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high Sierra scrambles+solos 2015

Original Post
kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608

Last Saturday I tried Little Lakes Peak a different way, inspired by the report by Fat Dad in last year’s thread. It’s easy to access LLkPk from Mosquito Flats parking in Rock Creek Canyon. I started up the south half of the West face, then diagonaled over to the SouthWest ridge - (trying to avoid the slabs at the bottom of the SW ridge, because they looked like more difficult climbing).

Upper section of SW ridge had some outstandingly fun climbing sections (perhaps with some loose chunks?) -- also some talus sections. I did not try the lower part of SW ridge which looked like more compact rock - (somebody have a report to share?). Lower section of S half of W face had some decent climbing. Nice thing is that it starts about +700 vertical feet over 3 miles from Parking (+225m over 5km) - (Compare with some famous Sierra ridge scrambles).

details . . .

I left the Morgan Pass trail a little after passing by Chickenfoot Lake. Soon scrambled through some boulders for about 100-150 meters distance, then up some talus another 100-150 meters distance -- and reached continuous rock on the West face at the bottom of the obvious zig-zag line of weakness (GPS latitude longitude approx N37.3958 W118.7500)

First diagonaled left, then up right, and I went farther right any time I encountered more difficult climbing. There were class 5 moves around, but since this was my first time, I sought out mostly class 3, with a few moves class 4. The face was big enough so I was feeling committed - (Like what if I ran into a band of rock higher up which was too hard for me? I’m good at down-climbing, but would I remember which way I’d come?)

I hit the SW ridge around (N37.3939 W118.7481) a little below the first sub-peak. Next I went down the SW ridge a ways to check it out. No shortage of talus, also some sections of connected rock with worthwhile climbing. Then up the SW ridge and continued over the first sub-peak and the second sub-peak to the summit of Little Lakes Peak (N37.3961 W118.7418). Some of the connected rock had outstandingly fun climbing (if you like fractured ridgetop granite) - also sections walking on talus.

But in the midst of one of the fun climbing sections, a chunk of rock that I was trying to use for handholds pulled out, and I fell down to a ledge below. Absorbing the impact of the fall weakened my legs, so it took me much longer than I was planning to get back down out to my car - (glad I had hiking poles to assist my legs). Checked into Mammoth Hospital. Lots of time there cleaning scrapes and cuts, CT scan, then more scrubbing. Main outcome: four stitches on one of the cuts.

Ken

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608

Rock Creek canyon -- got out today, started project of serious exploration of the "grand traverse" between Mono Pass and Bear Creek Spire and Morgan Pass (described in the Moynier + Fiddler print guidebook 2nd edition). Thought I'd start with the north-most section by Mono Pass.

From Mosquito Flat parking I hiked the trail up to Mono Pass, then hiked up steep-ish sand to the northern summit of Ruby Peak. My first disappointment was that I had done the labor of uphill 2500 vertical feet (750 meters) and getting only the smallest bit of scrambling (right at the top).

So I started traversing south on the ridge. But the rock features were so big that I could not climb over most of them, so I had to drop down off the ridge to get around them. And then ahead there was a deep notch which I would have to go down into then climb up out of it.
And the rock was rather abrasive. And I was sore from playing with extra pitches on Cardinal Pinnacle yesterday.

So I quit and hiked easily down the sand to Mono Pass - (and looked east over to the Mt Starr ridge).

I think if I were going to start the grand traverse from the north, I would find some way to scramble up onto the the ridge already significantly south of Mono Pass. One possibility would be the obvious dirty gully. But I'd rather find some rock buttress south of that notch on the E side of the ridge with some worthwhile scrambling. Another possibility might be to start up the E ridge of the highest summit of Ruby Peak (but that would miss out on what is said to be an interesting narrow section).

Ken

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608

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

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern California
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