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Yosemite from Bottom to Top 2009
Posted on Tuesday, August 04 @ 21:50:38 EDT by squishy |
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In the second week of June 2009, we had a small team poised to tackle the fourteen thousand foot summit of Mt Williamson via the Long Twisting Rib route, but the weather and many other factors shut down our primary plans, secondary plans, and even plan C. We had the time off work but the constant rumble of this spring’s Sierra thunderstorms, Adam’s bum knee (from attempting to dayhike Shasta), and the long drive kept us on the west side of the Sierra. I had mentioned doing several alternative hikes and climbs, and it turned into a four day tour of Yosemite from bottom to top, from sunshine to snowstorms and even some mist thrown in for good measure. Making the best of your situation, time, and weather is an extensive mountaineering discipline in itself. I for one wouldn’t be able to take advantage of such limited time without being flexible, adaptable, and prepared.
Once again Biz was involved, a friend of ours, mountain guide, SP member, and now Yosemite resident. If I have to include his name, the word epic usually follows, and he did not fail at ensuring we pushed the limits once again. Last year Biz and I did a whirl wind tour of Conness’s North Ridge, my first alpine climb and first experience puking and dry heaving for a summit. When Biz heard we were planning and training for Williamson, it was a no brainer for him. Adam acquired the permits and we began training, long hikes with weight and traditional multi-pitch climbing to get the technically inexperienced up to speed.
Next came Adam’s bum knee, during a last minute training hike on Shasta he developed pain during the descent, rare for an apparently indestructible person such as Adam. The week before, during a tension traverse at Phantom Spires, a cam blew and he got banged up pretty bad, his first lead fall. Major raspberries down his legs, scratched up face, and even a dented helmet. Following one of Bob Burd’s scramble routes in Yosemite Valley recently, Adam was quoted as he walked into camp near 10 pm: "We almost died." They probably didn’t really, but they did bail on the intended mission (North Dome via the Ahwahnee Ledges) and ended up descending Indian Creek Canyon at night with one headlamp between him and his wife (after the second was accidentally broken). Click read more for the rest of the story, it's a good one.
We’d been watching the weather for weeks, and my last opportunity for training was shut down due to rain in Desolation Wilderness. So there we are on Wednesday speaking on the phone about the plans. The weather looks horrible up and down the whole Sierra, unpredictable thunderstorms every afternoon and snow at higher elevations. Mt Williamson was soon a memory, but I was not about to let the time go to waste. I had taken four days off and I resolved to use them, either dropping in on the Chief for some mid-week climbing or going homeless in Yosemite Valley. I suggested Cathedral Peak, Biz suggested Matthes Crest, and new plans began to form. Either way we’d go to Cathedral lakes; we no longer needed the four days it would take us to climb Mt Williamson. We had planned the weekend by Wednesday at least.
Adam and I jumped in the car and headed down to Yosemite Valley for what would be a crazy and ambitious plan. Since we weren’t doing a major multi-pitch any longer and Adam’s wife went back to work (and could not change her schedule), she was out until the weekend. Adam, a lecturer, is off for the summer so I at least had a partner for some dirt bagging in the big ditch. Basically our plans were full of problems and hurdles we had to overcome if we were going to get out at all (plan B). We pulled into Biz’s house in Groveland, 40 minutes from the Valley, on Wednesday night around 9 pm. Victorious, I began the tough chore of opening and drinking beers to wash the city off my mind. We ended up passed out on his front porch, rising with the sun for the short drive down into the Valley for some breakfast. I neglected to warn Adam of the impending doom associated with the sausage at the Curry Village buffet, he buried the stuff under biscuits and gravy, and it was too late by the time I noticed.
We threw our names in the campsite lottery; we had driven to Yosemite Valley without campsite reservations or a real plan (besides dirtbagging). I wanted to show Adam Sierra Point, and we both wanted to check out the Grizzly peak scramble above it. Sierra Point is a small hand railing above the Mist Trail were four major waterfalls can be seen. However, the trail hasn't been maintained since the 1970’s due to rock fall (though a sign about life in the talus marks the start). We had the entire trail to ourselves and didn’t see a soul. I had hiked up to Sierra Point solo a few weeks back, and I found it beautiful, short and historic; right up my alley. When I returned to SummitPost I found some great info posted by Bob Burd about Grizzly Peak, the summit above Sierra Point which I had already spied as a fun scramble. You have to remember California Class 4 is class 5.easy for the rest of us. We ran into a tricky down climb section, maybe class 4, a few hundred feet up, and the exposure was too much for us without a rope. The view was awesome; multiple leaping waterfalls in three directions swollen from the spring runoff and thunderstorms, their roar coming from every direction.
