Mt Starr in Rock Creek canyon is not part of any "grand traverse", but today I did a lot of fun scrambling on its South-North ridge. On fractured granite which is a style of rock that I really enjoy, because it offers creative often 3-dimensional moves that are fun without necessarily being difficult. And sometimes little overhangs, or short steep faces which require more thought and strength.
Length of scrambling (mostly class 3 or more) about 3000 feet (not so much less than N ridge Conness, but different style of granite, and less dramatic setting). I'm thinking this could be made much longer (and with more variety) by starting up the east face (close to parking) on some rocky buttress with significant scrambling, then doing most of the summit ridge in the N-S direction, then down easy sand to Mono Pass, and the hiking trail back to the car.
Today's story ...
I had noticed while hiking the trail up to Mono Pass that some sections of its East face (esp the S side) had some continuous rock which seemed to go up to the crest of the S-N ridge.
Looking at Mt Starr from the west from Mono Pass and the northern part of Ruby Peak, the West face looked like mostly scree and talus. But I decided to hope there might be a narrow band of continuous rock on the crest itself. So I hiked up the sand SE from Mono Pass to the obvious notch (GPS lat long approx N37.4220 W118.7693) in the S ridge of Mt Starr.
Started N along the ridge, and indeed it was pretty much continuous granite, fractured small enough so I could find fun scrambling moves staying on or pretty close to the crest. Often moderate sand/talus just a few feet away on the west side, but steep drop-offs on the east side, where I could choose exposure if I wanted it.
The fun rock enabled me to ignore my soreness from hard climbing yesterday, but after lots of moves, the summit still seemed a long way off. Of course I felt I had to keep going (so then I was really sore when I got back to the car). Saw the high point on the ridge (lat long ~ N37.4271 W118.7661), scrambled to its top. Then discovered it was a twin high point, with the other one two feet higher. But a deep gap between the two. So I scrambled down around -- and didn't see any obvious way (no climbing shoes and no rope) to get to the top.
Saw another high point to the north, so headed for that. After lots more fun moves (and some backtracking when some gendarmes proved uncrossable), got to the top of that one and found a summit register (lat long ~ N37.4288 W118.7652).
. (A puzzle is that the altitude of the register is very close the same as the twin spires I had earlier failed to top. Could it be that the club that placed the register chose the northerly summit because most hikers could attain it, rather than deciding by more accurate surveying?)
Interesting scrambling moves continued N beyond the summits, but overall the ridge getting gentler and easier. So I turned off and went down the West face.
Turned out that while the S end of the W face is easier, the N half is harder -- getting down through some bands was no fun at all. My guess is if want to do the ridge in the S->N direction, continue N much farther (well past the lake on the west side) before going down.
But I'm more interested in exploring the idea of scrambling up some line up the East face, then traversing the summit ridge in the N->S direction, then the descent toward the W side would be much easier.
Ken