Walking in a Winter Wonderland: San Jacinto Peak, 10,834 ft.

Walking in a winter Wonderland!

The holiday season is upon us and what better way to get in the Christmas spirit than to go walking in a winter wonderland. Our local peaks are just beginning to get some substantial snowfall so the idea of a snowshoe trip was very appealing. The snow coverage was thought to be too light for a backcountry ski trip here locally but snowshoes would be perfect. I had not been out on my snowshoes since my Mt. Shasta trip a year and a half ago as I have been bitten by the backcountry ski bug. This trip would provide good information on the possible ski conditions on Mt. San Jacinto in the early season and provide a great opportunity to get out in the snow with friends and enjoy the cool weather.

The idea sprang up just a few days prior when my friend Alan had mentioned he was heading up there with the San Jacinto Meetup group for a snowshoe adventure. I made some quick emails and found a few more that wanted to go. I decided I had better check the weather report to see what the forecast was. I was not happy with what I read. While the temps would be cold, 10 to 20 degrees, and there would be light snow that did not really bother me. What I was most unhappy about was the wind forecast of 25 MPH wind with gusts to 50! Since nearly all of my recent winter adventures have involved battling high winds I was really looking forward to a day of minimal interference from blasting snowy winds. I shared my thoughts and firmly stated that I was not up for that however the following day conditions looked much better.

Most people decided to go on the original day, including Alan who had other plans on the next day I had suggested. Fortunately for me, my friend Erica was able to go on the following day which was very fortunate for me for several reasons. I was not going to do this alone so just the fact that she was going meant the trip was on. Secondly, while I grew up in a beach community building sand castles and going body boarding she was raised in Northern Canada and was building snowmen and going snowshoeing, much more appropriate skills for what was before us. In addition to all that, she and her husband have done many winter travels and winter mountaineering courses together so her winter knowledge far outweighs mine.

I got a call from Alan on his way back from his day on the mountain. They did not make the summit and one of the main reasons was the slow and difficult conditions that the snow had presented. He said they were sinking up to their knees very early on and up to their waist in some sections up higher. This makes for very slow travel. He did say that the wind was minimal so at least that was good news. He also informed me that a lady named Ellen from their trip was planning on going the next day and that she was going to look for me at the tram station and try to join us.

Enjoying the easy part of our adventure.

For those that have never been up to the San Jacinto Peak area there are two primary ways to get there. I have been to the summit many times and all of my summer adventures have been variations of beginning over near Idylwild and hiking from there. Typically that is a hike of 15 to 18 miles round trip and 4,000 to 5,000 ft. of elevation gain. Those numbers are just not practical for a winter day hike so the cheater way must used, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which takes you from just above the desert floor up to 8,500 ft. in just about 10 minutes. The route to the summit from the top of the tram is just 5 miles one way by trail but can be shortened to 3 miles in winter by utilizing cross country travel.

The infamous Ellen of San Jacinto on the left.

We arrived at the tram station in time to catch the first one up at 8AM. Erica and I were the only people there that looked like mountaineers so I figured Ellen was a no show. While putting on some of our equipment before getting on the tram along came a lady meeting the description Alan had given me on the phone. She walked right up to me and stuck out her hand for a handshake and said, "You must be Glenn, I'm Ellen." For a lady with a few years on me and white hair she had a firm handshake, a loud voice and appeared to be a battle hardened veteran of this mountain. Erica did not know quite what to think as I had not mentioned that Ellen may be joining us. We boarded the tram almost immediately and it became apparent that Ellen knows everybody on the mountain as she knew every ranger and worker on the mountain we came across and we could see why as she was a very easy person get along with and we all became quick friends.

Up top we stepped out of the tram station (after Ellen was personally greeted by at least 5 other workers on the mountain) and found the conditions to be perfect. No wind, about 20 degrees and partly cloudy skies. We headed down to the ranger station to get our permit. At this point we just let Ellen handle it as it was quite obvious she had done this a few times before (probably over 100) and we strapped on our snowshoes.

We headed out from the ranger station with Ellen in the lead and she shared the experience from the day prior. We were all very thankful for the efforts from the group the prior day as it meant we had a good stamped down path to follow with minimal trail breaking. Erica and I wanted to take the winter route, a much more direct yet steeper route to the summit. Ellen was pleased with our thoughts as the day prior the group had taken a longer more traditional route to the summit and got bogged down in snow drifts and ran out of time far from the summit.

Having fun with friends.

We reached the point where we needed to divert from the beaten path to forge our own trail and attempt to establish this seasons winter route to the summit. Once we got out onto the fresh untracked snow it got much more difficult. While we offered to take the lead, Ellen just kept on marching at the front, breaking trail and doing at least twice the work of Erica and I. We finally stopped to take a break and admired the winter wonderland we were surrounded by. The trees were completely covered in snow, a light snow was falling and we were the only people out there to enjoy it! It was a wonderful feeling.

View of the snow covered trees near the summit.

We began the serious portion of our climb towards the San Jacinto-Miller Saddle. The going was tough not just because we were headed up a very steep incline but also because the bushes on the slope were not fully covered in snow so every step up was met with a sinking into the snow and bushes below. More than once it took several attempts just to make a single step forward due to the slippage and sinking. My long legs and 36 inch long snowshoes were very helpful in getting through this section although we all took turns in the lead as the person breaking trail was exhausted within 10 to 15 minutes at most.

Summit picture on a snowy San J.

As we got higher, the clouds increased and the snow and wind did as well. They were both still light but noticeable. The bushes ceased to be an issue but that was offset by the deeper powder snow we were encountering. We were hungry but the summit was near so we pushed on. We finally reached the summit a little after noon and took our photos. Another couple joined us up top as well. They had been following in the trail we had broken and were most grateful for it. Due to the snow and light wind, we descended back to the hut near the summit for lunch. This hut is an old stone cabin built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps to serve as an emergency shelter. The hut is stocked by hikers with food, water, sleeping bags and other emergency items. It made a great shelter for us to briefly escape the elements and enjoy our lunch while talking with our new friends we just met on the peak.

