Climbing Blogs

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2022

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Betsy and I went on an epic week-long climbing trip in the Sierra at the end of May and beginning of June in 2022. We climbed three tall peaks, each via a steep chute topped by a summit plateau and summit pyramid. Here is what we did each day.

Day 0 (Monday, May 30): Drive from Del Mar to Lone Pine. Climb giant boulders in the Alabama Hills, and camp at “secluded” Campsite 39 in the Whitney Portal Campground.
Day 1 (Tuesday, May 31): Backpack up the Meysan Lakes Trail from the trailhead at 7,900 ft to Meysan Lake at 11,446 ft. This takes us 9 hours, including finding a good campsite. Online blogs say that the distance is 6 miles, but Betsy’s GPS says it is 7 miles. I packed up this trail in 1978 with Mary, my brother Jay, and climbing buddy Don McEachern.
Day 2 (Wednesday, June 1): Climb Mt Irvine at 13,770 ft in 12-1/2 hours. Betsy’s GPS says that the day’s distance is 10 miles.
Day 3 (Thursday, June 2): Climb Lone Pine Peak at 12,944 ft in 12-3/4 hours. Betsy’s GPS says that the day’s distance is 9 miles.
Day 4 (Friday, June 3): Relax, read, and hike on a rest day.
Day 5 (Saturday, June 4): Climb Mt Mallory at 13,850 ft in 12-1/2 hours. Betsy’s iPhone battery is dead, so we don’t have a GPS distance, but it is probably 10 miles. I climbed Mts Mallory and LeConte in a single day with Mary, Jay, and Don in 1978.
Day 6 (Sunday, June 5): Backpack out in 4 hours. I drive home, while Betsy joins her friend Emily for another climbing trip 🙂

