The Big Stuff

Ah, the Big Stuff. The East Side. Visions of toiling up miles of talus, searing UV, glacial crossings, and an endless scramble which finally terminates on an indifferent summit. The high and dry Eastern Sierra. My favorite mountains.
On this weekend's drive up and down the 395 I was able to pull out and shoot some pics of this amazing landscape. I paid special attention to two fourteeners which I will be reattempting in June: Middle Palisade and Split mountain. Dave Rivas and I got pasted by a week of bad weather on last year's try and although we made a good account of ourselves, we still owe ourselves these summits. Above, the Minarets, Mt Ritter {in clouds} (which we climbed in '06), and Banner Peak. Below, Convict Lake.
Below are photos of three peaks we intend to climb in June. The first shows Middle Palisade, a massive fourteener which we will climb via the East Face (Class III). To Middle Pal's right stands Norman Clyde Peak. NClyde is not a fourteener, however, it is a serious climb to the summit. Named for the gentleman who became synonymous with hard first ascents in the Eastern Sierra, the easiest route we could pick to climb the peak will require a rope in some places, and especially on the descent. Norman Clyde Peak will be a third priority because we are really after the 14ers but would likely be the more challenging of the three peaks we will attempt. On the bottom is Split Mountain, another massive dose of mountain. We will attempt this peak via the St. Jean Couloir which is the prominent gully in the sun, center right of the summit. This is mostly a snow climb but may require a rope and some gear in places. This is the plan, man. Take two.

Exercise Under Blue Skies

Okay, I'm about tired now. And sore. About once a week Ruth and I run the Arroyo Verde Park trail (about 3 miles). So we went on Thursday and again today. In addition we ran (walked) up to Ventura's Two Trees (above), a local landmark. This is a pretty burley, and thankfully short, trail up a steep little coastal hill. It's a great view of town, the coast, the inland mountains, and the islands. Added to a full day of climbing on Friday, and yesterday's orgyastic buffet of cardiovascular exertion (Topa Topa Peak), today was the musculo-skeletal piece de resistance. So, yeah...I'm sore. Good thing I can chill until Thursday rolls around.

Just a note regarding our too brief SoCal spring. As you can see in many recent photos spring is upon us and the flowers are blooming, but what the pictures cannot describe for you is the "smell" of spring. An explosion of plant growth occurs in the local hills at this time of year and with it comes a boquet of smells that's unique. The smells of sage and flowers, weeds, thistles, grasses combine in a slightly humid aroma that can't really be described. Soon our spring will stretch into an early and dry summer, taking all these lovely smells with it.

Those Geezers Can Hike! Topatopa 03/13/10

Damn if it didn't finally happen! The Geezer Hike got off the ground. I must state that I give a healthy dose of respect to these guys and they give me great hope for the future. They dusted the Topa Topa trail in under 3.5 hours to the top with style. Cliff (58) kept telling Rick (59) and Jack (56) funnies like, "Oh, this is where it gets steep.", or staring up the peak said "It gets flat here.". Yeah, right. But what a great day. It started off cool with scattered low clouds and warmed a bit as we gained elevation. Near the summit the clouds would butt up against the bluffs but a brisk wind kept them off the top. A nice lunch break on the summit was a great break. We stopped to check out the falls below White Ledge Camp on the way down. The falls were in good shape. After that it was the usual long ground-pounding descent to the truck. These guys did great. Good company too.

Getting Some Rope Time

I know it's been 2 weeks since my last outing, but I've been a busy guy. So now I've got two days to do stuff. Davi Rivas suggested getting on a rope, so that's what we did. We climbed Ending Crack at Sespe Gorge for a warm up. So nice, hanging at the end of that first pitch, in the sun, leaning back on the anchors, listening to the creek. That is, I think, the thing I enjoy most about any rock climbing I do these days: the quiet.


After rapelling down we headed up the road to tick a few sport-climbs on the Potrero John Wall. There Davi led several 5.10 face routes. I let him take the sharp end because I'm still babying that pesky biceps tendon that I tore 6 months ago. With a liberal tape job I was able to follow for him. I was pleased enough with my technique and it was a fun day on the rock. Enjoy the view of Mt. Reyes (above).

Tomorrow: The long dealyed Geezer Hike.

