Where: near Yosemite National Park
Who: solo
When: June 2010.JPG)
Dunderberg Peak is a healthy-size peak on the border of Yosemite National Park above Virginia Lakes. DB and I had failed on an attempt of the peak the previous June when she'd experienced some show-stopping AMS symptoms. This time, I set out alone for the summit while she hung back and enjoyed the lakes, the people-watching and the general sense of freedom that comes with the start of a long vacation. The roundtrip hike cost a whopping 2 hours and 25 minutes of my time. And the views were well worth it!
Showing posts with label Yosemite National Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yosemite National Park. Show all posts
Dunderberg Peak
Sentinel Dome
Where: Yosemite National Park
Who: DB
When: June 2010.JPG)
We've grown fond of jumping onboard ranger-led interpretive hikes whenever we go to the national parks. They're (usually) informative and nearly always great fun. This was no exception -- the ranger was friendly. She taught us all about the different types of local trees, flowers, the history of the area, etc. Good times!
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The Puppy on Puppy Dome
Where: Yosemite National Park
Who: DB
When: June 2010.JPG)
DB and I rolled into snowy Tuolumne Meadows and immediately did the short scramble to the summit of Puppy Dome (across CA-120 from Lembert Dome) and basked in the glory of the Meadows from the charming summit. On the way down, I coaxed DB into climbing up into a funky tree at the base of the dome.
Glacier Point!
Where: Yosemite National Park
Who: DB
When: June 2010
DB had never been to Glacier Point, that most excellent Yosemite viewpoint, and it had been at least a decade for me. So we made the long drive up to the sprawling parking lot leading to the short trail that would take us to this breathtaking vantage point. It didn't disappoint (although the crowds did).
Yosemite Valley's Higher Cathedral Rock
Where: Yosemite National Park
Who: DB
When: June 2010
Although we'd planned to spend a week in Yosemite, the heavy snows of Tuolumne and the insane crowds of the Valley chased us off after only three days. On our last day in the park, we scrambled up Higher Cathedral Rock. The hike was interesting and the views outstanding..JPG)
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False White Mountain
Where: Yosemite National Park, California
When: September 2009
Partners: Solo
On the last of three great days in Yosemite, I set off at daybreak one morning for a quick romp up False White Mountain (12,002 feet) from Tioga Lake. Stumbling cross several beautiful and hidden lakes along the way, the early-morning views as I approached the top were tremendous.
Mammoth Peak & Kuna Crest North
Where: Yosemite National Park, California
When: September 2009
Partners: DB
DB and I found tremendous enjoyment in climbing Mammoth Peak via the class 3-4 (a touch of class 5 here and there, if you stick to the crest) northeast ridge. Descending south from the summit, I made my way over to Kuna Crest North, before returning to meet DB below the Mammoth-Kuna saddle and descending to the east-northeast. A great day out!
Oh yeah, DB found a big pile of fresh bear scat along the way.
Parker Peak & Mount Wood
Where: Yosemite National Park, California
When: September 2009
Partners: DB
DB and I headed back to Yosemite for a long hike to Parker Peak and Mount Wood out of the Mono Pass trailhead. With an easy and pleasant, level(ish) approach all the way to Parker Pass, the trail lost a little elevation as it passed by some charming lakes and then made its slow way up to Koip Peak Pass. From there, Parker was a short hike away.
Beyond, Mount Wood beckoned me...and I answered. A very minor lump, it's a summit barely worth visiting.
North Peak's Northwest Ridge (II 5.3)
Where: Yosemite National Park, California
When: August 2009
Partners: DB & Andy Archibald
We tried to get to North Peak in September 2008 but nasty weather and bitter-cold temperatures kept us away. This time, the forecast called for thunderstorms. So we set out early and tried to beat them.
As it turned out, the weather was just fine. After some excellent scrambling (and just a touch of 5th class climbing), we soon found ourselves on a sunny summit with awesome views in the 360.
