| Terror Atop Carpenter Hill Trip Report |
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| Terror Atop Carpenter Hill   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: California, United States, North America Date Climbed/Hiked: Sep 17, 2006 Activities: Mountaineering Season: Fall | Page By: nikolai Created/Edited: Sep 21, 2006 / Sep 22, 2006 Object ID: 227665 Hits: 478 Loading... Page Score: 87.84% - 8 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
A critical mistake I committed in my latest adventure was not consulting Summitpost.org for the correct trailhead. That error would make for a harrowing 20 minutes.
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On my way back from a conference at Lake Tahoe, The freedom of the hills beckoned yet again so I pulled off on East Bidwell to conquer yet another peak.
Winding my way through labyrinthine mcmansions, the antennas of Carpenter Hill loomed ever closer. Finally I turned into a neighborhood yet to be. The street was paved, lots were graded, but the suburban development juggernaut had not yet turned the hillside into gigantic cheap houses replete with SUVs and screaming babies. The top of the hill was in sight about 150 meters away. This was my trailhead.
This nascent neighborhood had very ominous signage posted at every lot.
"Avoid Criminal Prosecution: DO NOT TRESPASS
TRESPASSERS will be ARRESTED and PROSECUTED"
However, immediately on the other side of the empty lots was wild grassland, and beyond that the antennas marking the highest hill in all of Sacramento County. Trespassing would involve maybe 25 total steps before I was past the zone of development. I didn't see that I had a choice, so I started jogging up the hill.
I made good time jogging, but the hill was pretty steep, and I'm not much of a jogger. When I had covered about half the distance, I stopped, turned around, and I saw a tan sedan cruising by very slowly where I had parked. Rent-a-cops! The rent-a-cop came almost to a complete stop next to my car before creeping away. I clearly stood out on the hill wearing a dingy white t-shirt and black surplus cargo pants against a field of golden grass. However, I was pretty sure I had one thing going for me at this point. I was confident that I was not seen crossing the lot. If there was no witnesses to the crime, who could say it had ever been committed? I certainly wasn't going to tell.
Bagging the peak gave me an eagle eye view of the area. If I wanted to avoid a confrontation with the rent-a-cop, the route back to my automobile must not involve crossing any private property. I figured that I had two options for my return. I could head down to the left through the grass, hit the main road, and jog a big loop back to my car on sidewalks. My other option would be to take the paved service road for the antenna complex towards the right to the ugly neighborhood it originated from. It appeared that this depressing collection of houses abutted the area where my car was parked. I opted for this route.
Jogging down the service road, I came to a locked gate. Scaling that, I continued through the neighborhood. It soon became clear that I would not be able to easily connect via streets back to where my car was parked. I had no choice but to trespass yet again. An unfinished greenbelt brought me out on top of a barren hillside. I had about 100 meters of hillside to run down, then 100 meters of sidewalk to get to my car. And right in between the hill I stood on and the street I needed to reach was a band of lots. The threatening signs were clearly visible where I stood.
I started jogging down the hill when some movement catches my eye. The rent-a-cop had been parked in a cul-de-sac awaiting my return. He was driving slowly towards the spot where the hillside would dump me out on the road-- exactly the spot where I would have to trespass.
I had 100 meters to observe him so I slowed my jog. In my estimation, he still hadn't seen me trespass, so I needed to think about what options I had.
At this point, the rent-a-cop made a critical error. He decided he would drive down the block and wait for me at my car. My car was just on the other side of a rise where my imminent trespass would not be visible. I kept up my slow jog until he reached my car, then put on some speed. I crossed the lot at the bottom of the hill and hit the sidewalk. Running at a good clip now, I got my car key ready in one hand and tried to prevent my pants from falling down with the other.
His car is 20 meters behind mine and his reverse lights are on.
I have no idea what he was trying to do.
Oh wait, there are two people in the car. The passenger looks female.
Was this just a love struck couple looking for some solitude so that they could get it on in their car? Were they just out to do some recreational drugs in a secluded spot?
I didn't know why they were out there, and I had no intention of finding out. When I reached my car, I got in and got it started faster than I ever have before. Like a shadow in the night, my car disappeared into traffic. And I had bagged California's most pointless peak in the process.
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