Palisade Traverse, June 2012

Jon asked the typical questions.  "How many times have you done the Palisade Traverse?"  "Does it ever get boring?"  The first question does not have a ready answer, which is the reason that the second does.  First of all, it never gets boring in the Palisades.  That is because it is never the same twice.  I have indeed spent a lot of time on the ridge-crest between Thunderbolt and Sill.  Guiding and personal trips have had me up there linking at least four of the area's five "14ers" eight times in the last four years.  And that doesn't count the attempts that came up short.  I can honestly say that no two of those trips were at all alike.  This trip with ultra-running and self-deprecating B.A. Jon A. was no exception.  We wanted to get Jon up there early in the season, and keep us both in approach shoes the entire way.  We wanted to get some huge days of traversing under our harnesses.  Fulfilling these objectives would get Jon on his way to his next big mission.  Stay tuned, and in the meantime ponder that this was just Jon's "warm-up".

This view never gets old.

Anyway, we set out to tweak the standard guided Palisade Traverse itinerary.  Inspired by our very own Peter Croft's interpretation of this mega-classic traverse, we set out to approach and exit on the east and connect Winchell Col and Mt. Sill via the crest.  Measured on Google Earth (using my new favorite tech tool, USGS topo overlays available here) this section of ridge is a mile and a half.  The "meat" of it is found between Thunderbolt and Polemonium.  This section contains the best rock in the Palisades and the highest concentration of technical 14ers in the country.  And this section is just a half-mile long.  The often, and understandably, skipped NW ridge of Thunderbolt is a half-mile long on its own.  The mathematician will quickly deduce that the section from Polemonium to Sill is a half-mile long also.  In any case, we couldn't let Jon settle for anything less than the whole beast.

Jon and I met in Bishop on Tuesday morning to talk logistics and gear, then headed out to the North Fork of Big Pine Creek.  We busted in, as quickly as we could, to the Thunderbolt Glacier tarn camp.  We napped on Yosemite-style glacier polish and grubbed on a big fat steak.  That's livin'.

We woke with the sun on the chilly first morning and strode over to Winchell Col.  That NW ridge has rock that is a little looser than further along, but it is a totally worthy addition to the traverse.  We found mainly dry Cali rock, but did have to do some icy PataLaska style tunneling.

"This is just like Peak 11300, but different"

I hate to say it, but the section from Thunderbolt to North Palisade was almost "routine".  What a joy to traverse very familiar terrain with a strong partner.  I don't pretend to think that Jon felt it was routine, nor do I mean any disrespect to this chunk of terrain.  I was simply content to remember my first trip through that section a few years back and reflect on the accumulation of experiences there.  Jon, in his way, will down-play his own performance.  But, mark my words, the guy can move and tough it out.  As much as he talks about enjoying suffering, I can only guess the misery this 100 mile runner can stand.

The latter part of the day, up onto North Palisade.  Smack in the
middle of the High Sierra's own Circus Maximus.  

Sunset on North Palisade.  Thankfully camp is just a single rappel away.  Boo Yeah!

Morning lounging at 14k.  That's livin'.  Or does livin' mean steaks and glacier polish?  Damn, what a trip!

We woke, again with the sun, on the morning of day 3 high in the S. Bowl of North Pal.  We knew we had made better than excellent progress, and even had the hubris to propose making the trailhead a whole day early.  In the end we did exactly that, going from North Palisade over Polemonium to Sill and down and out.  This last day was long, but felt like the wind-down after the prior day's blitz.  All that, and we didn't short ourselves on anything:  We slept, ate, and drank what we needed.  We gathered a bazillion gigs of data via a total of five cameras.  We never walked or climbed by headlamp.  We did indeed work hard, but, as Sam Ewing said "Hard work spotlights the character of people:  some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."  Jon turned up and turned it on.  He very well may cite various challenges faced up in those Palisades, but as an observer, I can vouch for smooth adaptation to considerable difficulty.  

Sun sets on a day past, looking to a day ahead.

Mt. Gayley Winter Ascent

Andy and Tessa came back for more.  Last winter, as part of a shared California Alpine Guides/Sierra Mountain Guides winter mountaineering course, they got the basics down.  They then went out for a year and bagged peaks in the Sierra, the Cascades and Peru.  This February, taking advantage of uniquely non-wintry weather and conditions, they hoped to put it all together with a winter ascent of North Palisade.  North Palisade, from any angle at any time of year, is a proud ascent.  From the U-Notch, in February's short, cold days, it's world-class!  World class in strenuousness, aesthetics, and objective difficulty.  Andy and Tessa have above average fitness and skills.  Conditions and access and weather would be our biggest uncertainty.  As the dates approached, the weather forecast gelled into a somewhat typical windy pattern.   In an unfortunate twist of fate, the windiest time was forecast for the relatively narrow summit window we had built into our 3 day trip.  

We approached from the Glacier Lodge parking, walking initially in bare boots and eventually on snowshoes, to Sam Mack Meadow.  Clear skies, warm temperatures, firm snow underfoot, calm air:  We couldn't have asked for more that first day.  With the forecast wind kicking up that afternoon, we pitched our tents as well as we could and hunkered down.  We optimistically set the alarm for early on day 2, but screaming winds only increased through the night.  Before sleeping, we discussed options and criteria by which we would implement these various alternatives; better to discuss contingencies when  fed and warm and happy than to make rash decisions half-awake in the dark and cold of an early wake-up.  The consensus was that, if we woke to the forecast morning winds, we would forego the avalanche prone U-Notch route, sleep a little longer, and move camp higher for an attempt at another summit in the morning of the 3rd day.  