Ellen invites us into her home away from home near the summit

The hike down was via a different route with Ellen once again in the lead. We opted to link back up with the more traditional trail to the summit to avoid the bushes. Ellen steered us off this trail at the perfect spot to intersect the path that had been beaten in a day earlier which made for a rather easy and fun descent back to the tram station and we arrived back at 4:30 just before dark.

Once back to the amenity filled tram station we could relax a little before catching a ride down the mountain. It is rather fun to see the looks we get as most of the people up there don't venture much farther than a 10 minute walk and some just came up to the top from the desert to see what it is like. They look at our gear, our windburnt faces and crazy hat hair and draw their own conclusions on who and what we are. Some probably just think we are a bunch of smelly homeless people but you still see many who are interested and amazed but are to afraid to ask what all this stuff is for. Others start a conversation and are completely unaware of the peak just 3 miles as the crow flies from where they are standing.

This trip was definitely what I needed to kick start my winter adventures. The weather was good, we made the summit and I got to do it with some new friends. Ellen, who considers San Jacinto Peak one of her family, is the real deal and a very enjoyable person to spend time with. Erica and I were happy to have met her up there and certainly wish to include her in our future travels. Yet another great weekend of making friends while climbing mountains!

Grand Canyon, Rim to Rim in One Day!



View across from South to North.

 Summer has past and we are now into Fall. It has been a great hiking season for me this year. I started the Summer by hiking the Trans Catalina Trail which was an outstanding way to start the season. In late summer I did a 5 day Sierra Trek to attempt some fourteeners in the Palisades Basin. Now with the hiking season drawing to a close we had one final adventure up our sleeves and it had been in the works for a little over a year in planning phases. The last big adventure hike of the year was to be hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a day.

Over the years we have met many hiking friends. Some of them we meet on the trail, others are family and friends, and sometimes we even find that our clients have the same passion for the outdoors we do. That was the case when we discovered that our wonderful business contacts at Heritage Foods shared the same love of long hikes to incredible locations we do. Our main contact there, Gayle, has been hiking for many years and is out on the trail as often if not more than us. We share our hiking adventures and last year friends Clark, Michelle and Steve joined Gayle and her group for a February hike at the Grand Canyon to do a South Rim to river and back up. Gayle's group had been making plans for this years Rim to Rim (R2R) hike for over a year and asked if we would like to join them. We couldn't resist, we had to say yes!

Gayle's group of hikers has done the backpacking thing and overnight hikes for a lot longer than my group of hikers. They have done all the big stuff we have embarked on, they just did it a few more years ago than us. They prefer to stay in lodges and hotels and skip on the freezing nights on lumpy, uneven ground and eating your meals out of a ziplock bag. They have substituted pleasantly scented body lotion for the smell of insect repellent and prefer a meal that requires reservations instead of rehydrating. In the end, who can blame them, it sounds like a much better deal to me as well!

The reason the planning for this hike was started so long ago revolves around our intended starting point. We were going to hike the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim. Accommodations at the North Rim can be hard to come by and book up very fast. You can make reservations up to one year in advance and Gayle had suggested we get on the phone exactly 1 year in advance at 8AM to make those room reservations. My coworkers wife Michelle was on the phone early that morning to get our reservation made for the North Rim. The trip planning was officially started and the rest would fall into place over the next year.



As we approached our final few weeks before the hike we all needed to finalize our plans. Room reservations for the South Rim had been made and dinner reservations for the main dining rooms in the lodges were set. Initially we were going to ride over with our friends from Heritage Foods and they had non-hikers going along to shuttle cars and gear the 200 mile drive from the North Rim to the South. We found out with two weeks to go that the empty seats we thought were available to us were not and we needed to arrange transportation. I volunteered/coerced my parents to drive us out there and offered to bring my youngest, Eric along for the ride. What Grandparent could resist a 3 day road trip to the Grand Canyon with their Grandchild on board? We were able to grab an extra room at the North Rim from a person in our party of 25 hikers that had to cancel and were lucky enough to get an extra room at the South Rim on short notice. The trip was on!



We finally arrive at the North Rim.



It is a VERY long drive out to the North Rim. We left at 3:30AM and did not arrive at the North Rim until nearly 4PM. Part of that was our route which my Dad had chosen. He wanted to go the southerly route rather than what looked like the shorter northern route but he was driving so who was I to complain. Others in our group left around 6AM and arrived about the same time by going the northern way but we did get to see the eastern end of the Grand Canyon which was very impressive.

We all gathered on one of the big viewing patios at the North Rim Lodge for drinks and socializing. The views from these lookouts are incredible and it iwas such a wonderful way to celebrate our arrival. We all had dinner in the main dining room which hangs on the edge of the majestic cliffs that rise from below. This has to be one of the best dining room views I have ever seen!



Ready to go at 5:15AM at the North Kaibab trailhead.

 We met the following morning at 4:45AM to be shuttled off to the trailhead just a mile or so away. Since we would be hiking nearly 25 miles that day we didn't see the need to wander an extra mile down a paved road in the dark and found a few seats among the car shuttlers that morning. The trailhead was quite a hub of activity. R2R is a popular hike and run. We came across quite a few trail runners doing the same thing that morning. We took some pictures in the darkness and were off at 5:15AM. Our intended route was to follow the North Kaibab Trail all the way to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then take the Bright Angel Trail to ascend the South Rim where we would climb out of the canyon right at the main lodge and tourist mecca of the Grand Canyon National Park.



One of the first pictures that morning at first light.