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 0: Monday, May 30. After driving from Del Mar to Lone Pine, we are treated to this view of the Sierra Crest from the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center. Lone Pine Peak, which we will soon climb, dominates the central skyline, while Mt Whitney is in back to the right and Mt Langley is at the far left. The lack of snow at this time of year is unprecedented in my memory.
  • Day 1: Tuesday, May 31. We start backpacking from our car on Whitney Portal Road.
  • After a quarter-mile pack through the Whitney Portal Campground, we come to the trailhead for the Meysan Lakes Trail at 7,900 ft. We do not see another person the rest of the day.
  • I pack up the trail with Owens Valley in the distance. We see lots of lizards along the way.
  • This pile of rocks is called a duck. It helps travelers find the route where it may not be obvious, such as when it is under snow. We will see many of these during our trip.
  • A side trail leads to Grass Lake, which is beyond the trees behind me. That is where I camped with Mary, Jay, and Don in 1978, when the ground was covered by several feet of snow. We continue up the main trail to the right.
  • This is Camp Lake. It is partially silted in and only has water in the distance. Marmots watch us warily. We decide to continue on to the higher Meysan Lake to reduce the distances for our upcoming climbs. Mt LeConte is just left of center, while Mt Mallory, which we will eventually climb, is on the right above the trees.
  • Finally we reach Meysan Lake. We find a good campsite and pitch our tent in the twilight. Betsy cooks Pasta Primavera on her little stove, and we both eat and sleep well.
  • Day 2: Wednesday, June 1. Today’s climbing objective is Mt Irvine, whose impressive east buttress towers over our campsite. The summit is out of sight behind the buttress but can be reached by following the northeast ridge on the skyline.
  • We opt to climb Mt Irvine via the easier east chute south of the lake. That snow-filled chute diagonals up to the right above our tent. To get there we clambor over rock benches and giant talus blocks on the east side of the lake to the left.
  • After getting to the south side of the lake, I am drawfed by my surroundings. I head for the chute, which is a third of the way from the left.
  • Betsy rejoins me and starts up the lower snowfield, which is dimpled with suncups. Our tent is an inconspicuous triangle on the far side of the lake.
  • The suncups get bigger as we climb and make the climbing secure. Here Betsy stands in the largest suncup that we find.
  • I continue up the chute on snow.
  • After reaching the top of the chute, Betsy begins the hike across the summit plateau. The summit is atop the small pyramid in the center of the skyline.
  • Betsy reaches the summit after scrambling up the final rocks of the pyramid.
  • Betsy stands on the summit of Mt Irvine, at 13,770 ft! Mt Whitney is behind her to the northwest. Consultation Lake below her is still frozen. I spent a cold, sleepless night there on my first climb of Mt Whitney in 1965!
  • We celebrate the summit with our traditional Dr Pepper toast 🙂
  • Betsy signs the register. Kim from Bishop gets to the top just before us. We exchange waves with her, but she leaves before we arrive.
  • Mt LeConte on the left seems to merge with Mt Langley, which is behind it. Mt Mallory, which we will climb later, is in the center to the south across the plateau that separates it from Mt Irvine. We retrace our route down the pyramid, across the plateau, and down the chute.
  • Along the way we see granite boulders with rectangular feldspar crystals, such as these. When we finally get back to camp after 12-and-a-half hours of climbing, I am totally exhausted and get in my sleeping bag without eating dinner.
  • Day 3: Thursday, June 2. Today’s climbing objective is Lone Pine Peak. It is lower than Mt Irvine, so we start later at 8:35 am expecting that the climb will take less time.
  • Soon after we leave camp we see the tedious talus traverse that awaits us to reach the steep chute leading to the summit plateau of Lone Pine Peak. This may not be a short day after all.
  • Traversing the talus requires care to avoid injuring a leg. Here we are almost to the chute, which is filled with loose scree. That means a slippery slog.
  • Finally I near the top of the chute!
  • This duck in the lower center marks the top of the chute. There are many more ducks from here to the summit plateau.
  • Betsy finds a giant block of quartz, but it is too big to take home 🙂
  • Here is the summit plateau and summit pyramid. The actual summit is not visible.
  • We follow footprints along the west ridge of the summit pyramid and come to the top of the rock rib shown here. Betsy climbs over it and continues along the ridge.
  • Eventually we reach the summit of Lone Pine Peak at 12,944 ft! Betsy holds the giant register box. Mt Whitney is in the background.
  • The register box is really big because Lone Pine Peak is frequently climbed. Nonetheless, we have the summit to ourselves. Betsy soon finds the most recent log book and signs it.
  • This is the stunning view to the west. Three lakes are visible. Moving diagonally down to the right they are Meysan, Camp, and Grass. Mt Irvine is in the center, and yesterday’s climbing route to the left is clearly visible.
  • Betsy approaches the top of the chute as we return to camp. A duck is to her right, but the correct chute is just above her head. It is really important to find this chute.
  • As we retrace the tedious traverse, we find these sticky polemonium flowers nestled among the rocks.
  • We finish the last half hour with headlamps in the dark! Here I climb the last few rocks to the bench with our tent. After 12 hours and 45 minutes of climbing, I am again too exhausted to eat dinner.
  • Day 4: Friday, June 3. I decide that I need a rest day to recover after two grueling days of climbing. Betsy cooks scrambled eggs, the first of three hot meals today!
  • I start reading E.O. Wilson’s wonderful book The Social Conquest of Earth, while Betsy takes a nap.
  • I decide to wash up by the creek at the outlet of the lake. The duck in the lower center marks a rock staircase down to the creek from the bench with our tent.
  • Betsy and I go for an afternoon hike and find this giant vein of quartz! I look for gold but do not see any.
  • Betsy continues hiking without me and gets to the bottom of this waterfall.
  • Day 5: Saturday, June 4. Today’s climbing objective is Mt Mallory. The route goes up the narrow Y-shaped snow chute above the right-side of Betsy’s head, as seen here. We start at 6 am to ensure plenty of daylight.
  • After going around the lake again, Betsy starts up the chute on snow. Above her it turns to the right behind the rock outcrop.
  • There the chute is blocked by this small frozen waterfall. Betsy uses the adz of her ax to cut steps for her feet and scrambles up. I follow her but am uneasy with the marginal handholds on the rock to the right. I do not look forward to coming back down this way.
  • The snow is so hard this early in the morning that the long spike on my ax will not gain a purchase. Thus, I use the short pick on the head of the ax for extra support along with the points of my crampons as I work my way up the chute.
  • Betsy reaches the top of the snow. We take off our crampons and continue up on rock.
  • A duck marks the top of the chute. The summit plateau and summit pyramid are ahead.
  • Betsy plans a route through the rocks of the summit pyramid. The summit is off to the left.
  • Betsy sits on the summit of Mt Mallory, at 13,850 ft! The snowy peaks in the distance to the west form the Great Western Divide.
  • Mary, Jay, and Don sit on the same summit rock 44 years ago on May 28, 1978! The recent disappearance of the typically heavy snowpack shows the dramatic effect of drought fostered by climate change.
  • Betsy signs the register.
  • Here is her nice note. The last climb before ours was three weeks earlier.
  • To the east are Lone Pine Peak above and three lakes below.
  • To the south are Mts LeConte and Langley. We retrace our route back down the summit pyramid and plateau to the chute. Soon after we start descending, we shout and wave to a party of three that is approaching the summit via a different route.
  • When we get back to the frozen waterfall, we decide to go around it on these rocks. Because they are covered with loose scree, we rope up and belay each other. Here I belay Betsy from below. The rope goes from me to her around the rock next to her. I let out slack as she descends. She unties afterward, and we retrieve the rope.
  • We find a garden of buttercups when we get to the plain south of the lake. I feel good back at camp and enjoy a hot dinner of Pasta Primavera with Betsy 🙂
  • Day 6: Sunday, June 5. It is time to collect our gear and pack out. Here are all our clothes that got wet in the soft snow yesterday afternoon.
  • My pants took a beating sliding on rocks and have three horizontal tears across the seat. Fortunately my butt does not have matching stripes 🙂
  • I put on my pajama bottoms to start the pack out.
  • We find some shooting stars that burst into bloom since we were here five days ago.
  • The final stretch of trail has a steep drop-off.
  • We are back to our car in four hours after our epic adventure!

California Climbing and Biking Trip in 2021

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Betsy and I spent five glorious days climbing and biking in Joshua Tree National Park and Owens Valley in November 2021. Here is what we did each day.

Day 1 (Thursday, November 4): Climb in Joshua Tree.
Day 2 (Friday, November 5): Bike near Lone Pine.
Day 3 (Saturday, November 6): Take Smoke’s climbing course in the Buttermilks near Bishop.
Day 4 (Sunday, November 7): Betsy takes a second day of the course, while Wayne bikes nearby.
Day 5 (Monday, November 8): Climb in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine.

Here is my blog of our trip with lots of cool photos by Betsy.

