Sunrise on San Gorgonio, Highest in SoCal at 11,500 ft.

While I tend to write about my most recent trip, there is one that stands out from the recent past that I think needs to be shared. Not every hike is worth writing about, it is the one’s where you had to overcome adversity however that are worth telling.

Several months after my return from my second trip up Mt. Whitney I was in need of something memorable. While looking at the scheduled hikes for the several clubs I belong to I found one that peaked my interest with the SoCal Hikers and Peakbagers. The hike was titled “Full Moon Hike to San Gorgonio Peak” which by itself sounded quite interesting. I read on to learn that it was scheduled to depart at 1AM to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. Rather ambitious I thought given that we would be climbing up 5,500 ft. in less than 9 miles to the highest point in Southern California at 11,500 ft. but it sounded like something I had to do.

I talked a few other friends into joining me and we carpooled out together. We opted to get to the Vivian Creek trailhead around 9PM and sleep there rather than driving out in the middle of the night. We had checked the weather before going and it was going to be cold up top, near freezing, and the wind would be blowing. How much wind was not clear from the reports but around 30MPH was what we were hearing.

We arrived at the dark trailhead and as promised it was illuminated by a full moon. There was a slight breeze but nothing major. We all went to sleep rather quickly and planned on a 12:30AM wakeup. When we woke up we saw some activity in the parking area. This turned out to be the rest of our crew. We got our gear ready and headed out a little after 1AM with the full moon and our headlamps to guide us.

The morning temps were not too bad. I had a couple light layers on and was doing fine. Hiking under the full moon was a great experience. It is odd to see such prominent shadows cast by the moon. Very early into the hike our organizer took a break and said she was going to turn back as we were all too fast for her. We encouraged her to stay with us and that we could adjust our speed to accommodate. We later discovered she had never made it to the top despite 2 prior attempts. Both prior times the elevation had gotten to her as she had become sick and lost all energy to continue.

We pressed onward, briskly, as we were trying to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. My friends and I planned on cooking up a brunch up top and watching the event so the timing was critical. We made good time following the trail bathed in the light from the moon. Shortly after High Creek Camp, one of the trail camps along the way, the wind began to pick up. I put on my fleece and windproof shell and got out my warmer gloves. My fleece headgear and goggles were also put in my pockets so I was ready. We were climbing up to a ridgeline and I knew it would be colder once there as the wind would intensify.

Reaching the ridge brought the expected wind. It was actually a little more intense than we had anticipated. A little further and we had left the treeline and were now completely exposed to the winds and the cold. It was just getting light out, not yet sunrise but getting close. I stopped to take a few pictures and I put on my facemask, ski goggles and beanie to keep warm. I pretty much had everything I brought for clothing on me at this point and it was all zipped and buttoned up. Four layers on my top was doing a good job at keeping my core warm. The thin nylon pants left my legs a little cool but not that bad.

I had been drinking all the way up the mountain from my Camelback bladder but after adding the additional clothing at my last stop had been unable to get any more water through my drink tube. I figured I had kinked the hose when I got stuff out of my pack. We were close to the summit, just a mile or so more so I did not worry about it.

The final stretch to the summit was a little overwhelming. We had strung out a little as some of us were hurrying to make the top for the sunrise. The problem we were encountering, in addition to the cold temps, was that he wind was now blowing at about 40MPH sustained with gusts to over 50MPH! Walking was becoming difficult as the wind would push our legs and trekking poles in all different directions. We basically looked like a bunch of drunks staggering home from the bar.

We arrived on the summit to just catch the sunrise. The full moon was setting at our backs which was a really nice scene if we just had one eye on the back of our heads so we could see both simultaneously. The sunrise over the lunar landscape up top looked very surreal. We had hunkered down into a rock windbreak that was up top. We shopped for a better one and collected ourselves together. It was unclear where everyone in our party was since to poke your head above the windbreak meant a face full of wind and possibly being blown over! I got out my stove and so did my friend. In the intense wind even in the windbreak we could only get my 25 year old MSR XGK stove to light. My three friends were freezing and I was the only one who was moderately warm. We decided that brunch up top was a bad idea but all agreed that some warm beverages would be great. I got water ready and had some hot chocolate. I found out I was not the only one with an issue with their Camelback, all of us were suffering the same problem as the water had frozen solid in the drink tubes and bite valves. Sitting there was only getting us colder so after drinking a little it was time to pack up and get off the summit.