Chorro Grande Trail 02/27/10

So, on account of the weather, the "Geezer Hike" was canceled once again. I decided early yesterday that I would venture forth today...weather be damned! Since I was going to be wet and miserable anyway I chose to up the ante. I chose to hike Chorro Grande to the Pine Mountain summit. This grueling hike would start in the rain, summit in the snow, and end in the rain. Chorro Grande is an old packing trail and ascends 3,309ft in 7.4 miles. Hard, on a nice day. Today it was really tough and by the time I was nearing the truck I was done.

As the lower trail consistently climbed through rain and chaparral I had to work my poles in greasy mud. At times, the trail was basically a creek (1st pic below). I was able to ascend through the rain and muck quickly and was relieved to find that I had reached the snow line, though the snow was wet and heavy. As I progressed, the weather cut me a break. The precipitation slacked off and views improved. I was grateful for the break. As the trail wound it's way, ever upward, it became steeper and the snow got deeper. I chose not to take breaks while ascending and instead, slurped a couple of GU's, ate a bar, and sucked down water. I wanted to be summited and descending before the weather deteriorated, certainly before any thunder storms developed. As I approached the final 3 miles to the summit I started post-holing. A couple of times I sunk up to the groin. My mental mode changed over to a stubborn persistence.




The final 2 miles to the summit were brutal, cold, and steep. As the terrain changed and a fog rolled in I found myself having to really use good trail-finding technique. Also my GPS became the MVP of the day. I kept looking hopefully upward for any indication of Pine Mountain Rd and my destination: the eastern-most camp site on Pine Mtn. The fog was really cutting visibility when I decided to use the GPS to put me right at my destination, I dodged 0.2 miles of trail by heading strait up the last few minutes worth of mountain. I was very relieved when I popped over the rise and walked right into camp. I stayed long enough to take a couple of pictures and started straight down. It took me 3.5hrs to climb the trail. I subscribe (based on bitter experience) to the school that says, "In inclement weather, summit and get down. Then feel good about yourself.".

As I descended most of the weather I'd experienced on the way up hit me on the way down, however, the temperature had plunged by 10-20 degrees. I was comfortable, though. The Gore-tex in my boots and my rainwear were holding up well. Plus, I was well layered. By the way, I had in my pack a back-up layer and gloves, a Gore-tex bivuac sack, first aid stuff, headlamp, extra food and water, and everything else I would need to survive a night up there in the event I couldn't move. That kind of planning is my MO (again, a product of experience). All that extra weight in my pack sure was reassuring. By the time I returned to the truck things were getting cold and nasty.

So, not the usual way to spend a stormy day. But that was the point wasn't it?

California Condor

In light of my recent condor sighting I decided to resurrect this photo of my friend, Condor #289. This boy and I have a history of sorts. I've seen him many times and, though his mate is rather shy, he is a pretty bold boy. This photo was taken from less than 10 feet away. He and I hung out for much of an afternoon and I've seen him plenty of times since. I suspect that the pair of condors that circled me on the summit of Topa Topa last week were this mated pair. A truly magnificently ugly animal. Condor Fun Facts: condors have no vocal chords and cannot communicate auditorily, condors cool themselves by urinating on their legs (notice chalky coloring on #289's legs above).

Topatopa Bluff, 02/13/2010

So how do you know if you're having a great day? You live it.

I hiked up Topa Topa yesterday, a gorgeous weather day. I took my time and though I hiked fast, I stopped frequently. It was just one of those days when one has to stop and look around. The last stage to the summit was mostly through untracked snow. The views were as you would expect because, hey, you're having a great day. All islands reporting in. And about that photo above? Ordinary turkey vulture. In fact, a pair of them turned some lazy loops around the summit before departing. I just sat chuckling at my good fortune.

An unusual aside. On the way up I had passed a pair of nice ladies who were heading for the summit. We chatted and I gave them a couple of directions. As I was descending I met them, making their way up the final stretch. We all agreed that the hike was long and steep. I mentioned my pet name for this hike, "The Suffer Machine". One of the ladies lit up and said, "Oh, you're the guy! We read your blog!" So that was kinda cool. I didn't know anybody read this little thing of mine (well, except mom and dad). That was really nice.

Next weekend I'm scheduled to return to this peak. I'm tagging along with three guys from work. They are all in their fifties. I'm already calling "The Geezer Hike".