  • Day 1: Thursday, November 4. After driving from Del Mar to Joshua Tree National Park, we hike nearly two miles to the entrance of the Chasm of Doom. The park is incredibly uncrowded.
  • I enthusiastically enter the Chasm of Doom with my headlamp on.
  • Before long I come to the Birthing Canal. To proceed, I wiggle on my back through a skinny passage under the rock at the top of the photo and then shimmy up a chimney.
  • The way opens up briefly to the view in the following photo.
  • This is the sunset view out from under the rock above my head in the previous photo.
  • After that I go back into the bowels of the Chasm. Here I make my way under another giant boulder.
  • Finally I make it through and am coming out!
  • Day 2: Friday, November 5. After our Joshua Tree climbing adventure we spend the night camped in Betsy’s van on dry Coyote Lake north of the park. Here I am just before sunrise.
  • Then we drive to Lone Pine in Owens Valley where we go for an afternoon out-and-back bike ride. This is near the start on Lubken Canyon Road. Lone Pine Peak stands out behind me.
  • Before long we get to Horseshoe Meadows Road, which goes for miles along the valley floor and then up into the Sierra.
  • Higher up we cross a creek with cottonwood trees in fall color.
  • After nine miles of uphill biking we reach the first switchback and turn around. Owens Lake, which is mostly dry, is behind me in the valley.
  • I whizz downhill just before the end of the bike ride. Afterward we drive to Bishop to check into the Craggin’ Classic climbing festival.
  • Day 3: Saturday, November 6. Betsy and I take Smoke’s rock climbing course in the Buttermilks, an area of giant boulders west of Bishop. This course commemorates Smoke Blanchard, who was Bishop’s first rock climber. Betsy talks to other students and Doug Robinson, at the far right. Doug organized the course and leads us on routes that he learned from Smoke.
  • At age 76, Doug solos the first climb. The rope is just to belay other climbers once he gets to the top. Note the bush below him.
  • Here I am on the same climb, having just reached that bush! Unlike Doug, I have a belay.
  • I make it to the top of my first climb of the day. Bernd, one of our guides, has me on belay.
  • Next we play follow-the-leader without any belays. Gregory, who is fourth in line, looks over the edge with some trepidation about his next step.
  • I go up my first chimney of the day with a belay from Ryan, our other guide. I apply counterforce to each side of the chimney to move upward.
  • Bernd is on top with a nice view from the Buttermilks to the Sierra Crest.
  • We play follow-the-leader on the last chimney of the day.
  • When the chimney widens near the top I put my back and hands on one side and feet on the other side. Jacob, a photographer for the American Alpine Club, is deep in the crack behind me taking cool photos.
  • Betsy does a hard final climb with a belay. I take an easy alternative route to the top 🙂
  • Day 4: Sunday, November 7. Betsy takes the second day of the climbing course, while I do out-and-back bike rides up Pine Creek Road and Bishop Creek Road. Here is the van at the start of the first ride on Pine Creek Road. Mount Tom is the massive mountain in the distance.
  • The first stretch of the bike ride up Pine Creek Road climbs gradually across the valley floor to the mouth of the canyon.
  • This herd of deer by the side of the road is unconcerned by my presence.
  • The canyon is narrow at its mouth but opens up here to show snow-capped Sierra peaks with fall color below.
  • I reach the end of the road after nine-and-a-half miles. The tungsten mine shut down 30 years ago.
  • These golden cottonwood trees frame a nice view on the way down. The White Mountains in the distance are on the east side of Owens Valley.
  • Day 5: Monday, November 8. After we camp overnight in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, Betsy enjoys breakfast next to her van. Lone Pine Peak towers in the background.
  • This area is known as The Candy Store. The big rock on the left is Tootsie Pop, and the one on the right is Rock Candy. We climb two easy routes on the other side of Rock Candy.
  • Betsy is near the top of the Almond Joy route on Rock Candy. I climb it too!
  • We hike the beautiful Arch Loop Trail with Mount Whitney in the background. Many Western movies were filmed here.
  • Betsy stands on top of the Mobius Arch for which the trail is named. What a great trip we had!

Sierra Climbing and Kayaking Trip in 2021

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After missing a year because of the pandemic, Betsy and I were happy to again spend five days backpacking and climbing in the Sierra in June 2021. Our primary objective was the summit of Mount Lyell, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park. The morning of the sixth day we kayaked on Mono Lake to the east. Here is my blog of our trip.