As we stepped out of the windbreak we were again greeted with the full force of the wind. The ladies with us were very cold and took off like sprinters to get down. My friend Jason and I kept a brisk but more appropriate pace. Shortly off the peak and along the ridgeline leading to the summit we came across our hike organizer heading back down as well. The ladies had gotten to her first and realized she was in need of help. Her insulated hat had blown off which was the first sign of a problem. She was nearly delirious, disoriented and was unable to coordinate movement and barely able to speak. She was also feeling rather sick and upset stomach was how it manifested itself. What was worse was that she did not seem to realize the trouble she was in!

As soon as Jason and I arrived on-scene our two ladies made sure we had it handled and dashed off to get out of the wind and into warmer weather below. Jason immediately offered up his fleece headcover and put that on her. We asked if she had anything warmer in her pack and she could barely reply but the answer was no. She wanted to stay put as she felt awful but we knew we had to get her down and out of this wind. Jason and I both worked at zipping her jacket up tight and getting her as warm as possible. I firmly put my arm around her and told her (nearly yelling to communicate over the wind) she needed to walk with me in my wind shadow. I escorted her off the ridge with Jason right next to us to also help block some of the fiercely cold wind that was striking us. Slowly the three of us progressed together.

After getting out of the wind and descending about 500 ft. we stopped to take a break. She still felt terrible but was beginning to come back to life. Her stomach was still upset and we insisted she drink some electrolytes. She thanked us and told us we could go ahead. Jason and I immediately informed her that she was stuck with us for awhile and in no way would we let her fall behind us. We gave her a little more time to collect herself and moved on. We let her take the lead as she was now feeling better after warming up once out of the wind and getting lower. This was her third attempt to summit and by her description, altitude sickness kept her from it the last two times. She made it this time, but at what price?

Jason and I discussed this at length while descending and we concluded it was a blend of AMS (acute mountain sickness) and the onset of hypothermia. We have studied both of these conditions in our wilderness first-aid courses and seen some of the symptoms before but never in combination. The conditions were certainly right for both.

We met back up with the ladies who were sunning themselves like lizards several miles off the peak. They had decided this would be a great place to have brunch. Our hike organizer opted to head on down at her own pace and let us catch her later as we were faster. She was doing much better now and had teamed up with another in our party so we let her go on her way. We prepared a wonderful meal of chicken sausage, peppers, onions, cheese and eggs. It might not have been while watching the sunrise but at least it was warm.

We made our way back down and caught up with our hike organizer. We finished out the hike together and she thanked us for all the help we had provided. It was hard to believe that this person before us now, bubbling personality and full of energy, was in such dire straights less than 4 hours prior.

The hike was fantastic. The additional drama made it all the more memorable. I finally got to put some of my first-aid training to use after years of study and practice scenarios. I got some of my favorite hiking photos that day as well. It pays to know those around you and what issues they have at elevation. Had we known before, we would have kept someone with her at all times. My next trip up this mountain will probably be even colder. I think a winter ascent will be next on the list. At least then I will be better prepared for the cold.

Additional trip photos are available here.

"Over the Hill" Birthday Spent on a VERY Big Hill: Mt. Shasta, 14,179 ft.

How do you celebrate your 40^th birthday in style? Vegas, big party with a band, or doing something worth remembering? I chose the later as I had been planning and preparing for a trip up Mt. Shasta with friends for several months to celebrate this milestone birthday event. As luck would have it, our itinerary happened to have our summit day exactly on my birthday. This was my kind of birthday party!

Mt. Shasta is one of California’s fourteeners, peaks exceeding 14,000 ft. I have already summited 2 others, Mt. Whitney, the highest in the 48 states and its nearby brother, Mt. Muir. Both of these have been summer trips not requiring any special equipment other than gear for a long day hike. Mt. Shasta is a dormant volcano and is covered in loose rock. For this reason, it is safer to climb the mountain in the winter with proper equipment as the snow and ice works like glue to hold the mountain together.