 The beginning of the hike from the North Rim on the North Kaibab trail is rather steep with lots of switchbacks. It was also very dusty and you had to dodge the mule dung on the trail. It was very different to begin a hike with a long descent, and upside down hike as they are referred to. Conversation fills the time as the lack of a view other than the illuminated spot in front of your feet leaves plenty of idle time for your brain. After we reached Supai Tunnel a few miles down the light was just beginning to break through. Mules are not allowed past this point so the trail is hikers only and was much less dusty. I stowed my headlamp and attempted some early morning pictures. The view that was developing was incredible. We were in an area of intensely dark red/brown rock with a very steep switchbacking trail below us. The pictures were difficult to take as I had to prop the camera on a rock as the exposure times were 13 seconds or greater which really limited what I could take a photo of. At least now we could set off without having to look down to see where we were stepping and the views were getting better all the time.

We descended steeply down to a bridge where we could now look up the trail we had just come down and got a real feel for how steep this section is. You could see others in our party spread out along the trail by looking for their headlamps as many still had them on. It was a shame it was not an hour or so later as the views in this area were so incredible. The grand vistas of the canyon itself had not opened up yet but the view of the smaller canyon we just descended was picturesque all by itself.



The ledges.

 Shortly after the bridge we came to a section of the trail that I will refer to as the ledges. The ledges were rather wide, 4 ft. or so, with a vertical wall to our right as well as our left. The one on the right went vertically straight up, the one on the left went vertical straight down! The pictures make it look frightening but in reality we did not even notice that we were feet from impending doom as the views just kept getting better. The trail had mellowed out a bit and the descent was very pleasant. We took lots of pictures through this section and it did not look like what I had expected, it was much better!

Before long we had reached the bottom of the canyon we were descending as it merged with the Bright Angel Creek. This creek flows down to the Colorado River and we would be following it for the next 7 or so miles. There was a nice waterfall and shortly after a bathroom and water stop. Most of the group of 25 hikers wound up congregating here as we ate a snack, refilled water supplies and emptied our personal waste fluid reservoirs, our bladders!



Our trip coordinator Gayle in the blue hat and most of her crew.



Easy hiking along the bottom of the canyon.

 Back on the trail the next 7 miles to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon were magical. The trail was nearly flat and easy to follow. We were hiking along the creek and the views of the Grand Canyon were all around us. At one point the valley we were in opened up enough that we could see the Bright Angel Trail way off in the distance. It looked so far away, and so much higher than we currently were! We passed Cottonwood camp and had about 4 miles to go to reach Phantom Ranch. Somewhere in this section the valley closes up to become a slot canyon very indicative of the trails in Zion National Park. We followed along with the steep canyon walls on both sides and the creek adjacent to the trail. This was very different than the last two sections which is what is so appealing about this hike as it is constantly changing.



We arrive at Phantom Ranch.

 We finally arrived at Phantom Ranch, a destination many have been to before but typically by mule rather than on foot. There is camping and a few cabins there along with a small store for snacks and a meal if you arranged it ahead of time. We took a quick lunch break here at about 11:30AM and once again refilled with water. While it was cold up on the North Rim, we were now 5,500 ft. lower and it was getting rather warm. The forecast called for possible afternoon thundershowers and by the looks of the sky, the clouds were building and the sun was soon to be tucked away behind the clouds. Due to the heat, I was not complaining one bit about the chance of a little rain.

Our smaller group of four which consisted of Clark, Michelle, our friend Steve and myself decided to get moving. We had determined prior to our arrival that we would climb the Bright Angel Trail. Others in the group left the decision to be made on the trail. While they were deciding, we headed out as the rain looked likely and Clark and I really wanted to swim or at least soak our feet in the river.



Our bridge across the river.

 We crossed a very impressive suspension bridge that was erected to support a water pipe across the Colorado River that feeds all the water needs of the South Rim. They were nice enough to build a platform on top of it with good handrails for us hikers to cross and reach the other side. The Colorado River was flowing quite rapidly and our idea of swimming in it was not looking so good. We would have to find a very sheltered location along the river for a swim or else our hike might end with Clark and I reaching Lake Mead!



The view upriver from the bridge.

 Once on the far side of the river we found a nice rest stop with a wonderful fast flowing creek shortly up the Bright Angel Trail. We stopped here as Steve needed to do some foot repair and the rest of us wanted to soak our feet in the cold water and put on a fresh pair of socks. We took the opportunity to rehydrate and cool our feet before continuing onward. We all knew the route from here was up and the three I was with had done this section of the trail back in February. About this time we heard a loud clap of thunder which told us that the predicted weather would soon be upon us. This was all the motivation we needed to get our gear packed back up and hit the trail.


Michelle breaks out the rain jacket.



One of the great views behind us as we reached Indian Gardens.

As expected, a light rain had begun. We also reached a fairly steep switchback section as we climbed up out of the river gorge. The rain would come and go and only Michelle put on a rain jacket only to find that was too hot and the rain not heavy enough to worry about so it came off shortly thereafter. Every now and then we had to remind ourselves to stop and turn around as the views behind us were magnificent! The trail traveled a fairly open area and wide vistas of the belly of the Grand Canyon were before us. Before long we encountered more greenery and trees indicating were near Indian Gardens, a popular destination for many hiking down from the South Rim.



Steve poses by one of many signs
telling you to never go from the rim
to the river and back in a day. Hahh!!

 Our arrival at Indian Gardens was one of mixed emotions. We were that much closer to our ultimate destination, only 4 1/2 miles to go, but it also meant that the peace and tranquility we had enjoyed all morning was coming to an end. Indian Gardens is a popular destination for day hikers. There were quite a few people there wearing jeans that looked completely unprepared especially considering the return trip back up to the rim. We took a quick water and snack break and were on our way. From here on to the rim there are water and bathroom stops every mile and a half. We carried little water knowing that the next stop was not far ahead to reduce the weight on our backs during this final steep section of trail.



About halfway up the switchbacks looking across the canyon.