  • Betsy trailhead
    Day 1: Sunday, June 13. We started at the parking lot for the Dog Lake Trail east of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite and headed the opposite way (south) to the John Muir Trail; despite what the sign says, the JMT is almost a mile away; the elevation here is 8,700 ft.
  • After nearly a mile we reached the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River and crossed it on a sturdy bridge with two spans; the JMT is just beyond and shares the path with the Pacific Crest Trail; we followed the combined trail south along the west side of the river the rest of the day.
  • Much of the trail is in a pine forest, but occasionally we got to an opening with a nice view; here is our first glimpse of Donohue Peak, our climbing objective three days hence; we passed a steady stream of thru-hikers backpacking from Mexico to Canada on the PCT! we camped in the forest by the river after six miles of easy backpacking with very little climbing.
  • Day 2: Monday, June 14. The valley became more open as we continued south along the river; we got a good view of Mount Lyell, our climbing objective for the next day; it is the high peak in the center above the glacier, which is the source of the river; Mount Maclure is the slightly lower peak to the right of Lyell.
  • After crossing the river one more time on a bridge, we had to cross here on slippery rocks or take off our boots and wade; we opted for the latter; our feet were pretty cold when we reached the other side.
  • When the trail came to the next and last river crossing, we left it and backpacked cross country until we reached a good campsite near water at 11,000 ft; this was our base camp for two nights; our backpack distance was six miles again.
  • Day 3: Tuesday, June 15. We left camp before 6 am and soon began climbing with crampons, ice axes, and daypacks; the snow was firm with lots of sun cups, so we made good time; our tent is the tiny white spot above Betsy’s head between the pond and patch of snow.
  • Betsy is on the Lyell Glacier below the face of Mount Lyell; the climbing route goes up the steep snow chute in the center of the picture and then proceeds up the broken rock face to the summit ridge; the summit is at the far left.
  • Betsy nears the top of the snow chute, which is the steepest that I ever recall climbing; crampons with front points and ice axes were essential; the crux of the climb was just above, where we moved off the snow onto a rock ledge, removed our crampons, stowed them and our axes, and made our way up the rock face.
  • On the rock face we found several piles of rocks called ducks like the one here by my foot; placed by previous climbers, the ducks reassured us that we were going the right way 🙂 my ghostly pallor is from the sun screen with high SPF that Betsy gave me to protect against the sun on the snow at high altitude; it worked: I did not burn!
  • Climbing was easy along the summit ridge until the summit itself, where Betsy is dwarfed by the large rocks above.
  • Nonetheless, we soon reached the summit of Mount Lyell at 13,114 ft where we ate lunch, took pictures, and savored the view.
  • Here is the summit register and Betsy’s entry in the log documenting our climb; two other climbs the week before were noted elsewhere in the log.
  • Day 4: Wednesday, June 16. We packed up camp and headed back down the valley to climb Donohue Peak; its twin summits are the two leftmost bumps in the center of the picture, while the rightmost bump is Mount Andrea Lawrence; of the two Donohue summits, the eastern one to the right is higher, as we learned later in the day.
  • We went down the valley until we reached the river again; there we left our backpacks, put on daypacks, and rejoined the JMT/PCT, which crosses the river on easy rocks; we followed the trail toward Donohue Pass for a short distance and then headed cross country toward Donohue Peak.
  • We went directly up the ridge to the western summit, not realizing that there are two summits; the talus blocks became larger and more tedious to climb the higher we went; I regretted wearing shorts as I scraped my bare legs against the rough granite.
  • As we neared the western summit, we discovered the higher, eastern one shown here; it has smaller talus blocks separated by sand and would have been much easier to climb.
  • Betsy stands on the eastern summit of Donohue Peak at 12,023 ft with a benchmark next to her left foot; Mounts Lyell and Maclure are to the right of her in the distance; we began the day at the bottom of the snow field below them.
  • The benchmark confirms that we got to the right summit, even though it does not give the elevation; we did not find a register.
  • This is the spectacular view south to Banner Peak and Mount Ritter; Betsy and I climbed Banner (on the left) in 2012, and Mary and I climbed it with two good friends in 1970!
  • We descended by the easy north slope and then circled around the base of the peak to rejoin the JMT/PCT; there we saw this marmot, one of several that we encountered during our trip; after crossing the river on rocks, we put on our backpacks, descended a short distance, and waded the river to our last campsite in Yosemite.
  • Day 5: Thursday, June 17. We retraced our route of the first two days and covered the 10 miles to the trailhead in seven hours; here I wade across Ireland Creek; Betsy crossed on an upstream log, but I did not trust my balance; Betsy drove us in her van from the trailhead to the Tuolumne Meadows Grill where we ate burgers and shared stories with PCT thru-hikers 🙂
  • Day 6: Friday, June 18. This is Mono Lake from the visitor center; the green strip in the center follows Lee Vining Creek to the lake; Betsy drove us in her van down a dirt road to the boat landing left of the creek.
  • This plaque at the visitor center has information about the two large islands in the lake.
  • Betsy begins pumping up her kayak; normally it is folded and stowed beneath the bed in the back of her van.
  • After installing the seats, Betsy shows that the kayak is ready to go!
  • We paddled along the shore to a group of limestone tufa towers, which formed underwater when the water level was higher; the lake is green from algae now but will become clear later in the summer when brine shrimp eat the algae; then lots of birds will come and eat the shrimp!
  • Osprey nest on top of some of the towers; the lake is too salty for fish, so the osprey fly miles away to catch fish in freshwater lakes; the video below shows us cruising past an osprey on its nest; if you turn on the sound, you can hear the osprey call 🙂 ; after paddling for more than an hour, we washed off the kayak, packed it up, and deemed our trip another great adventure!

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2019

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Betsy and I spent five days backpacking and climbing in and above Little Lakes Valley in the Sierra in June 2019. Here is my blog of our trip.

  • Day 1: Sunday, June 16. Betsy and I arrive at the Mosquito Flat trailhead; this is the end of Rock Creek Road at 10,300 ft and the usual start for backpacking in Little Lakes Valley; however, we had to start lower, about a mile and a half back, because several snow patches on the road had not been plowed
  • Betsy crosses one of the last bridges on our pack in; after this the trail became less distinct, and we crossed streams on rocks or snow bridges
  • Our spectacular campsite was on the rock bench immediately to the right of partially frozen Long Lake; our climbing objectives were the rightmost and leftmost of the four peaks in the distance: Mount Dade (13,600 ft+) and Pyramid Peak (12,840 ft+)
  • Day 2: Monday, June 17. We climbed Mount Dade, the high peak on the right; most of the climb was on snow; the steep, 1,000-ft Hourglass in the middle was the hardest part; we originally planned to camp at the Treasure Lakes, shown here, but realized once we got to Long Lake that they would still be frozen over
  • View down from the top of the Hourglass to the Treasure Lakes and Long Lake; we still had another 1,000 ft to climb on mixed snow and rock to the summit; the snow above was not so steep but softer, so we often postholed to our knees
  • After two more hours of exhausting climbing, we reached the summit of Mount Dade! Here I am on top with Mount Abbot to the right of center
  • View from the summit down the last part of the climb; the top of the Hourglass is at the lower left; Bear Creek Spire is the prominent peak in the upper center; the cloudless sky of the morning was replaced by ominous clouds nearby
  • Betsy documented our climb in the summit register; as she noted, we had some drama on the last part of the climb, including snow, hail, and thunder! Some rugged guy from Madison did a winter climb this year on skis!
  • Day 3: Tuesday, June 18. After 13 hours of climbing and descending the day before, we decided to enjoy an easy day; here Betsy reads in our kitchen above Long Lake 🙂
  • This is our bedroom, next to the kitchen 🙂 My clothes are drying after getting soaked in the snow the day before; in the afternoon, we hiked up the talus slope in the middle to the base of the granite tower
  • Here I am near the top of the talus slope with Long Lake below
  • Betsy and I savor the stunning scenery; Bear Creek Spire is on the left, while Mounts Abbot and Mills are on the right; Mount Dade is behind us, out of view
  • Day 4: Wednesday, June 19. Today’s objective is Pyramid Peak on the left; we went right of frozen Dade Lake and then left up the snow and eventually the rock
  • Betsy climbs yet another steep snow slope; we used crampons going up and an ice ax going both up and down
  • Betsy nears the top of the climb; we traversed alternating ribs and chutes until we found a way to the summit
  • Betsy touches the summit cairn! By the time we got back to Long Lake (in the distance), we had spent 14 hours climbing and descending! The next day, we had an easy pack out 🙂

