Geography Parents  Loading... Trip Reports
| Oops   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 37.07500°N / 118.4719°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Feb 28, 2002 | Page By: elektrosorcery Created/Edited: Feb 25, 2002 / Object ID: 168523 Hits: 792 Loading... Page Score: 0% - 0 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
So I set out to climb Middle Palisade. Who needs a guide book I thought. I can see the peak from my car. After getting my permit from the White Mountain Ranger Station I set out from Glacier Lodge along the South Fork of big Pine Creek. The elderberries were just ripe, a few mosquitoes around, and a nice elevation gain kept me in good spirits. I slept off the side of the trail and I the morning realized I was only a few minutes from the beautiful teal blue Finger Lake. I set up camp and decided I'd have plenty of time to cruise up Middle Pal. A few hours later I stood at the expanse of hard packed snow called the Middle Palisade Glacier. It seemed obvious that what looked to be the largest peak in frot of me was Middle Palisade. (it wasn't of course) The rock face looked vertical from where I stood so I decide to climb the ridge north of me. An hour later I stood on the ridge exhausted and perplexed. I decided the snow filled gulley or "couloir" would be an easy path to climb w/ my crampons and ice axe. Down the ridge, up the chute. Near the top I realized that I was pushing 60 degrees but the hard pack snow seemed stable and since I've never fallen I never will. (right) I gained the crest and scrambled to the top of the peak to see an even bigger mountain just a bit to the south but separated by a substantial drop from my knife-edge summit. The summit box read "Norman Clyde Peak" and my embarrassment was complete. The late hour and the severe drop off kept me from traversing to the true Middle Palisade. I thought perhaps some information would help me find the route. Later I returned and found that if you walk a little South of the exact center of the Middle Palisade Glacier towards the imposing rock face you will find a ledge that leads to a spectacular gulley system that is fast and very fun to climb.
|
|
Palisades
