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After cycling up the
snowless road, we were dismayed to run into a forest
ranger at the trailhead. We knew that could only
mean one thing. "You gonna open up the road
today?"
"Just did".
Rats!
Oh well, we were
already here, and the ride at the end was all
downhill, so we rolled with the punches and headed off
up the trail.
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Abe on the bike |
On the waterfall
slabs below the East Ridge
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Climbing the East
Ridge near the top
Abe looks out over
the Yosemite High Country
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Rich ascends the upper
snow chute on the East Ridge |
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Rich on the Summit
Plateau
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Rich skiing the upper Y-couloir |
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Through the choke of the
chute
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Abe drops in...
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...and down to the
glacier |
Last few turns down
to Alpine Lake
(yes, this is July
in California)
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The run down the Y-couloir
and Conness Glacier was superb. We debated a
second lap, but tomorrow was a big day for us and rest
was definitely in order. Back at camp, I found a
marmot having my shoes for dinner. Little
bastards will eat just about anything.
The next morning saw a
beautiful dawn, but with a few broken clouds and red
skies ("red sky at morning, climber heed
warning..."). The West Ridge is a pretty
committing route with poor retreat options. A
storm could have very bad consequences if it hit us on
the route. But the skies looked OK for now, so
we decided to march on to the base of the route.
Of course, when you do the West Ridge, you basically
climb the mountain first, then descent the other side.
When this is all over, we will have basically climbed
the mountain three times.
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Sunrise over the desert |
Back up the East Ridge
(again!), this time by headlamp
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Tuolumne Crags in the
early morning light
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Abe starting up the
first pitch. The route is basically two vertical
pitches, followed by a long fun mostly Class 4+ ridge
that we simulclimbed to save time
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Looking up the first
pitch
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Me, somewhere on
Pitch #1, hanging on for my life
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Abe leads on
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Perfect rock, no more
clouds!
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Climbing across the
"window" knife edge.
The classic SW Face
is on the right. |
Fun crack system about
halfway up, followed by a lot of exposed Class 3/4
scrambling
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Nearing the summit,
with the route behind me |
Abe on the summit
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Descending back to
Alpine Lake |
Skiing down as the rain
and hail starts to fall
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Borderline hypothermic
as we hike back to the trailhead in a monster
hailstorm with mega-thunder boomers bearing down on us
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Back at the bikes.
Shivering, but alive |
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