Chile and Argentina Trekking Tour in 2019

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Immediately after our 2019 bike tour in Chile, Betsy, Gordon, Mary, and I did three days of trekking in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and another two days of trekking plus a day of glacier viewing in Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. Our trekking tour was arranged by Cascada Expediciones, who did an amazing job of orchestrating the many shuttles, rooms, and guides in two different countries.

Our main motivation for going to Argentina was to see and trek to the base of the two most iconic Patagonian peaks: Monte Fitz Roy (11,171 ft) and Cerro Torre (10,262 ft). Fitz Roy was first climbed by Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone of France in 1952. The first undisputed ascent of Cerro Torre was by the “Ragni di Lecco” climbers in 1974.

We had incredibly good weather for the trekking tour as well as the earlier biking tour. We never got wet while biking or trekking in Chile; the few times that it rained were overnight or during shuttles. In Argentina we had sprinkles one morning, but even then, the sun broke through from time to time to give us rainbows. We had occasional wind, but many days were calm. It seems that March is a good time to do these tours.

Here is the itinerary for our trekking tour.

Day 1 (Tuesday, March 12): We shuttle from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales where we have lunch and meet Roberto Carlos, who will be our personal guide in Chile. We then continue our shuttle to EcoCamp where we spend the first of four nights in Torres del Paine National Park. We sleep in a luxurious suite loft dome.

Day 2 (Wednesday, March 13): We shuttle to Lago Pehoé and take a boat across the lake to the Refugio Paine Grande. We then trek 12 miles out and back to Mirador Francés (the French lookout). We spend the night camping in tents next to the refugio.

Day 3 (Thursday, March 14): We trek 8 miles to Glaciar Grey, take a boat across Lago Grey, and shuttle back to EcoCamp. We again sleep in our suite loft dome.

Day 4 (Friday, March 15): We trek 13 miles out and back to the base of the famous three towers for which the park is named. We spend one last night at EcoCamp.

Day 5 (Saturday, March 16): We shuttle to Cerro Castillo at the border with Argentina and take a public bus to El Calafate in Argentina. We have lunch there and then take another public bus to El Chaltén where we spend the first of two nights at Hostería Senderos.

Day 6 (Sunday, March 17): We meet Marcelo, our guide for the day and shuttle to El Pilar. We then trek along the Río Blanco, up to the base of Monte Fitz Roy, and then back to El Chaltén for a total of 14 miles.

Day 7 (Monday, March 18): We meet our second guide for a day and trek 14 miles out and back to the base of Cerro Torre. We then catch the public bus back to El Calafate where we spend the first of two nights at Hostería Los Hielos.

Day 8 (Tuesday, March 19): We shuttle to and from Glaciar Perito Moreno where we hike a little and ride a boat on Lago Argentino to the face of the glacier.

