2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

Regional discussion and conditions reports for the Golden State. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the California Climbing Partners forum.
User Avatar
Princess Buttercup

 
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:13 pm
Thanked: 456 times in 245 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Princess Buttercup » Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:31 pm

Bob Burd wrote:
MooseTracks wrote:(even if a few of them DO thrive on the competition...)


Though my daughter is too young to join in, she has convinced her ultra-competitive friend to sign up and give the others a run for their money. Here he is going over maps and route strategy.

Image


Aaaannnnndddd... it's orange. LOVE IT!!

Probably could give mini-Moose a run for his money...

User Avatar
jdmorris

 
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 7:22 pm
Thanked: 6 times in 4 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by jdmorris » Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:18 pm

I look forward to seein' everybody out there! I'm off to climb Dunderberg on my way out, then Virginia and Twin tomorrow before hitting up Whorl on Friday (wimped out on the 24mi Friday...). Good times, ahead!

JD

User Avatar
DukeJH

 
Posts: 694
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 11:12 am
Thanked: 50 times in 41 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by DukeJH » Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:16 pm

Already told the boss I need to bail early Friday so i can get some sleep Friday night...

User Avatar
hightinerary

 
Posts: 81
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2003 5:21 am
Thanked: 11 times in 9 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by hightinerary » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:05 pm

Bob, I'll be working at the Mountain Warfare Training Center during the Challenge period. How about if I just climb Lost Cannon Peak every day as an alternate peak?

User Avatar
atavist

 
Posts: 333
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 3:38 am
Thanked: 12 times in 10 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by atavist » Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:04 pm

Anybody driving up for the Challenge on Aug 20-21 from LA or OC want to carpool?

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:18 pm

hightinerary wrote:Bob, I'll be working at the Mountain Warfare Training Center during the Challenge period. How about if I just climb Lost Cannon Peak every day as an alternate peak?


I was just there two days ago with Laura to climb Wells. Maybe you were the guy at the entrance kiosk in black fatigues? :-)

Lost Cannon is the best (possibly only) scrambling in the area, so your plan has merit. I will take it up with the rules committee to see if we can allow it.

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:43 pm

Day 1 - Ehrnbeck Peak

We had 16 folks for the first day of the Challenge at Twin Lakes Friday morning. Only one (JD) went to another mountain (Matterhorn), the others all taking the Barney Lake trail west up Robinson Creek into Yosemite and then several miles cross-country to Ehrnbeck. Along the way we met up with Brian and Marie who had started half an hour earlier at 4:30am. They had joined us some years ago for Gemini, and were just as strong as we'd remembered them. It took about 5hrs to reach Ehrnbeck, almost everyone making it to the summit. Some went on to Wells Peak to the south, others went to Hawksbeak and/or Center to the north for bonus peaks. I and most of the others were on the lazy side and decided 24miles would be enough for the first day and settled for just Ehrnbeck. Mosquitoes for most of the day were horrendous. They chased us out of meadows while trying to fill up water bottles, harrassed on the trails no matter how fast we moved, and drove us off the summit of Ehrnbeck where they seemed to await our arrival with an added mean streak. DEET was our only respite.

Most of us stayed in the Twin Lakes area since Day 2's hike would start from Lower Twin Lakes. They had a tasty BBQ Friday night at the Twin Lakes resort for $10 that was a decent bargain. Being rather hungry, we greedily asked if seconds were included in the price, to which they replied, "Sure, for another $10."

We didn't lose anyone on the day, which is always a good way to start.

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:08 am

Day 2 -Tamarack Peak

Tamarack Peak is an unofficially named summit in the Hoover Wilderness high above Lower Twin Lakes. The hike is relatively short, about 6.5mi one way, but sports a good 4,700ft of gain. There were 15 folks at 6am for the start. We managed to miss a required creek crossing after the first mile and a half and followed an alternate path that ultimately petered out and led to some rather jungly bushwhacking and a precarious bit of stream crossing to get back on route. Higher up we passed by several picturesque lakes along Tamarack Creek before meeting up with the morrainal debris and talus slopes that define much of the north side of the peak. There was an 800-foot, snow-filled couloir that was probably 40 degrees and in fine condition for crampons and axe. Two of us chose that route while the rest chose easier slopes around to the left or right of the summit. There were already half a dozen others at the summit when I arrived around 10am. There were three registers to be found: a glass jar, a metal film cannister, and a rusty tin. The oldest entry dated to 1946 by A.J. Reyman who had a number of first ascents in the Sierra just after WWII. Most everyone tagged nearby Crater Crest for the only reasonable bonus peaks. Though hardly impressive as a summit, Crater Crest has a spectacular view of the Sawtooth Range from Twin Peaks to Matterhorn, to the Dragtooth and west to Blacksmith. Still lots of snow on those north faces.