Knowing the beauty of a high and sunrise-lit campsite, we chose to move camp to Glacier Notch.  Now, camping at Glacier Notch is not part of your typical Palisades endeavor, but it should be!  What a spot:  One can look north into the entire Palisade Glacier cirque and southeast into Death Valley national park.  The sun rises over the glacier and hits tents square on with the most orange alpenglow you can imagine.  The East Face of Mount Sill looms to the west while the red ridge of Mt. Gayley waits just a few minutes north.  With the previous day's strong SW winds loading snow couloirs on all the 14ers, we chose Mt. Gayley's SW ridge as our 3rd day, early morning, "consolation" prize.  Andy and Tessa, like all good mountaineers, adapted readily to the change in plans.  The journey became our destination.  We scored a winter ascent of a large and remote peak, but the most memorable portion will probably be that campsite at Glacier Notch. 

Late Season Climbing in the Owens Valley- Rocks!

In late fall, I hear alpinist and skier types complain when the first snows of the season start to stick to the mountainsides. Hopes for one more high altitude rock climb before the end of season are dashed, and impatience for the backcountry skiing sets in during this hiatus from the high country. These addictions can only be fed by wallowing on talus covered in 10 inches of faceted snow, generally alone (since you are the only one who thinks this sounds fun) or perhaps Mammoth Mountain opens one meandering white ribbon of death upon which you can be entertained for a good 45 minutes just to claim you skied in November this year. It seems rare that this 'tween season is very long in the Eastern Sierra. As excited to ski as I always am, I still sometimes find myself wishing it was longer.

 Trish in Alabama Hills; Photo Credit: Weston Walker

The 'tween season forces us to capitalize on the best of what we have way down near the bottom of the Owens Valley. There is perhaps no better place and time for rock climbing than the Eastern Sierra in late fall. I was just down in the Owens River Gorge yesterday discussing this with a British couple, when one of them said, "You don't have to explain it to us. Last Fall we accidentally spent a month here!" I have heard international climbers proudly proclaim such statements without shadow of doubt as, "We will be climbing in Bishop every Fall for the rest of our lives," and "As far as I am concerned, the Buttermilks are hands down the best bouldering venue in the world." Legendary masters of stone such as Peter Croft, Lisa Rands, Chris Sharma, Doug Robinson, John Fischer, Bob Harrington, and many others have made their homes here, either for a good while or more permanently. Croft points out, "Bishop has more climbable weather days than any major climbing venue in the country." He is right. Even J-Tree and Red Rock are more often either too hot or too cold throughout the year. There are literally thousands of accessible sport, trad, and mixed routes in the Valley, plus more bouldering problems than you can hang on in a lifetime, on multiple rock types. Bishop is a hard place for a rock climber to get bored, and an easy place to stay strong all year without having to pull on plastic.

Climbing in the Owens River Gorge

That's cool if you are more concerned with keeping up with the jonesers on Mammoth Mountain this Fall, or perhaps donning those ripped, nylon, knee-high gaiters you still have from before the advent of soft shell pants. On the other hand, don't obsess so much that you forget to take advantage of the season when we can, without missing a great day of snowsports, put on a T-shirt and bask in the sun on a desert boulder or sparkling granite wall, or feel the pumpy burn that hurts so good on a steep, pocketed wall of welded tuff. This time of year, with the sun relatively low in the sky, and the dusting of snow on the foreground Sierra peaks, the world of rocks and mountains sparkle with the colors of the Earth and the warmest hues of sunlight. It reminds you how inspiring life is and how lucky we are to be able to commune with nature as we do.

Peter Croft in the Buttermilks

If you are thinking of a rock climbing weekend getaway while you wait for the snow, give us a call or shoot us an email. Peter Croft is going to be leading some very special winter climbing events this year! And we are stoked to rock climb with you anytime this winter, especially when the high country is too stormy, or your legs are too tired from skiing. Fly direct to Mammoth from LA or the Bay Area! We'll even arrange a pick up for you at the airport. Happy Turkey Day everyone!     

Middle Palisade Peak

Tom and his godson Michael stayed in one of the cabins at the Glacier Lodge the night before we started our climb.  I met them at their cabin in the morning and we enjoyed the cowboy coffee and delivered breakfast as we chatted about our upcoming trip.  After breakfast we packed up and headed up the South Fork of Big Pine Creek.  Our destination was Finger Lake and after some great views, rain showers, and nice lunch we found ourselves at camp.  We set up the tents in the rain and dove in to stay somewhat dry.  The skies dried up in the early evening and allowed us to have a nice dinner and enjoy the last rays of sun.  We got an alpine start the next morning to beat the forecasted thunder/snow storm.  Our early start allowed us to enjoy an amazing sunrise and we climbed to the summit through some new snow from an earlier storm.  We left the summit before lunch and descend through the building clouds. After getting back to camp we packed up and trekked through the rain back to the cars.  It ended up being a long but great day.  Thanks go out to Tom and Michael for being great company and doing an awesome job on a challenging climb! 

                                                                                                                                      -Neil

Michael and Tom

Climbing to camp through the clouds.

Camp at Finger Lake

Middle Pal with new snow.

Alpine Start.

The East Face of Middle Palisade bathed in alpine glow .

Michael getting the the base of the East Face.

Climbing through new snow.

Michael on the Summit 14,012ft.

Looking to the South from the summit.

Tom is not a crook.

Descending through the clouds.

Heading back to the car.