The hike out (via the SW slope and Conness Lakes) was easy, quick, and mega-aesthetic. The lakes!
Fairview Dome the Easy Way
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2008
Partners: Rick Kent
Route: South Face (class 2)
Rick Kent, DB and I made our way up to the Saddlebag Lake Trailhead one morning, only to find nasty clouds, cold temperatures and high winds. Ugh - perhaps an ascent of North Peak should await another day. And so we headed to Lembert Dome...
Thumbing through Rick's Tuolumne free climbs guidebook, I found something that looked good and called over to Rick to see what he thought. But he didn't answer...he was fast asleep!
Letting him snooze, and dropping off for a quick one myself, we both eventually awoke with little motivation. Hey, let's just take a quick scramble up Fairview Dome, the largest dome in Tuolumne Meadows.
After a short approach and some easy scrambling up the dome's south face, we were startled by the nice views from the top.
The North Face of Eichorn Pinnacle
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2008
Partners: Rick Kent
Route: North Face (5.4)
Eichorn Pinnacle. A fantastic granite spire jutting out of the steep western slopes of Cathedral Peak, trying hard to steal magnificent Cathedral's thunder. And doing a good job! This pinnacle is awesome! Needless to say, I'd been wanting to climb it.
Well, after a morning climb of Cathedral's southeast buttress with Rick Kent, it took no effort at all to interest Rick in ticking off Eichorn...and only a little effort to convince him to lead it!
Though only 5.4, the short (1-pitch) route up the feature's north face involved an absurdly exposed traverse across the face, followed by a bit of steep climbing to the top. Go, Rick, go!
In divine fashion, Rick pulled off the lead with grace and we both soon stood atop the tiny, exposed summit.
Classic, through and through.
Cathedral Peak's Classic Southeast Buttress
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2008
Partners: Rick Kent
Route: Southeast Buttress (5.6)
Rick and I had both been up the west face (class 4) route on Yosemite's Cathedral Peak before, but we finally found time in our busy schedules to meet in the park and tick off the classic southeast buttress route. With five stellar pitches (5.6) on largely clean granite, it promised to be a fun day out. Plus, I was looking for an excuse to climb Cathedral's even sweeter satellite peak, Eichorn Pinnacle.
We decided to do 'em both!
What we found was lots of enjoyable climbing, including everything from faces, a chimney, flakes, slabs and the like. Good times!
On to Eichorn Pinnacle!
Meeting Gary Snyder in Tuolumne Meadows
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2, 2008
Spending a week in Yosemite National Park in July 2008, I happened to read in the park newsletter that Gary Snyder, a Zen Buddhist poet who has inspired me for a decade to climb mountains, study the Buddhist way, and to write poetry myself, was giving a reading and talk in Tuolumne Meadows on our final evening in the area. I had to be there!
The reading was to be held at Parsons Memorial Lodge. The lodge, built in 1915, was crafted from the lodgepole pine and rocks harvested directly from the ground it rises from today.
Originally built as a meeting house for the Sierra Club, the lodge has also served for decades as a gathering place for tourists, hikers, backpackers and the like.
In 1889, John Muir conjured up the idea of Yosemite National Park while sitting at Soda Springs, only yards away from the lodge's front door. A special, historic place...and a perfect locale for the night's reading by Gary, a man considered by many to be a contemporary 'John of the Mountains'!
With artist Tom Killian also speaking about collaborations he and Gary had done, including their recent book The High Sierra of California and an upcoming book about the many faces of San Francisco's Mount Tamalpais, Gary read several sections from his famous Mountains and Rivers Without End, a long poem that took 40 years to write.
It was a magnificent evening...!
A Fitting End to a Summer Life on the Road, Yosemite's Cloud's Rest
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2008
Partners: DB
Route: From Tenaya Lake (Class 1)
Mileage/Gain: 15/2,600
On the final day of a 45-day tour of mountains in Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon and California, it seemed appropriate to make the hike up Cloud's Rest. The mountain, I'd heard, was the best, most fabulous, most spectacular viewpoint in all of Yosemite National Park.
