The years go by. For us, Mushroom Peak is a memorial.
- June 2, 2018
- Team: Art
- Mushroom Peak, 10,167
- Lists of John
- Class 3, 6.0 miles, 2619' gain, 4:27 car-to-car
Note: click images to see a larger version in a new window
This was a climb for Pierre Saviers, whose memorial we would attend later in the day. This song has deep memories for me all tied up with Pierre (actually, the entire album- but I'll spare you the story). Please enjoy it while you read further. |
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The evening before, Art and I drove over from McCall. The plan was to camp at the trailhead for Gladiator Gulch, but the road was wet, so we instead diverted over to Westernhome Gulch. That's the one we would hike, so it worked out fine. We woke at 5am and were on our feet, camp broken and stowed, at 6:15. We found an old skid road to follow for a bit (noting the axe-hewn logs that indicated the logging here was from a long, long time ago), then did what seemed to us McCall types an easy bushwhack for about a mile. Then things opened up, and Art was surprised to see mountain. |
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From the open sagebrush valley, we were soon on snow. As predicted, it had gotten cold overnight so the snow was nice and firm. There's our summit. |
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But even with our 'early' start, the sun was doing its work. We made the best time we could, covering this early section without crampons. |
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About the time crampons were a good idea, the snow was also softening. But still, crampons were in order. As we worked to get ours put on, Ruby used hers to survey pretty much the entire mountain. Note the prints. She made the normal manly feeling of donning crampons seem a bit silly. |
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Ruby on the face, maybe 35-40°? She had crossed pretty much the entire slope in the time it took to get the camera out. |
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No true mountaineering adventure is complete without mixing crampons with rock climbing. |
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Mountain much? |
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A few moments on top to reflect. But it was about 60°, so thinking of that south face broiling in the sun, we made it quick. |
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Another quick view of awesomeness. |
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I don't know why I put Ruby on belay- she's a much better climber than I am. |
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Art is down there somewhere. My crampons were balling, so I was moving pretty slowly. Maybe this is finally the trip that gets me to buy new ones? nah In the shadows at the bottom of the valley the snow was still firm, so we made good time back down the valley. |
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Saviers Peak RIP, Pierre. "Mi druegy" |
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