Mountaineering /n./ – slow walking uphill while not feeling very well…
Carol and I have been wanting to climb Mount Williamson for some time as part of our goal of climbing all of California’s 14’ers. Mount Williamson is the most remote of all the California 14’ers, using the same approach up Shepherd Pass as for Mount Tyndall, but with the additional pleasure of hiking across the Williamson Bowl to approach the climb.
Carol and I had an attempt together last June 2006 that didn’t work out. I subsequently tried again in July – and that didn’t work out. It’s demoralizing to do the work to climb Shepherd Pass whilst acclimatizing to altitude and then not peak. Sigh…
07/09, Monday – Day One. Finish packing truck, head off for eastern Sierras via Lee Vining. Dinner at Bodie Mike’s BBQ where I was served the smallest 1/2 barbequed chicken I’ve ever seen – it might actually have been 1/2 of a blackbird. Spent the night in the desert south of Mono Lake.
07/10, Tuesday – Day Two. Breakfast at Nicely’s then off to the Mono Lake visitor center. Rangers there tell us we can’t get a permit for Shepherd Pass because of all the fires in the Owens Valley. Great. We head off to Bishop. At the ranger station there, sure, no problem, the fires haven’t affected the Shepherd Pass trailhead. OK, we get a permit for the next day then decide to head for high ground in the White mountains for a day of acclimation. Up, up, up out of Big Pine. We wind up at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest for the afternoon, go on a small hike, are entertained in the parking lot by the local rodents – chippies, squirrels, etc. For the night, we went to the Grandview CG – I say “Grandview? We’re sitting in a bowl and can’t see anything but other campsites!” so we head back up and wind up parking off the road in a lovely spot – above 9,000 feet so that’s good.
07/11, Wednesday – Day Three. Wake up early; it’s overcast and raining. Rain in the White Mountains in the summer – such a novelty that we stay in bed and just enjoy the rain. Back down to Bishop, breakfast at Jack’s (we got the surly waitress this time) and then on to the ranger station to get our permit changed. No problem. Now what? Off to McGee Creek for lunch and a hike. Then went to Upper Gray’s Meadow to camp for the night. Wow, there is fire damage right down to the edge of the campground. I have no idea how you fight a fire in that terrain.
07/12, Thursday – Day Four. Up at 5:15 (yeah, Ay freakin’ Em.), finish packing, we’re at the Shepherd Pass trailhead and hiking by 6:30. Hmm, it appears that the packs are heavier than we’re used to and we’re not really in mountaineering shape. Long day ahead. We’re in Anvil Camp and essentially crashed by 4 PM. No one wants to be outside ’cause there are plenty of skeeters and who carries repellent?
07/13, Friday – Day Five. Up early and off to Shepherd Pass. We scurry to get above the trees and out of skeeterville then take a break to dry out and have breakfast. Camped at the top of Shepherd Pass by 11 AM. There’s no shade and the sun is blasting so we throw our sleeping quilt over the top of the tent to improve it’s shade-throwing capabilities. Works pretty well, but I still feel sun-sick by the end of the day.
07/14, Saturday – Day Six. Peak Day. Up and hiking early. Climb up to the edge of the Williamson Bowl and yikes! It’s a long talus descent into the bowl and then lots of up and down on talus to cross the bowl. I’m starting to wonder if the peak is going to happen. I do NOT want to have done all that work to get up here and then not peak. Finally we’re at the right lake, watering up and then beginning to climb upward. I make a little route finding mistake and we have to traverse quite a way to the left, then we’re in the big chute on the West Face.
Now it’s just climbing the talus / scree slope until we get to the 3rd Class chimney. It doesn’t sound that bad in the guidebook, but someone passes us carrying a rope. Uh-oh. We continue on; Carol is starting to have a really hard time – she’s climbing without an Achilles’ tendon in her left leg (Kaiser, our brain-dead HMO finally admits this) and this is an unwanted increase in the DOD. We’re finally at the chimney, another group is ahead of giving blow by blow instructions to each other and setting a rope. I climb it just to scout for Carol; it’s easy. Up the chimney, onto the peak plateau and then find our way to the top.
The usual – hugs and kisses, pictures, sign the peak register, eat and rest a while. Then it’s time to head down – all day we’ve been watching the West as a front is moving thru. We get windblown and sprinkled on on the way back to base camp. Finally at camp, eat, drink, hit the sack and anticipate getting out tomorrow.
07/15, Sunday – Day Seven. Up early, camp broken and hiking by 6:30 am. All I can think about is the food and (hopefully) cold beer waiting for me at the trailhead. Hey, everyone has to find their own motivation, OK? Down, down, down; one last picture of the Shepherd Pass trailhead and we’re at the truck. My carefully wrapped cooler still has ice! Cold beer, a Nadine level dose of Vitamin I, cold juice, cold drinks, it’s a party. After a little sittin’ around time, off to Bishop to find more food. We park at Millpond and watch the lightning and rain hammer the Palisade crest – beautiful – especially since we’re snug in our truck. Off to Mono Lake to camp for the night.
07/16, Monday – Day Eight. Up early, breakfast in the desert, head for home. We’re sad to be leaving for home, but we’ll be back soon…
Pictures here. I’m so bummed about my pictures – my camera was set at ISO 800 for the whole trip so all my pictures are grainy and look really bad…
Random Stuff:
- Food – I discovered I could tolerate protein shakes – protein powder, milk powder and water – and practically lived on this the whole time in-country. As the end of the trip neared, I found I could not chew and swallow food – I think the problem is that the taste / smell of bars, etc are nauseating and make me gag then worse. It turns out I can drink a protein shake while not breathing or tasting so it’s down the hatch before I can react.
- As we were struggling up the last 1,000 feet of Williamson, a group came by that was day hiking the peak from the Shepherd Pass trailhead. Back at base camp, someone said they peaked Tyndall on the way down. More power to them – a vanishingly rare combination of genetics, luck and willpower.
- A Lazuli Bunting pair brightened our day as we were making the last creek crossings on the way out. Beautiful.
- It dawned on me why being near Mono Lake is so rejuvenating – no power boats, jet skis or any other such crap – peace, quiet and beauty.