Day 9 (Wednesday, March 20): We fly from El Calafate to the domestic airport in Buenos Aires, shuttle to the international airport, and catch our overnight flight back to the US.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1 (Tuesday, March 12): In the morning I go for a walk around Punta Arenas and see this nice monument commemorating the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s passage through his eponymous strait. It is 2019, so the monument is a bit premature 🙂
  • We take a long shuttle from Punta Arenas to EcoCamp in Torres del Paine National Park. Near the end we see rheas, such as this one.
  • We also see guanacos, which are the wild ancestors of the domesticated llamas.
  • Later in our tour we see foxes, such as this one …
  • and geese. These hungry chicks were watched over by their parents nearby. We could get close to most of the animals, since they seemed accustomed to being around people.
  • We spend three nights at EcoCamp, which has three types of geodesic domes: standard domes for two, suite domes for four, and community domes as common areas. We sleep in a suite loft dome. Shown here is the Welcome Dome with two of the the famous Torres (or towers) in the background. EcoCamp is a special place in a stunning setting with helpful staff and outstanding food!
  • Day 2 (Wednesday, March 13): We begin the day with a boat ride across Lago Pehoé. The banding of the Cuernos (or horns) in the background is because light-colored granite intruded horizontally within the original, dark sedimentary rock.
  • After we get off the boat at Refugio Paine Grande, we trek two of the five legs of the W trail to the French lookout (Mirador Francés). Along the way we cross some one-person suspension bridges. Here Mary starts across one in her colorful new Patagonian hat. When I miss a sign and join another trekker on such a bridge, we have some exciting oscillations!
  • The out-and-back 12-mile trail to the lookout is harder than you might think because the trail is very irregular with a lot of rock scrambling.
  • This is the view at the lookout. We see several avalanches come down while we are here!
  • We spend the night in two tents next to Refugio Paine Grande. Betsy and I are happy campers, but Gordon and Mary are not so much. Mary says that the food service reminds her of Chadbourne Hall at UW-Madison 🙂
  • Day 3 (Thursday, March 14): We trek an easy 8 miles along a third leg of the W from Refugio Paine Grande to the end of Lago Grey below Glaciar Grey. Here Betsy and Mary head down to the lake.
  • We then take a boat ride near the toe of the glacier to the other end of the lake to catch a shuttle back to EcoCamp.
  • During our shuttle, the views of the Paine Massif are spectacular! Cerro Paine Grande (9,462 ft) is the high point on the left, while the Cuernos are right of center. Paine (PIE-nay) means “blue” in the local Indian language and is the color of the mountains from a distance.
  • Here is another view across Lago Pehoé. On the island is Hosteria Pehoé, which is only connected to land by a footbridge.
  • Day 4 (Friday, March 15): We do a fourth leg of the W from EcoCamp to the base of the towers on our third and last day of trekking in Chile. Most of this 13-mile out-and-back trek is along a good trail above the Rio Ascensio. We start in the dark and have the trail to ourselves when the sun comes up.
  • The last part of the approach is a steep climb up a terminal moraine that brings us to this great view of the three towers above a small lake. The south tower on the left is the highest (8,204 ft) and was the last to be climbed. A team of Italians made the first ascent in 1963.
  • As we head back down the trail, it is full of climbing trekkers that remind us of ants!
  • Betsy crosses the Rio Ascensio one last time to conclude our trekking in Chile.
  • Day 5 (Saturday, March 16): Our first day in Argentina involves one shuttle and two public bus rides starting at 6:30 am and ending at 8:30 pm. We go from EcoCamp to Cerro Castillo at the border, then to El Calafate, and finally to El Chaltén, where we spend two nights. While waiting in El Calafate, we walk along the shore of Lago Argentino where we see these black-necked swans.
  • Day 6 (Sunday, March 17): Today begins with a short shuttle from El Chaltén to El Pilar. This allows a 14-mile point-to-point trek from there to the base of Monte Fitz Roy and then back to El Chaltén. We finally get wet from light sprinkles off and on during the morning. However, occasionally the sun comes out and treats us to a rainbow, such as this one.
  • Along the way we encounter countless numbers of caterpillars, such as this one, feeding on the leaves of beech trees.
  • After a few miles of easy trekking through the beech trees along the Rio Blanco, we come to a steep climb of over 1,000 ft. Fortunately the trail is very good, as shown here where Betsy nears its top. Lago Viedma is the large lake near the right horizon.
  • Mary and our guide Marcelo top the moraine and are treated to this awe-inspiring view of the Fitz Roy massif and Laguna de los Tres. Unfortunately, the tops of the two highest peaks are shrouded in clouds: Fitz Roy is to the right of center, and Aguja Poincenot is left of center. We eat lunch and wait hopefully for the clouds to clear, but that never happens 😦 We leave knowing that we will have a chance for a more distant view of Fitz Roy the next day if the clouds clear.
  • While taking in the view, we spy four condors circling high overhead! I take this picture of two of them using a point-and-shoot Canon with a 6x optical zoom.
  • Day 7 (Monday, March 18): Today we do a mostly out-and-back 14-mile trek from El Chaltén to the base of Cerro Torre. This is a much easier trek than the one we did the day before, because there is only a little climbing over low moraines. At this mirador (or viewpoint) along the trail, we get an encouraging view of Cerro Torre. It is the leftmost and highest of the three rock towers on the right, and only its very top is in a cloud.
  • Further along the trail, we come upon a group of three giant woodpeckers. This one comes close enough for me to get a good picture.
  • As we top the last moraine, we get this nice view of the peaks and glaciers above Laguna Torre, though the top of Cerro Torre is still in a cloud.
  • We eat lunch and return to the first mirador to take in the view one last time. Above the right ridge, the elusive Fitz Roy finally appears along with Poincenot to its immediate left! However, the top of Cerro Torre is still not visible.
  • After we arrive back in El Chaltén, we pack up with a little sadness and board the bus to take us back to El Calafate for our last two nights in Argentina. As the bus leaves town, we look longingly out the window, and the top of Cerro Torre is now clearly in view on the left! Thus we succeed in seeing the tops of both iconic peaks!
  • Day 8 (Tuesday, March 19): The last adventure day of our trekking tour does not involve a trek 🙂 Instead we spend a few hours watching icebergs calve from Glaciar Perito Moreno into Lago Argentino. This view from a hike we take shows the massive size of the glacier.
  • To get even closer, we take a boat ride along the face of the glacier where it towers overhead. Every so often there is a loud “crack” as a block of ice breaks off the glacier and falls into the lake. We see several blocks fall along this more active part of the glacier. Since most of our time is spent waiting, Mary says that watching glaciers calve icebergs will never become an Olympic event 🙂

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2015

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Betsy and I spent five days backpacking and climbing in the Sierra in June 2015. We did a big clockwise loop that took us through the Evolution Basin where many peaks are named after famous scientists who did pioneering work in evolution and genetics. We climbed three mountains, packed over three passes (one without a trail), got snowed on the last two days, and did not see another person from the time we left the trailhead until just before we returned.

My blog of our wilderness adventure follows.