I needed some preparation and new skills for such a trip. I covered most of this in my blog under the heading My Foray into Snow, Ice and Mountaineering and in addition to that I purchased some avalanche protection gear such as an avalanche transceiver, avalanche probe and avalanche shovel. This of course was added to the collection of stuff I already had been using including mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, helmet and snow shoes.

As the day got near for our trip, the weather at Mt. Shasta had taken a turn. Our summit day was to be May 29^th and the weather leading up to that day included cold temps and snow. Our group of 5 whittled down to just two, my friend Jason, an experienced mountaineer with quite a bit of training under his belt, and me, the new guy at this.

We arrived on May 27^th in the town of Mt. Shasta with plans to begin our climb the following morning. We cruised the town and decided to visit the Forest Service office in town where we could get our climbing permits rather than use the self register system at the trailhead. This proved to be a VERY wise decision. While there, we were greeted and queried about our route. We informed them we would be taking the Avalanche Gulch route to the summit and that my friend Jason had done it before. They made us aware of the high avalanche danger due to the recent snowfall and the warming temps that were expected over the next several days. They also advised us on a slight variation of our route that would keep us out of the major avalanche runout areas and we were most appreciative. They then shared the wind data with us for our planned days. According to their data, our summit day had 40+MPH sustained winds along the ridgelines we would be travelling and gusts at the peak exceeding 50MPH. Jason and I had both climbed San Gorgonio Peak before under very similar conditions and did not wish to repeat that. They advised us that if our plans allowed for starting a day later that we would have much better weather for our summit.

We headed to dinner in town and discussed our options. Shifting a day meant I would not summit exactly on my birthday but I would rather make it to the top than have to turn back. We opted for the one day delay. We had brought a motorcycle and an ATV to play around on the day after the climb anyway so we just did that the day before instead. We both felt better about this decision and we both knew our families would be happier with our choice to delay.

The night of May 28^th we headed up to the Bunny Flat trailhead at 6,950 ft. where we found it to be covered in about 10 ft. of snow. As this was a Friday night, lots of others with the same idea were there as well. We set up our tent, prepped as much of our gear as possible and went to sleep. The morning came and it was my 40^th birthday! The skies were blue and there was no wind. One look up high on the mountain however told the story that we were warned about. Spindrift was blowing off every ridge rising hundreds of feet into the air. It was very windy up there and we were happy to be under sunny skies with zero wind down below.

We did our final packing up and made sure we each had our critical gear. I had debated the carrying of my big SLR camera as it weighs several pounds and was planning on just taking my wife’s point and shoot. It was so beautiful out and I wanted to be able to capture this with the best camera I had. When I consulted Jason on my dilemma he said I should take the big one. “Easy to say when you are not the one carrying it” I told him! I made a deal. If he would carry the point and shoot and take pictures of me then I would take the SLR camera. He was sold on the idea and the heavy camera got clipped to my pack.

We headed out, me on snow shoes and Jason on his split board. We were headed to Helen Lake, which due to the expected conditions, is nothing more than a place where a lake would be when not covered in 15 feet of snow and ice. It wasn’t long before we were shedding layers due to the heat. Now it may have only been in the 30’s but when hiking uphill with tons of reflected sunshine off the snow striking us it got hot. Before long we were both down to our t-shirts and were unzipping the legs of our pants for ventilation. It was a very long haul with heavy packs in snow that was becoming softer due to the heat. While the distance was only 3 ½ miles that day it sure felt like 15 or more. We could see where several small avalanches had released on both sides of the path we were taking but we followed the advice from the Forest Service and stayed on the higher ground up the middle. While plenty of people were headed up, they were all down in the avalanche danger area on the main route through Avalanche Gulch. Only one other person was on our route that day and it turned out to be a Forest Ranger who knew the dangers well.

I finally arrived at Helen Lake at 10,500 ft. Jason had been ahead of me most of the way as his split board appeared to be a faster method of travel under these conditions. It was 2PM and I was very hungry. I dropped my pack, got out my stove and proceeded to heat water for a hot meal. I gave Jason my half of the tent and he got started setting it up. Normally we would each have a tent but as I did not have a 4 season tent which can be needed to handle high winds and snow loading we opted to share and reduce the weight we each had to carry.

Once the tent was up and I had eaten and replenished lost fluids, Jason headed on up the hill to get in a good snowboard run on untracked fresh powder. I gladly stayed behind to melt snow for water and improve our camp. I took a stroll through the area to view all of the other tents and shelters and camp improvements. After surveying, I decided I was going to make a couch out of snow that would be the envy of everyone in camp. With my avalanche snow shovel in hand I went to work. Within about a half hour I had a real piece of snow furniture to be proud of. Our couch was complete with insulated foam pad to sit on and a tarp on the back to keep from getting wet when leaning back. It was big enough for three so we could invite a guest over and even had drink holders built into the arms. I made a snow table for the stove in front of it and proceeded to take of my boots and socks and laid down on the couch to watch for Jason’s snowboard descent.

Jason spent at least and hour if not longer making his way up the steep snow slope in front of us headed toward the Red Banks at the top of the bowl named for the reddish colored rock that remains exposed. As soon as I saw him I grabbed the point and shoot camera and took video of his run. He was down in less than a minute and had a huge smile etched on his bearded face. I think it was a combo of a phenomenal board run down and the view of my snow furniture masterpiece he was about to enjoy. We grabbed a seat on the sofa, brewed up some tea and enjoyed a little rest before starting our dinners.

About this time one of the Forest Rangers came by to check on our permits. He was full of great information including the avalanche conditions, routes to the summit, expected weather and average ascent and descent times. As expected, the avalanche danger would be greatest in the late afternoon as the snow softened and we were informed that we should plan to be back to camp no later than noon to avoid the greatest avalanche hazards. We were told the average ascent time is 4-6 hours to make the trip up almost 4,000 vertical ft and 3 ½ miles to the summit at 14,179ft. The descent time is typically half of that.

We worked out the math and decided we wanted to leave around 3AM in the morning which meant an early bedtime. We pre-packed our smaller summit packs and put our water in the tent to keep it from freezing overnight. We crawled into the tent before dark. I didn’t get to sleep until about 10PM and woke up at midnight. My mind was too busy thinking about what laid ahead of me and the full moon shining upon us probably did not help.

Jason’s alarm went off at 2AM and I basically sprang out of the tent as I had been awake for the last few hours. I got the stove started and began melting more snow for our breakfast. We needed to hydrate before leaving camp as we were only taking 2 liters of water each and no stove to make more. The full moon was an awesome sight as well as the string of headlamps already heading up the bowl towards the Red Banks. While waiting for the snow to melt in our pot, I grabbed my camera to take some photos in the near darkness. I had to keep the battery near my body that night to keep it from freezing. I got a few great pictures before starting in on breakfast. We knew we needed a good hot meal to get us going as we would burn energy like crazy on the ascent.

We rolled out of camp at 3:40AM. Later than the 3AM we had planned on but we had factored some extra time into our equation. We joined the long serpentine of headlamps climbing up the bowl towards the Red Banks. Enough people had headed out before us to kick in some rather nice steps in the snow. The climb from camp to the top of the Red Banks is like climbing the stairs up the Washington Monument just over 4 times! I took pictures of the line of climbers ahead and behind me along the way. I even got a shot of the shadow of Mt. Shasta cast across the valley behind us. By the time I reached the chute at the top of the Red Banks I had consumed half of my water and took the opportunity to eat some nuts as I was hungry.

Unfortunately once you make it above the Red Banks all you see is another big uphill climb. Jason and I made our way up that. Once you reach the top it flattens out for a very short stretch and you then reach Misery Hill. At this time the sun had nearly disappeared and the wind had picked up to about 20MPH. Jason who had summited before decided this was the end of the line for him. The snowboarding is no good above here due to exposed rock on these wind scoured ridgelines. He made sure I was OK with his decision and I was as there were many people heading up both ahead and behind me. We both added some extra layers at this time as the wind was sucking the heat right out of us. We said our farewell and agreed to meet back up in camp.