The switchbacks got steeper, much steeper and the rim was visible but I got a cramp in my neck looking up so high to see it! We all stuck together up to the three mile to go point where I chugged some additional water and had some electrolytes. I had a small amount of water on me as I had drank my fill at the rest stop. I set out on a solid pace, quicker than the others wanted to go. We had decided ahead of time that we would all hike our own pace to finish out the hike. I wanted to finish in under 12 hours and kept my pace accordingly. I hiked right past the final rest/water stop as I felt as if I stopped I would never get going again. As I neared the top of the rim the trail was loaded with Asian tourists as if several tour buses unloaded them and sent them down the trail. While others complained that they blocked the whole trail and they had a hard time getting by I did not experience this. While the trail was loaded with people, I think the combination of my 6'5" size, speed and certainly smell parted the visiting tourists as I sped by. I reached the top of the South Rim at 4:45PM, 11 1/2 hours after starting that morning.

I was very happy to be on the South Rim!

Reaching the rim was fantastic but now I needed to find my parents so I could get into my room. Flashbacks of finishing the Rosarito to Ensenada bike race went through my head as I finished the race in just under 3 hours and then spent the next three hours trying to find my parents in a foreign country! Lucky for me, I quickly spotted my Dad and son Eric sharing an ice cream cone in front of the Bright Angel Lodge. I staggered over to them and gave them both a big hug. I had a seat and devoured what was left of the ice cream. I told them the quick version of the days adventure while we waited for the rest of my immediate group to complete the hike. After about 15 minutes I decided I would head back to the end of the trail to keep an eye out. I discovered that I could barely walk! I stretched out my very sore muscles and regained my ability to walk.

Right on the 12 hour mark from when we started the rest of our immediate group appeared at the top. Michelle headed directly to get checked into her room while Clark, Steve and I staggered around a little along the touristy South Rim area before stumbling over to our adjacent rooms. We got cleaned up and headed over to the El Tovar Lodge to make our 7:30 dinner reservation that Michelle had optimistically placed over a month prior. We once again enjoyed a fantastic dinner and appreciated the fact that we did not have to cook it on a backpacking stove. We learned that a few hikers from our group were just finishing as some had opted for the shorter, yet steeper South Kaibab trail. Many missed their dinner reservations or were just to darn exhausted to make it to dinner. We spotted Gayle on our way back to our rooms that night. She had a bag of ice and was going to take and ice bath to relieve her tired muscles. She claimed it worked well but I much prefer the warm bath I took to accomplish the same thing!

With the whole hike complete we had a chance to compare our thoughts. We all agreed that the trip was just too short, 3 days in total, and we would much prefer to spend lots more time here exploring the area.The North Rim was an awesome experience and would have been a great place to spend a full day to really soak in all the beauty. The hike itself was not really that difficult as elevation was not a big factor. The final three miles were difficult but out of 25 miles to have 3 uphill strenuous miles is a small price to pay. The logistics of this trip were very complicated including lodging, transportation and car/gear shuttling. I cannot begin to fathom the logistical nightmare of a Himalayan expedition including flights, gear requisition and transportation and everything else that goes along with it. We just travelled to an adjacent state and it was a difficult task!

We all agreed we would do it again. Our planning was good and our equipment worked perfectly. We seem to be getting better at this stuff as we go as we are learning fewer lessons the hard way. A multi day trip through the canyon would sure be fun to explore all the other trails that are down there. They will just have to wait until we return.

Click here for the full set of photos from our trip.

Three Fourteeners in Five Days: We Were Crazy!

Camp in the Palisades Basin

With no California fourteeners under my belt for this year I was feeling a little behind on my goal to climb them all. My spring attempt on Split Mountain as detailed in a recent blog post led to failure due to deteriorating weather conditions that would have been disastrous had we pushed onward. To attempt to redeem myself I hatched a plan to attempt three of the fourteeners in the Palisades region of the Sierras in a single 5 day trek. To pull it off would be a trifecta on some of the most remote of the big peaks.

The master plan was to summit Thunderbolt Peak (14,003 ft.), North Palisade (14,242 ft.) and Mt. Sill (14,153 ft.) on consecutive days. The approach would be from the western side of the range by starting at South Lake in the Sierra's above Bishop, CA. The route would take us over Bishop Pass and then Thunderbolt Pass before dropping into the Palisades Basin to make base camp. From there we would complete Thunderbolt and North Pal before as well as a 6 mile out and back day excursion to Mt. Sill after crossing over Potluck Pass. A grand plan for sure.....why wouldn't it work?

As Thunderbolt and North Pal include class 3,4 and possibly a little class 5 climbing, I would need a few people with rock climbing skills far better than mine on the team. I put the word out to round up some friends that meet these requirements. Unfortunately, one by one I kept getting responses from them that they already had plans for the Labor Day weekend I had obtained a permit for. One of the best prospects I had, I lady named Heidi whom I had met a year ago while climbing Mt. Tyndall, reported that she would love to join us but had broken her foot a month prior and was awaiting the doctors OK to proceed with her major rock climbing agenda. Unfortunately the OK did not come and her grand plans of climbing big rock walls were on hold for a little longer. My good adventure pal Jason was onboard early on and he has been doing quite a bit of climbing lately. Between the two of us we figured we could handle the tough stuff but would be happier with a more experienced climber on the team. We had a couple other regular hiking friends decide to join us, Aleshia and Alex who had no plans on climbing the 2 hardest but thought by the sound of it that Mt. Sill would be possible for them. We had a solid group of four of us ready to go and the trip was on!

Alex was so excited to get out on a backpack trip that he had his food purchased and his bag packed three days in advance. The day we were to depart I got a call from him, and he sounded concerned. Apparently while working out at the gym on the day of our departure he developed a major hernia. The pain was manageable but a quick visit to the doctor told him what he already knew, he was not going to be able to join us. Once again I was faced with plenty of group leader anxiety and issues and we had not even left home yet!