Having now been to the summit, I must agree.
Sitting on one of the summit slabs, enjoying a short nap, the warm sun and a general feeling of well-being, one of us glanced down at our shoes and were appalled. What six weeks, a couple hundred miles and 100,000+ feet of elevation gain can do to two pairs of tennis shoes!
And with a sense of sorrow, we eventually began our descent...
TOPO
Mount Conness (12,590 Feet) & White Mountain ( 12,057 Feet)
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 2008
Partners: DB (Conness) & Solo (White)
Route: From Saddlebag Lake (Class 2)
Mileage/Gain: 9/3,500
Starting out from Saddlebag Lake, DB and I made our way across the basin and up to the Conness-White saddle. With pretty scenery, the approach was frustrated somewhat by the difficulty of following the trail. Eventually gaining the saddle, DB started alone up Conness while I ran up White Mountain. With good rock near the crest of its north ridge, the going was quick and I shortly found myself on the summit.
Heading back down to the saddle, I started up the south slopes of Mount Conness and soon caught up to DB. Reaching the flattish sandy plateau below the summit pyramid of Conness, we traversed across and then followed the more interesting terrain toward the summit.
And then came the high, noble summit...
Some strange dude showed up on the summit shortly after us. We dealt with his nonsense for a few, then decided to head down.
We entertained the idea of looping back to Saddlebag Lake via Conness' east ridge, but after hearing from the loon that the east ridge would be his descent route as well (and that it was mostly unpleasant), we decided to head back down to the Conness-White saddle and retrace our steps out instead.
TOPO
Echo Ridge and a Few of the Echo Peaks
Where: Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
When: July 2008
Partners: DB
Route: Variable (Class 3 & 4)
Mileage/Gain: 6/2,500
Heading up the Budd Lake Trail one morning, DB and I set out for Echo Ridge and perhaps a few of the Echo Peaks. Tucked away behind the more visible Cathedral Peak and Unicorn Peak, the "Echo" massif is another striking nunatak feature well worth visiting.
Reaching the base of Echo Peaks first, we weren't sure which of the eleven or so "peaks" were the so-called 9 "Echo Peaks." So I started heading up to get a better look at the cluster. Bagging what turned out to be Echo Peak #1 first, I dropped back down to DB and then we both headed up the steep and funky class 4 east face of Echo Peak #3, the highest of the Echo Peaks. Above the face, it was easy scrambling to the saddle between Echo Peak #3 & #2.
From the saddle between the two peaks, enjoyable class 3 scrambling led to the highest of the Echo Peaks.
Eventually heading down from the summit, we made our way to Echo Peak #2.
The exposed, class 3 traverse to Echo Peak #2 was terrific!
While DB headed back down to flat ground east of the knife-edge ridge that comprises the Echo #1-4 group, I continued along the ridge back to Echo #1...for another photo of the awesome and exposed ridge leading back to Echo #3.
Heading down to DB, she and I wrapped around the north side of Echo Peak #5, which I decided to climb while DB headed over to the top of Wilts Col. The ridge up Echo #5 went class 3, and the views over to Echo #3 from the summit were incredible.
Although it was only 3rd class, I found the climb up the northside of Echo Peak #7 next to be stimulating. An exposed, very narrow knife-edge ridge lead to the tiny highpoint of the peak.
For a little extra fun, I next headed up the class 3 north side of Echo Peak #8. The easiest of the peaks I'd done that day, the much more challenging Echo Peak #9 seemed so close (yet so far).
To my delight, as I was heading down Echo Peak #8, DB called up and announced that she was gonna head on up Echo Ridge, the 11,168-foot highpoint of the cluster of nunataks in the Cathedral Peak region. Dropping down to Wilts Col, I followed her up.
Reaching the summit, the views were astonishing.
After enjoying the summit for awhile, we headed back down toward Budd Lake, catching some nice light on the surrounding peaks as afternoon clouds wandered into the sky.
TOPO
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