  • Day 1: Monday, June 1. Betsy is at North Lake for the start of our wilderness adventure.
  • Betsy packs above Lower Lamarck Lake.
  • North Lake, where we started, is the second lake far below to the northeast. Owens Valley and the White Mountains are in the distance.
  • The trail is steep as we approach camp.
  • I am still clean and wearing shorts just below camp.
  • Day 2: Tuesday, June2. We pack up to Lamarck Col on snow.
  • This is the view of Mt Lamarck north of the col.
  • Betsy is on top of Mt Lamarck at 13,417 ft with the slightly higher Peak 13,464 in back to the northwest. We climbed both.
  • Mts Wallace and Haeckel are prominent to the south. We made their first ascents of the year in 2013 when there was less snow.
  • Mts Darwin and Mendel are closer and even more prominent to the south. We decided that there was too much snow for us to climb them.
  • This is Darwin Canyon to the west of Lamarck Col.
  • This curious marmot came close as we made our camp in Darwin Canyon.
  • Day 3: Wednesday, June 3. Betsy packs through Darwin Canyon.
  • The canyon opens up to this view to the west of Darwin Bench.
  • We pack north toward our camp at the far end of the frozen lake. Mt Goethe, our afternoon climbing objective, is the rounded peak on the left.
  • We leave our packs at camp and climb Mt Goethe to the west. Betsy follows me up the summit ridge.
  • Betsy finds the summit register. We make the first ascent of the year!
  • Betsy poses on the summit of Mt Goethe at 13,264 ft. Our camp is at the isthmus between the two lakes below. We get back to camp at 8:45 pm.
  • Day 4: Thursday, June 4. We leave camp and pack north over the trail-less Alpine Col.
  • This is the view south from the col. Our camp the night before was at the far end of the lake.
  • This is the view north from the Col. We need to go down to Goethe Lake below where we will camp.
  • Packing down the huge talus blocks is tedious. A few snowflakes begin to fall to add to the drama.
  • Betsy tries the snow instead and postholes, so that is just as bad.
  • Eventually we make it to our camp at Goethe Lake after a hard day. New snow is coming.
  • Day 5: Friday, June 5. We awake to a sunny day after an inch of snow overnight. We still have more talus to traverse to the left of the lake.
  • Betsy packs out past the last of the talus as snow starts to fall again. Mt Goethe is to the left of center.
  • Mt Humphreys, Checkered Demon, and Mt Emerson are the three prominent peaks north of Muriel Lake. A good trail begins on the other side of the lake.
  • Betsy reaches Paiute Pass and the junction with the trail out. It is snowing again with occasional lightning and thunder!
  • I head down through the last of the snowflakes. Thankfully the lightning in the clouds overhead ends.
  • I touch our car back at North Lake to officially end our wilderness adventure 🙂

Mount Shasta Climbing Trip in 2013

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Betsy and I climbed Mount Shasta at 14,179 ft in June 2013 for our second climbing trip of the year. Here is our itinerary for this two-day trip.

Day 1 (Saturday, June 8): Drive from Oakland to the town of Mount Shasta to eat lunch. Drive from town to the Bunny Flat trailhead at 6,950 ft. Pack 4-1/2 hours up the trail in Avalanche Gulch to Helen Lake at 10,400 ft where we camp for the night.
Day 2 (Sunday, June 9): Leave Helen Lake at dawn, and climb to the summit and back in 9 hours. Pack out in 2-1/2 hours, have dinner in town, and drive back to Oakland.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather. It was in the 50s with no wind when we were on the summit. Two days later the forecast was for a high in the 30s with gusts to 70 mph!

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Saturday, June 8. We enjoy this nice view of Mount Shasta from a turnout on I-5.
  • We get our wilderness permit and summit pass at the Bunny Flat trailhead.
  • We put on our packs are are ready to climb up the standard Avalanche Gulch route, which is above Betsy’s head.
  • After a short way we get to Horse Camp where Betsy fills up her water bottle from this spring coming out of a pile of rocks. This is the only running water on the climb.
  • Further up the trail these white pasqueflowers are growing out of the rocks.
  • A cloud of dust marks a rockfall, which stopped before reaching us.
  • We follow footprints in the snow as we head for Helen Lake. It is the broad rocky ridge in the right center of the picture, and the only water there is frozen as snow.
  • We camp on a flat spot with a great view of the forests far below!
  • After setting up camp we check out our climbing route for the next day. It goes up the snow to the right of The Heart and then through Red Banks to the summit ridge. You can see tracks in the snow from previous climbers.
  • Day 2: Sunday, June 9. After a restless night we are awakened by early risers who start the climb with headlamps in the dark.
  • We wait until the light of dawn before starting our climb. We won’t get lost with all of the climbers ahead of us.
  • As we approach The Heart we have this great view of the shadow of Mount Shasta to the west. I stop for awhile to catch my breath since I have not had time to acclimate to the altitude.
  • The crux of the climb is going through this notch in Red Banks, which are well named.
  • Betsy follows the trail higher up where the snow has melted.
  • Betsy poses with the summit on the upper right. The weather is great!
  • Betsy waits for me on the summit as every step I take is a struggle in the thin air. We have a lot of company.
  • We briefly have the highest point to ourselves.
  • Going down is easy, especially where we can glissade on the snow above and below Red Banks.
  • By the time we get back to camp the mountain seems deserted. We pack up and make good time going down to finish another great adventure!

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2013

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Betsy and I climbed Mounts Haeckel and Wallace in May 2013. Here is our itinerary for this three-day trip.

Day 1 (Sunday, May 26): Pack from the trailhead at Lake Sabrina (9,128 ft) to camp at Midnight Lake (10,988 ft). We go 7 miles in 5-1/2 hours.
Day 2 (Monday, May 27): Climb Mounts Haeckel (13,418 ft) and Wallace (13,377 ft). This takes us 12-1/2 hours roundtrip from camp. We make the first ascents of the year for both peaks!
Day 3 (Tuesday, May 28): Pack out 7 miles in 4 hours.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Sunday, May 26. We cross the dam for Lake Sabrina at the start of our pack in and are surprised to find hardly any water in the lake!
  • This zoom photo shows our climbing objectives: Mount Haeckel in the center and Mount Wallace, the snow-topped peak to the left.
  • Higher up the trail we see that the upper part of Lake Sabrina has some water, though the white face of the dam is exposed.
  • Betsy crosses the outlet of Blue Lake on some logs.
  • Next we get to Dingleberry Lake. Mount Haeckel is the snowy peak second from the left.
  • We set up camp at Midnight Lake, which is just visible on the right. We had planned to go to Hungry Packer Lake but missed the trail junction in the snow. Two French climbers come down to our camp after failing to summit Mount Haeckel because they did not have ice axes.
  • Day 2: Monday, May 27. We wake up to a nearly full moon just before dawn.
  • Half an hour later in the alpenglow we are ready to start our climb.
  • After an hour of climbing we see the moon about to set behind the beautiful north face of Mount Haeckel.
  • We get our first glimpse of the col that we will climb. It is the low point on the east ridge of Haeckel.
  • Betsy climbs to the col.
  • When we reach the col we see the imposing southeast face of Mount Haeckel. Our route goes down to the snow and then up the red-colored rock to the south ridge, which we follow to the summit.
  • Betsy nears the summit of Haeckel.
  • I reach the summit with Evolution Basin behind me to the northwest.
  • Betsy signs the register. We make the first ascent of the year!
  • I stand on top of Mount Haeckel. Mount Wallace is the prominent peak to the south. We descend to the frozen lake and then climb Wallace by going directly up the snow and rock face.
  • Betsy nears the summit of Wallace.
  • Betsy signs the register on top of Wallace. We again make the first ascent of the year.
  • Mount Darwin is the massive peak behind Haeckel looking north from Wallace. After a cloud-free morning, storm clouds are approaching so we do not stay long up high.
  • Betsy enjoys the snow that starts to fall after we cross the col on our way back to camp.
  • A pile of rocks called a duck helps us find our way back in the falling snow.
  • Day 3: Tuesday, May 28. After light snow during the night we awake to find that most of it has melted. We pack up and head down.
  • I cross the Middle Fork of Bishop Creek on rocks.
  • When I get back to the trailhead I celebrate another successful adventure!

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2012

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Betsy and I climbed Banner Peak and Mount Davis in June 2012. Here is our itinerary for this four-day trip.

Day 1 (Wednesday, June 6): Backpack from the trailhead by Silver Lake (7,215 ft) to camp at Thousand Island Lake (9,833 ft). We go 8 miles in 7 hours.
Day 2 (Thursday, June 7): Climb Banner Peak (12,945 ft) in 13 hours.
Day 3 (Friday, June 8): Climb Mount Davis (12,311 ft) in 10 hours.
Day 4 (Saturday, June 9): Backpack out 8 miles in 5 hours.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Wednesday, June 6. Betsy starts backpacking up the Rush Creek Trail from the trailhead by Silver Lake.
  • We pose for a photo with Carson Peak behind us. The steep railroad track behind us allows cablecars to move up and down to service the Rush Creek Hydroelectric System.
  • We head for Clark Lakes at this trail junction and cross the Agnew Lake Dam.
  • We climb up this left (southeast) side of Agnew Lake. The dam for the higher and bigger Gem Lake is above. Another steep railroad track goes up to that dam.
  • Mount Ritter and Banner Peak come into view on the left as we get higher up on the day’s pack in.
  • Betsy poses with Thousand Island Lake just beyond.
  • We have a beautiful base camp for three nights by Thousand Island Lake with Banner Peak above.
  • Day 2: Thursday, June 7. Alpenglow is on Banner Peak at dawn.
  • Betsy is ready to start the climb up Banner Peak. We hike with day packs to the col to the right (west) of the peak and then climb the glacier on the other side.
  • Betsy nears the top of the glacier. Frozen Lake Catherine is far below.
  • This is the view from the top of the glacier to the east. I climbed Banner Peak from that side in 1970 with Mary before we were married along with my climbing buddies Don McEachern and Mel Merrill.
  • Betsy is ready to climb from the top of the glacier up the talus and rock face to the summit of Banner Peak.
  • Betsy happily signs the summit register 🙂
  • I sign it too.
  • This is the imposing north face of Mount Ritter, which was first climbed by John Muir in 1872. We had hoped to repeat that climb, but there is too much new snow on the route.
  • Garnet Lake is to the east.
  • Betsy glissades down the glacier but not very fast. Mount Davis is the bump above the snow in the upper right. We plan to climb it the next day.
  • Day 3: Friday, June 8. Betsy is ready to climb again. Today’s objective is Mount Davis, which is the high bump on the right end of the ridge above her.
  • We retrace the first part of yesterday’s climb and then traverse a rock face to this snowfield. Betsy places a pile of rocks called a duck to help us find our way back across the rock face.
  • We have a tedious stretch of talus to cross before getting to the easy snow on our way to Mount Davis.
  • Betsy nears the top of Mount Davis.
  • Betsy signs the summit register.
  • Rugged High Sierra peaks are to the northwest.
  • Thousand Island Lake where we are camped is to the east.
  • We have a great view of Banner Peak and Mount Ritter to the southeast. The route of our climb the day before is clearly visible.
  • Betsy is all smiles as she hikes down.
  • Day 4: Saturday, June 9. Betsy is ready to backpack out
  • A lot of water is flowing out of Thousand Island Lake.
  • Mammoth Mountain is the in the center to the southeast. We get back to the trailhead in good time (for us 🙂 ).