I shared the news with the group and everybody was sad to hear the news but also affirmed their commitment to the trek. We were still on and heading out in a matter of hours.

Starting off at the Bishop Pass Trailhead.

We arrived at the Bishop Pass trailhead near South Lake around 12:30AM. We quickly got to sleep, one in the cab of my truck and the other two of us in the bed. We planned it this way so we could at least acclimatize at 10,000 ft. at the trailhead before heading out in the morning. The day would have us climbing as high as 12,400 ft. over Thunderbolt Pass so we could use all the time at high altitude before we started as possible.

Hanging out with Kurt Wedberg. Aleshia and Kurt look very happy!

By 9AM the next morning we were ready to go. We headed out on the Bishop Pass trail which is one of the most beautiful areas I have hiked. The trail follows along a series of lakes in a wooded valley with grand views of snow laden ridges and peaks all around.  After four rather easy miles we reached the switchbacks heading up Bishop Pass. Just about this time while we had stopped to take a break we came across a couple other guys on the trail. Jason looked at them and said, "Kurt, is that you?" It turns out it was Kurt Wedberg who runs Sierra Mountaineering International, an accomplished mountain guide, instructor and two time Mt. Everest summiter. Both Jason and I have taken courses with Kurt and his operation including Snow Travel, Crevasse Rescue and Snow Anchors as well as the Avalanche Awareness Level 1 course. He was leading a client to climb North Palisade on this day. We shared that it was one of our destinations and discovered that we were planning to camp in the same area as them. They were on their way and we told them we would see them that night most likely.

At the top of Bishop Pass.

The climb up Bishop Pass to nearly 12,000 ft was difficult. It would not have been so bad except Jason and I each had all of our climbing gear. This consisted of about 20 additional pounds of stuff each including a rope, helmets, ice axes, numerous slings and carabiners plus all the climbing protection devices including cams, tricams and stoppers. We reached the top of the pass and took a well deserved break. Aleshia was doing extremely well, especially considering that this was only her second major backpacking trip and her first time at such a high altitude. We ate a quick snack and began to proceed onward to Thunderbolt Pass.

Thunderbolt Pass way off in the distance, the low spot on the ridge.

This next section of the trek was much more difficult than I had imagined. The route to Thunderbolt Pass is entirely off trail, class 2 as it is known. We could see the pass far off in the distance as a low spot on a ridge adjacent to the Palisades. The difficulty is that we had to traverse 3 or more miles along rocky cliff bands and boulder fields. It was very slow going and involved a little backtracking from time to time. The final boulder field and snow traverse were difficult as was late in the day, the going was slow and meticulous, and the snow crossing had to be done carefully. Not only was this traverse physically difficult but it was also mentally taxing. We finally reached the top of the pass and could look down to where we would camp. We carefully picked our way down about 400ft. through more boulders and rock ledges before arriving at what looked like a good spot to camp with several nearby creeks and tarns and a few flat spots for tents and dining. We had arrived at last. The sun had already set so we quickly set up our tents to get some much needed rest after our arduous day.

One thing you look forward to on a backpacking trip is food. We had worked out a plan that each of us was responsible to come up with something really special for dinner to feed all three of us. This would cover our first three dinners and we then planned a personal dinner for the last day. Jason wasn't thinking this was a great idea until I told him it was his loss as Aleshia would be testing a new recipe that included filet mignon, blue cheese crumbles and loaded mashed potatoes. He laughed at first but after I convinced him I was not pulling his leg he was in full support of this plan!

The dinner, as advertised, was nothing less than awesome. After such a grueling day a wonderful meal was well deserved. Aleshia had precooked the filet and all that was needed was hot water to warm it up. It was a single freezer bag meal so the prep was simple and it was fantastic. We ate by headlamp as it was now dark, not quite a candlelight dinner but very close!

While enjoying our romantic dinner for three we discussed our plan for the next day. We initially planned on doing Mt. Sill together but the thought of doing a long 6 mile off trail hike that would take something like 10 to 12 hours to complete sounded like a bit much following the long trek in. Jason and I thought we would do Thunderbolt Peak which was just above our camp. It was projected to take about 6 hours and we daydreamed of visiting the lake below camp upon our return for a swim.

The morning came and we were in no hurry to get up. Aleshia had worn everything she had to bed to stay warm. She had on about 4 layers top to bottom and still was cold despite a 30 degree rated down bag. She asked Jason and I how we did, she was shocked to find out we both were sweating and had opened up our bags to stay a little cooler! I was in a tent and Jason was outside in his bivy sack! While my bag was rated for 10 degrees F and Jason's was rated down to -20F we wore minimal clothing to bed. More on this topic later.

Jason and I ready head up the chute above us.

Jason and were ready to go at just before 9AM. Aleshia saw us off and she was going to head down to the lake below to enjoy a rest day. Jason and I told her we would back around 3-6PM most likely but not to worry until after 7PM. We also advised her that if we did not return that she should wait out the night and not to leave until the morning for help if we did not return. I think she was a little overwhelmed with how casually we spoke of such an event but a plan must be in place no matter how unlikely it might be.

Jason and I, adorned with climbing harnesses, helmets and other climbing gear, headed off towards the Thunderbolt Southwest Chute #1. The approach is rather steep on large rock that slowly narrows and becomes small VERY loose rock. We followed the climbing guides we had read so many times and etched into our brains from Secor as well as Burns and Richins. A short way up the chute, Jason about 20 ft. ahead, dislodged a soccer ball sized stone. He appropriately yelled "ROCK!!!" to alert me to the issue. I watched it pickup speed as it neared me. It was tumbling down about 5 ft. left of me provided it stayed on the same trajectory. I was on high alert watching for any deviation that would send it my way. Fortunately as it neared I took a solid step away from it to gain distance and it harmlessly sped by. We took this as a sign to stay close together so that any rocks we might break loose would not have a chance to gain sufficient inertia to cause mass bodily harm like the last one.

Jason leads the way on the ledges.

We reached a point in the chute where it was advised that we climb some class 3 rock on the right side of the chute to get around a chockstone that blocked the route ahead. We found one of the series of ledges that can be climbed and started up it. While it was rather exposed, the handholds and footholds were plentiful and made for easy climbing. We continued moving upwards and the bypass led back into the chute a little later. By 11:30AM we had reached the top of the chute and all that stood between us and the summit was a few hundred feet of nearly vertical rock. A little class 4 climbing and we would be on the summit provided we could find the easiest route. To our surprise, we saw a few climbers who had gotten a much earlier start than us descending this wall of rock via a rappel. When the first climber reached our location we realized it was Kurt's client and Kurt soon followed. They has informed us that they attempted North Pal but diverted to Thunderbolt as there was too much snow and ice in the chutes. We knew from a prior discussion that they planned on using the same route we did (the LeConte variation) and if a two time Everest summiter thought it was too risky for his client that we would benefit from his vast knowledge and scratch that from our plans as well.

Kurt descends the vertical wall to the summit.

It was now noon. We broke out the rope and all our slings and other climbing gear from our packs. We looked straight up and could see what we thought was the summit but were not sure. All the climbing guides mention finding a crack and ledge system to follow around to the other side where there is easier climbing. We made fairly quick work of about the first 100 ft. and Jason set up an anchor and then top rope belayed me to his position. We both looked around and it seemed the best way was straight up. Jason proceeded to explore up above us while I belayed him. After attempting several different routes Jason had figured that this was not the correct way. All this time I was sandwiched in a narrow crevasse, anchored to the rock, watching him as I belayed. He finally down climbed back to my location and set off on a different direction to explore and hopefully find the way. While freezing in my shaded crevasse, I kept hoping to hear him shout out that he was on the summit and I would then be close behind. Unfortunately the time kept rolling on, him searching, me freezing with no way to get warm as both my hands had the most important climbing job between partners, maintaining a belay so that if he slipped I would arrest his fall.

The sun finally hits my foot as I belay.

While sitting there for what seemed like hours, my clock/altimeter was in my pocket and I could not reach it, visions of the movie 127 Hours went through my head. While I was not physically trapped with no escape, I was in a location that was cold and shaded with no real way to move until my job as the belayer was over. The sun had moved such that I could occasionally put my foot or elbow out enough to get a little of the sunshine which was a great feeling. I expressed my situation to Jason who was out of sight that I would really appreciate it if he could set an anchor and belay me over to somewhere sunny. While I was wearing long pants, a shirt plus a down jacket, the long exposure to the shade plus the fact that I had not had food for what seemed like hours was taking it's toll on me. Jason had to be near exhaustion as well from all the climbing and route finding so it was time to regroup.

Jason and I meet up again on a rather exposed ledge.

Jason belayed me up to a very exposed perch he had anchored at. The views were incredible and the summit appeared to be just above. We were both convinced that we were now on the correct route as mentioned in our readings. He asked what time it was and I was almost afraid to tell him. I had watched the progress of the sun and I knew many hours had passed. He thought it was about 1PM and I shook my head. The time was 4PM! It had taken 4 hours to make what really amounted to about 100 vertical feet of headway towards our goal. We both realized that to continue onward was foolish and might very likely mean spending the night on the mountain which neither of us wanted to do. It was very hard to come so far and have the summit in sight just 100 ft. above and have to turn back but no mountain is worth your life, especially for a couple of family guys. We did agree that we needed to eat something before beginning our retreat back down and we enjoyed the view while we ate a small snack, our first since breakfast that morning.

Jason raps down to the chute.

Our attention now turned to our first major obstacle, we needed to rappel back down to the chute where we could put the rope away and travel on the easier (note I did not say easy) ground we had traveled up in the chute. It took awhile to find a suitable anchor to sling for our rappel. We finally found one and I volunteered to go first. I love to rappel even though it is the most dangerous roped climbing activity because all your trust is in the anchor and the rope. When climbing these are just there in case you slip, on a rap it is all you've got! I made it down without incident and Jason soon followed.

Once in the relative safety of the chute I looked down it. I could not believe what I saw. The route up the chute which seemed steep but secure looked absolutely frightening from this angle! I was awestruck that we actually came up this like it was no big deal. We headed back down and enjoyed the warmth and relative safety of the chute. Not out of the woods yet by any means but we were much happier than the exposure we were facing just a short while ago. The next big hurdle was still below us as the chute would reach the chockstone and go vertical. We diverted as before and had a difficult time finding a good route down. The way down always looks harder than the way up and this proved to be no exception. It was getting late, near 7PM, and we both worried about getting down before dark plus we were concerned for our friend Aleshia who was waiting for us down below and we certainly would not be back by even our late return estimate of 7PM. We spent a lot of time trying to find either a good route to downclimb around the chockstone or a good anchor point to put a sling on and rappel back into the chute. We were not having much luck finding either. Finally Jason spotted what looked like a route down and we proceeded to downclimb it all the way back to the chute. Upon reaching the base of the downclimb we both breathed a sigh of relief. The last major obstacle had been surmounted and now we just needed to not dislodge a rock in the steep chute and we should be home free! We got within view of camp and called out for Aleshia and waved our arms so that she could see two people descending to help relieve her of any anxiety she must have been feeling at that time.

Completely exhausted both physically and mentally we rolled into camp and met up with Aleshia. She congratulated us and asked us how we did. I told her to give me a minute and stumbled closer to her, literally dropped my pack and asked for a hug. I then apologized for being late back to camp and causing her to worry about us. We told our stories of our climb while she shared her adventure to the wonderful lake a short hike below camp.