Michael G used an alternative trailhead at Green Creek that is only 5mi and 1,000ft less gain, but requires an ugly climb up through the jumbled rock slopes on the south side of Tamarack Peak. His efforts gained him 15 minutes over the fastest time from Twin Lakes, so he currently has a small lead for the yellow jersey.

Tomorrow we're driving into Tuolumne Meadows for a climb of Cold Mtn north of Glen Aulin. Feel free to join us at 6am if you're in the area, or join us at the Whoa Nelli afterwards.

User Avatar
Princess Buttercup

 
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:13 pm
Thanked: 456 times in 245 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Princess Buttercup » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:54 pm

Thanks for a really fun day on Thursday, Bob-a-loo! It was great to help get your acclimated for yet another Challenge, and see a new part of the Sierra for me. Although the TOF is a little dusty after all that dirt-road drivin'...

And, just so you and the guys don't think I was sitting at home yesterday:

Image

Please add Jim Freeland, Jonathan Powers, and myself to the list. Mts. Sill/Apex (I know, really?)/Gayley yesterday. You might have even heard a little call of the moose while you were playing in that coulouir!

See y'all at WN tonight!

-L 8)

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Sun Aug 14, 2011 11:59 pm

MooseTracks wrote:And, just so you and the guys don't think I was sitting at home yesterday


That's decidedly more burly than Tamarack.
Nice job!

Short story:
I heard that one of our crew had some trouble getting back to the Twin Lakes CG on Friday. Seems it was dark before he got back down from Horse Creek Canyon and couldn't find the crossing over Robinson Creek at the very end. He had a flashlight, GPS, and could see the folks camping on the other side of the creek, but no luck finding the exit point. Another participant who had been hiking with him earlier went back to look for him around 9:45pm. He found him using his whistle for a distress call (apparently it had no humanitarian effect on the campers across the creek), having been sitting there for the last 45min and expecting he may have to bivy there. A few minutes later they were both safely on the correct side of the creek and all ended well.

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:10 am

Some photos from the first two days:

Michael, Bob, Tom, Adam, Marie & Brian on Ehrnbeck summit:
Image

Our mascots:
Image

Tamarack Peak
Image

Tamarack register entry:
Image

Summit planking:
Image

User Avatar
Vitaliy M.

 
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:23 am
Thanked: 288 times in 216 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Vitaliy M. » Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:07 am

AHHAHAHAHAHHAA @ Summit planking!

User Avatar
Princess Buttercup

 
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:13 pm
Thanked: 456 times in 245 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Princess Buttercup » Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:30 pm

Hehehe... Adam is a mascot... :D

no avatar
Turtleggjp

 
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:22 pm
Thanked: 1 time in 1 post

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Turtleggjp » Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:00 pm

Hey Bob,

I was thinking about you guys a lot this weekend on my backpacking trip with my mom. Especially when we were on our dayhike out of Evolution Lake up into the Darwin Canyon area. We were admiring the views up the canyon, when I suddenly realized that I was staring down my first Challenge peak, Mt. Tom Ross!

Tomross.jpg
Mt Tom Ross from Darwin Canyon
Tomross.jpg (809.23 KiB) Viewed 8784 times

Can't wait to meet all of you on Wednesday!

Matt

User Avatar
Bob Burd
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 4271
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2001 10:42 pm
Thanked: 572 times in 296 posts

Re: 2011 Sierra Challenge - Aug 12-21

by Bob Burd » Tue Aug 16, 2011 4:06 am

Day 3 - Cold Mtn

Cold Mtn is a relatively low summit in Northern Yosemite, a few miles north of Glen Aulin. We had about 17 folks starting from three different trailheads at 6am on a chilly Sunday morning. Those starting from Pothole Dome were able to take advantage of a very nice use trail that cuts off a few miles from the PCT start near the Visitor Center, merging with the PCT at the bridge crossing above Glen Aulin. The water in the Tuolumne River was raging impressively for August, making for spectacular falls above the High Sierra Camp. Four of us turned left at Glen Aulin for a fun scramble up the north side of the canyon to Wildcat Point, a bonus peak. Though steep, the going was quite pleasant up granite slabs and nice benches with animal trails to make things easier. The cross-country all around Cold Mtn turned out to be pleasant and fairly fast going. We had 15 folks make it to the summit of Cold, though no more than about 6-7 at any one time. The register was placed in 2008 by Gordon MacLeod and Barbara Lilley with no other signatures until our rather large party. The views from the summit were superb - one could see just about all the peaks in Yosemite from the Clark Range to Lyell-Maclure, all of the Cathedral Range, West to Dana, Conness, Excelsior, north to the Sawtooth Range and Tower Peak.

PreviousNext

Return to California

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests