountain while camping at Silver Lake with my family. I use to wonder what use to live up there in the caves and overhangs. It was a magical place for a child's mind and for some reason the place stuck in mine. Things always seem so large when you are so small, but this one didn't change when Lis and I revisited it on 10/7/07. It was a beautiful day, it had snowed the day before, leaving the mountains lightly dusted. Thunder Mountain is a short distance from Kirkwood ski resort, as you can see in the pictures, we found some discouraging warning signs. We parked near the Carson Spur and reached the summit on a moderate trail. The route was about 7 miles round trip with 1800 feet of elevation gain. In the snow was numerous animal tracks and we were startled by a Blue Grouse flapping into the trees. We ate lunch perched above Silver Lake amongst rock formations not unlike those of Pinnacle National Monument.
Thunder Mountain
I learned of the mountains more recent and tragic history while doing research for this hike. Paul Ruff died there while attempting a world record ski jump, I took a picture of the memorial cross found near the summit. This hike was also Lis's first "peak bag". Thunder Mountain is 9410 feet and the highest point in Amador county, and it was bigger and better than my young mind had imagined years ago.
Posted by squishy on Sunday, October 14 @ 02:17:53 EDT (198 reads)
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Ralston Peak (east ridge) 2007
Before this successful peak bag, there was an unsuccessful attempt on the same route two weeks prior. We attempted the route per ScottyS's page and followed it to the letter, until we reached the second bump on the ridge past Saucer Lake, where we rested briefly before the final summit push. After navigating the gendarmes and bushwhacking, we were ecstatic to finally see before us the class 3 scrambling we read about; but after checking our water situation, we found only 2 liters of water among the 3 of us on a warm day. We decided to abort the summit attempt, divvy up the water, and cut across Evolution Valley past the west end of Upper Echo Lake to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
The Desolation Wilderness. Lake of the woods and Luis in the foreground and the Crystal Mountains in the background.
On Sunday 9/30/2007, we summited Ralston Peak via the east ridge and looped back to Echo Chalet via the PCT. Distance was ~9.9 miles; 3.1 miles to Ralston and another 6.8 back to Echo Chalet. We did it in 8 hours with plenty of rests and slow-going bushwhacking.
After admiring the thin layer of new fallen snow and a short hike down to Lower Echo Lake to acquire permits, we started hiking up the hill from the upper parking lot into the woods. We found the use trail after traversing through a bit of snow and brush in open forest. (On the way we ran across the wheelframe of an old railroad car rusted out and left over from mining days. The center gear shaft still had rubber on it!) The trail led into a little gully that we traveled in for about a quarter mile until we reached the switchbacks to Becker Peak. The north side of the gully offered views of Lower Echo and damage from the Angora fires near Lake Tahoe from late June 2007.
Unlike our previous attempt, we shied away from the boulders cresting the ridge between Becker Peak and Talking Mtn, trading them for slogging and bushwhacking on the south side of the ridge. We had this damned fool idea of staying on the use trail, which sort of disappeared. Bad move. After Becker Peak, we should've gained the crest and stayed on the boulders as much as possible since there is much less bushwhacking involved, not to mention the views are better...
After eating the uphill bushwhack and finally gaining the crest, we found that the wind exposure there and on the south side of the ridge was considerable. We were unbalanced during the heavier gusts, especially while scrambling over the tallus around Ralston's satellite peaks. Traversing on the north side wasn't much better protected from wind. The summit of Ralston peak rewarded us with views of the Crystal Range and Desolation Valley, and we broke for lunch. From there it was an easy hike down the west ridge to Ralston Trail, past Haypress Meadow and back around Echo Lakes via the PCT.