It was Jason's turn for dinner and he made chicken stuffing with a twist. He had cooked up some chicken at home and kept it cold on a snow bank near camp until now. Our chicken stuffing had fresh chicken, some additional spices and was topped off by some fresh celery he had brought. It was a simple meal but boy was it good. We were both extremely hungry after our day out and we ate every last bit.

Over tea that evening we discussed our future plans. Jason and I had already given up on North Pal due to the reports from Kurt on our route. Neither of us were that excited to do a 6 mile off trail trek to Mt. Sill over loose rock quite probably facing the same type of conditions we had just encountered in the chute. Aleshia was not keen on that either so we decided that the next day would be a lazy day exploring the lake below camp. Before bed we suggested that Aleshia who was freezing the night before might want to use her space blanket under her sleeping bag to help insulate her a little better. I did offer her a spot in my tent if she was too cold as Jason and I have discovered on our winter trips that our tent stays quite nice inside with the two of us in it. We all went to bed and once again Jason and I sweated while she froze, I never heard a knock on my tent door either.

Upper Barrett Lake below me.

We lazily got up for day three and were in no hurry to do anything. We set off to explore the upper of the Barrett Lakes in the Palisade Basin a little below camp. Once we arrived at the lake we found a beautiful meadow where we could wade in the water, swim and have a fine lunch while soaking our feet. Jason was the first daring one to jump in the lake. It was cold but he said it felt good. I broke out a mozzarella, prosciutto and basil roll and sliced it up and served it on crackers with a little Grey Poupon, but of course. What a contrast to the day before!

Aleshia and Jason show off lunch.

Upon finishing lunch we explored the lake. Fish were supposed to have been eradicated from this lake as they were not native here. The Forest Service was trying to bring back the yellow legged toad which originally lived in these lakes but had been eliminated with the introduction of trout. Jason was extremely upset to find out that there were a few trout in this lake. He was upset not because of the fish but rather that he had left his fishing pole at home! Before we left the lake we all decided to take a Sierra shower, a cold dip in the lake, and dry out before returning to our camp.

Back at camp it was my night for dinner. We were all happy to be able to enjoy an earlier dinner than the last few nights that would not involve headlamps. Aleshia was the first to notice that the clouds we had observed earlier to the west were now dumping rain. It looked like those on the John Muir Trail far below and to the west were getting soaked but the clouds did not appear to be moving our way so for now we were safe. My recently developed trail tacos recipe was on that nights menu. We had all been looking forward to it as we had sampled it on the Bridge to Nowhere hike where I have detailed the recipe. We enjoyed our dinner and I was proud to be awarded the best group dinner. All of them were good but this one not only tastes great but also is very visually appealing with fresh avocado, cheese and salsa completing the color palette.

My award winning Trail Tacos.

Since Aleshia was cold the last two nights, we asked a few more probing questions as by our estimations, she was doing everything right and it did not make sense. I asked her if her air mattress was insulated.......no was the reply. Eureka! I think we just discovered the issue. As I had been roasting the last few nights I gladly offered to swap her my insulated air mattress for hers. I had to assure her that I would be fine to get her to take it as she did not want me to be cold. That night was great, I finally zipped up my bag so my temps were just right and she wound up stripping off several layers of clothing as she was finally too warm. A good lesson to be learned there for sure.

Looking back towards Bishop Pass from our final camp.

We had decided the night before that rather than trying to hike out in a single day that we would enjoy ourselves and hike back in two days. We packed up in the morning and and began the long off trail hike back over to Bishop Pass. It took us until a little after 1PM to get to the top of of the pass despite using a much better high route on our return. We had spotted some beautiful lakes from the top of the pass and settled on making camp somewhere near Bishop Lake just below us at the bottom of the switchbacks. We set up camp and goofed off all afternoon. Now the fact that Jason had not brought a fishing pole was really eating at him as the fish were taunting him, leaping out of the water just in front of him. We all took another Sierra shower and explored. I opted to sleep out on this final night as we were lower and the bugs were not too bad. Without a group dinner officially planned we all ate what we had left in our bear canisters and consumed the remaining beverages we had. I had a great time taking pictures both before and after dark. It would have been nice to have a tripod but I made do with rocks to get some low light and night shots before heading to bed. I traded air mattresses with Aleshia again so she would be warm and I would be comfortable as well.

Peak 12689 eclipsing the moon above camp.

The morning came and it was time to make a quick packup and head back to the truck. We wanted to have lunch in Bishop and only had 4 miles to hike out so this was to be by far the easiest day yet. We got on the trail at 9AM and planned on being back at the truck at 11AM. The hike out was lovely and gave me time to reflect on the trip. Doing three fourteeners was perhaps overly aggressive. The long hike in was much more than I had expected especially with the difficult off trail portion. I was disappointed to have not summited even one of the fourteeners. At the time I was descending Thunderbolt I know I was ready to throw in the towel on the whole idea of climbing the California fourteeners. It is painful to think about going back to just complete the last 100ft. but with the knowledge I now have I think it would be much easier, especially if we have a little more rock climbing experience under our belt.

Within the last two miles of the trek we came across a group of people hiking up the trail. It appeared to be some teenage kids hiking out front, the parents in the middle and their grandfather pulling up the rear. It reminded me of how fortunate I am to have been hiking with both my boys, my sister and my parents as recently as a week prior up in Mammoth. I thought to myself that I only hope I am so lucky as to be brought along on the trail by my boys with their families in another 35 years to share in their experiences on the trail. The thought of this brought a tear to my eye much as it does even as I write this. Perhaps they will be taking me to complete that fourteener that evaded my grasp so many years ago.

For the full slide show of this trip please click here.

Alpenglow on the Palisades. Thunderbolt Peak left of center and North Palisade right of center.

Backpacking the Bridge To Nowhere

The Bridge To Nowhere

With the record year of rain and snowfall, the local mountains have been full of water in the creeks and rivers late into the summer. The East Fork of the San Gabriel River is a popular spot for many hikers, gold panners and day adventurers as they are drawn to the cool and refreshing waters of this river that are so easily accessed in the mountains above Azusa, CA. The most popular hiking destination in this area these days is the Bridge to Nowhere, a bridge built in 1936 deep back in the canyon of the East Fork. The history on this bridge is quite interesting but in summary it was built to complete a road that got washed out and was later abandoned in 1938 leaving a bridge, in the middle of nowhere, that dead ends into the side of a mountain. A very strange sight to come across in the middle of the wilderness indeed!

A group of eight of us headed back to overnight somewhere near the bridge. It has changed a lot since I did this when I was around 19 and mountain biked/hiked my way back there with a few friends. Back then we wore backpacks and rode our bikes mostly on trail but a little on portions of the old road. Back then we slept on the bridge itself. Today there are only vague traces of the fact there was a road there at all as most has been washed away. Amazing what 20 years of erosion has done this area since I was last there. The bridge is also now overrun by bungee jumpers and us hikers are allowed to cross but not loiter on the bridge. Back when I went there on a mountain bike the three of us on the trip were the only people that made it to the bridge that day, now nearly 100 people are gathered on it on the weekend.

Jason's piece of driftwood points the way.

The trip back to the bridge is not necessarily difficult but does require a little determination. The trail in areas can be hard to follow and multiple use trails and river crossings make this task more difficult. It can get rather warm during the summer but the cool water is very refreshing, in fact we looked forward to the water crossings as an opportunity to cool off.

Upriver exploration

Jason and I practice our rock climbing technique and anchors

Mike enjoys our swimming hole adjacent to camp

The great news about this rather popular and heavily traveled area is that once you pass the bridge and continue hiking up the river into the narrows, the crowds nearly disappear! Our plan was to pass the bridge and find a suitable camping location to make camp at and then do whatever each of us felt like doing. Between a half mile to a mile past the bridge we came across numerous camp sites, some occupied, others available but to small, and finally one that met our requirements. It was big enough for all the tents, and nice rocks to sit on and a great swimming hole and cascade in the river next to camp. We quickly set up camp and immediately afterward proceeded to go swimming. After a few hour swim and sunning session we broke up and went different ways. Several headed up river to explore, Mike stayed around camp to test his luck gold panning, while Jason and I practiced our rope and anchor systems for an upcoming trip to the Sierras where we will likely need to place anchors and use a rope for protection on some class 4 routes up a few fourteeners. The afternoon was hot and the rock we were climbing was scalding our hands at times but we all accomplished what we wanted and rolled back into camp around 6:30.

Clark's chicken quesadillas, always a great appetizer

Our evening was just a giant food fest! Clark kicked it off with making some chicken quesadillas complete with fresh avocado. Others had some store bought freeze dried meals, tried and true freezer bag meals and Jason cooked up some peppers, onions and sausage. I had worked up a new freezer bag meal to test for making burritos and tacos on the trail as we had commented on a recent trip how much we would like something like that. The taco meat portion of the meal was perfect but I had brought some fresh grated cheddar that did not hold up to well in the heat of the day. Thankfully Clark had some extra store bought grated cheese that has proven to hold up on our Catalina trip so I used that to finish of the soft tacos along with a little left over avocado and our group favorite, jalapeno salsa from Chick-Filet. I had plenty of taco fixings to share and everyone who tried it agreed that this is a must do meal on our future trips. What is the recipe you ask? See the end of this entry for the details.

We all ate so much at dinner that the only dessert that was shared was some astronaut ice cream. The fresh popped pop corn and cheesecake would have to wait for another trip. We opted instead to drink more fluids to replenish ourselves, hot tea, electrolytes, San Peligrino and lime, and even a little wine. Just before going to bed a few even decided to go for a swim by headlamp. Apparently the headlamps really are waterproof! Under a full moon, we all headed to bed around 11PM.

Heading out through the Narrows in the morning.

The following morning was a simple get up, packup, eat a quick breakfast and head out. It seemed much hotter than the day before. We rolled out of camp around 10AM. I wanted to look for the tunnel that was being blasted into the rock that was to meet up with the bridge. I went into the tunnel 20 years ago but just a little. I figured this time we had way better headlamps and more of them. Unfortunately erosion and time have had there way and I could locate where the tunnel entrance once was but it is now covered in dirt and rock and is buried.

A bungee jumper takes a leap of faith!

Our group photo on the bridge.

Plenty of people were once again at the bridge for bungee jumping. The guys running this operation have figured out how to make more money out of this canyon than the miners ever did! There were plenty of people lined up to jump and during our hike back we came across a line of nearly 50 of them hiking up to the bridge. As was expected, there were plenty of people once again as we returned back to our cars.

All in all it was great, relaxing trip with lots of fun. I liked it better in the old days with far fewer people but at least they are getting to enjoys it as well. This is definitely a great hike for intermediate hikers looking to have fun in the water and enjoy playing in their surroundings.

Trail Tacos:
Serves 3

1/2 cup freeze dried ground beef
1/2 cup taco TVP
1/4 cup freeze dried corn
1/4 cup instant black beans
1 T taco seasoning
1 T dried onion
2 C boiling water

Flour tortillas (about 7) or hard taco shells or Fritos (you figure out how you want it!)
Store bought grated mexican cheese blend , 8 oz. (holds up well on the trail)
Favorite salsa or hot sauce packets (Chick-Fil-A Jalapeno Salsa is our favorite)
Avocado and or fresh tomato if desired

Place all above dry ingredients in a 1 quart Ziplock freezer bag. Add the hot water, seal the bag and place in an insulated cozy for 20 minutes. Remove and stir and spoon into tortillas, place over Fritos, or for low carb just eat it out of the bag. Use cheese, salsa, avocado and tomato if desired. I get the meat, TVP, corn and beans from Shelf Reliance.