I began heading up Misery Hill. At this point the altitude was beginning to take a toll on me. I had energy but the thought of eating seemed unappealing despite my need to replenish the energy I had already used. I opened a Cliff Bar and took a bite and shoved it back in my pocket. I even tried to drink but just a sip or two was all I could handle. Up Misery Hill I went, wind blasting me and stomach not feeling so good. As I neared the top of Misery Hill I observed something very strange. Nearly ¾ of the people in front of me turned to head back. I was not sure if they saw something ahead that made them turn or what. I did notice that as they were heading down they seemed very happy and quite talkative. I however was not sharing those feelings at this point. I continued to climb onward. I did notice that those who were continuing on all seemed to be wearing helmets, had avalanche shovels, probes and beacons, and all appeared to be well prepared for the weather we were currently facing. I was proud to be equipped just like the others heading up the hill. Nearing the top I suddenly was overcome in pain as my left leg cramped very badly. I thought to myself, "is this really what is going to keep me from the summit?" I stretched it out as best I could and hobbled onward.

At the top of Misery Hill it flattens out again for quite some distance. This was a welcome sight. Just a little further ahead two wonderful things happened almost simultaneously; the summit came into view and the wind stopped. This was a great feeling. I could see people on the summit and by their size I judged the summit was not as far off as it first appeared. Just a little further and I would be there!

The final climb takes you up the rather icy spire to reach the summit. Along the way the smell of sulfer is rather noticeable as there is a fumarole very near the peak. John Muir writes of spending a horrible night on the mountain being frozen on one side and baked by the fumaroles on the other. I thought of his words as I passed. I paused for one of my emotional moments, saying a prayer and thanking all of those who helped me make it this far. I rounded the corner on the spire and finally the peak was before me! There were about a dozen people up there and the sun was beginning to shine upon us once again as the clouds cleared out. Everyone up there had the same feelings as we cheered for each other. We shared cameras so everyone got just the picture they wanted. I signed the log book making sure to thank everyone who supports me through these journeys. My time from the bottom to the top, 5 hours on the nose.

After 20 minutes on top, it was time to head down. It is amazing how easy it is to go down and the joy that overcomes you after reaching the peak. Euphoria is the best word I can use to describe it. As the sun was now shining it made for much better pictures. I took a few on the descent, still having to pull the battery from pocket each time as 10 minutes was about all it would last in the cold. I ran across a group that had camped next to us the night before and I gave them some words of encouragement. I rather quickly descended to the bottom of Misery Hill where I needed to adjust my layers and take a sit down break and eat as my appetite was back. I finished the Cliff Bar started several hours earlier and consumed some electrolyte before putting on my ski pants for the glissade below the Red Banks.

Upon reaching the Red Banks I was happy to see a glissade path that started at the top. I removed my crampons and tucked them away. I was ready to see how far I could slide on my rear back to camp. I hopped in the glissade track and picked up speed. Due to the soft snow conditions and the fact that the path had only been made at most a few hours ago it was not all that fast. Instead of using my ice axe as a brake I found I was using it more as a paddle. What had taken several hours to ascend that morning was clocked off in minutes. The glissade path gave out about ¾ of the way back to camp so I just plunge stepped my way down from there and returned to camp at 11AM, a 2 hour descent from the summit. (Update: We later learned that a natural avalanche was triggered that afternoon and nearly reached camp at Helen Lake. Good thing we planned on getting out of there on the early side to avoid just such a problem!)

I met Jason who was enjoying a rest on the couch. We had planned on having a hot lunch but neither of us were that hungry. We quickly took down the tent, replenished our water supplies and ate a quick snack. I was ready to be done as I was now back to baking in the sun. Jason let me get a head start as I was heading down on foot where he would be able to snowboard all the way back. I left at noon and never stopped until I got to the parking lot. I returned at 1:30PM and Jason had gotten there about a half hour ahead of me as he stopped to rest once he returned to the tree line in the shade. We both cracked open some beers I had packed in snow back at the truck. I was thrilled to have made the top and equally happy to have reached my truck. The beer you drink after reaching the summit of a fourteener is the best beer in the world!

I learned plenty on this trip. Jason was a great resource for information on snow travel. I learned first hand that you can sunburn the underside of your nose and inside your nostrils. I discovered a day later that you can also sunburn your tongue! Don’t ask me how, I just know you can. Since I am a skier I am thinking that the next trip like this will probably be done on backcountry skis as hiking down something I could have skied makes no sense to me.

Once again I have been asked what’s next. How do I top this 40^th birthday trip? Well I am not sure what is next but I do have a Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trip planned for Sept. 2011 already. I will surely do plenty in between now and then so check back here for my future reports.

The full photo journal of this trip is available here.