Adam began feeling crappy, obviously from the wonderful and nutritious meal at the Curry Village buffet. The weather was nice, so we headed up to the mist to cool off before heading back to see if we won a campsite. We had some lunch, well I did, and I think Adam began losing his breakfast by then. I took him down to the El Cap meadow with some lawn chairs and binoculars, one of my favorite new past times. It seems we dropped by just in time and we were able to watch Alex Honnold recover from a fall while free climbing near the Heart, it’s always inspiring to check out the current events on the big stone. After my beer was gone we headed back to see if we were able to get a campsite, sure enough, we were able to get a campsite in Upper Pines right next to the trailhead parking and our intended route for the next morning, the Grack. We set up camp, watched a small thunderstorm roll through and drop a little rain. We racked out and prepared for the day ahead, Adam began finally feeling better after puking most of the afternoon. Be warned, the Curry Village breakfast buffet is not all that bad, but I’d avoid the sausage, biscuits and gravy.
We woke before everyone in the crowded Upper Pines campground, which sometimes feels too crowded: tents from other campsites mixing with those from the next, RVs everywhere. We simply walked over to the 5 star Grack (5.6) on the Glacier Point Apron and had it to ourselves, though another group appeared just as we started up. Over the last few months I have spent about 14 days in and around Yosemite, usually on moderate trade routes and practice aid routes. Adam, who is more alpinist than climber, was hesitant to simply bum around the Valley for climbing, but the Grack changed all that. He returned to the ground, after his first Valley multi-pitch and was ecstatic about the aesthetic line and fun climbing. We ran into a small bat inside the crack, and it was fun doing hand jams around the cute little guy. Some clouds began to move in slowly by noon, but otherwise the weather was perfect for climbing.
To the city and back
We packed up and headed over to the wilderness permit office, turns out the permit was easier and less costly than the campsite and we soon had our free pass for Cathedral Lakes for Saturday night. We drove 3 hours back to Sacramento and resupplied for the backcountry. I even got a load of clothes washed and restocked on beer. Adam ran back to Woodland to pick up toxoplasma, his wife, and exchanged car camping gear for backpacking gear. It was becoming quite an ordeal. Adam picked me up on the way out, and we reached Biz’s house again near midnight. A few beers later, the debate over the mission continued. I was pretty much the only person who believed Matthes Crest was not possible; everyone wanted to climb it but I feared it would be difficult after watching the weather around Yosemite Valley. Any weather window we could find may not even be long enough to get it done. I voted for Cathedral Peak, since I had never been up there and we were all capable of the fun and famous 5.6 route. Just a few years ago a pair of climbers were separated from their warm gear and died in a weather pattern not unlike the one we saw before us. I thought Cathedral would be adventure enough in light of the circumstances, and I enjoyed reading about John Muir’s adventure up there.
The Top of Yosemite
We didn’t rush out to Tuolumne Meadows or get an alpine start. Everyone (except for me) was still aiming at Matthes Crest and carrying ice axes along with technical gear and two ropes. I actually left my ice axe at home because I did not intend to be in a situation where I needed such equipment, and the weather was bad enough. Biz threw an extra ice axe in the car at his house but I still opted to leave it in the car (my mistake would lead to the adventure in the end, but I’m glad it didn't turn out to be a more serious error, which it could have easily been). We headed up the trail for about 5 miles to the upper Cathedral Lake.
On the hike in we passed a group of backpackers who were carrying paper grocery bags and 2.5 gallon jugs of water up the trail in their arms. Once we started hitting snowbanks and having to travel across snow, we started to wonder about the fate of this group, something that became a recurring question as the weather began to change. I had never visited the area, but found that it was quite spectacular (no wonder it's one of the most popular trail heads and backpacking destinations in Yosemite, according to the wilderness permit brochure). You had the normal California Sierra suspects, a mixture of granite, water, snow and lush alpine vegetation. The clouds floated near the summit of Cathedral and we were surrounded by large granite walls and slabs in all directions. I was home once again; our short trip back to Sacramento was but a dream already.
We setup camp, discussed the weather and plans, viewed the pass above (though just barely), and then it began to snow. When I was in the Boy Scouts in the Bay Area long ago, a familiar statement was “if you don’t like the weather in the Sierra, wait a bit”. Well this day reminded me of that fact, 10 minutes of rain, 10 of snow, then the sun would come out or the wind would start and stop. It was truly beautiful weather, and we were all comfortable with the conditions. We even did some bouldering around camp in the snow, some fun little climbs on nubs and crystals. I found the granite features in the area unique, and I’d like to explore the area some more under better conditions. We had an early dinner, dug some trenches near the tents to divert the unexpected melt water of the afternoon and went to bed early. Biz was using a new Bibler bivy sack and it seemed to work well despite the weather. During our winter hike of Granite Chief he used a Black Diamond bivy made from Epic fabric and he did get wet, this time he was just cold. Before bed we talked about the plans, obviously with the varying weather patterns lack of ice and snow equipment, people began to see that Cathedral was the way to go. But we lowered our bar even further that night and opted for the mountaineers’ route, class 4 at best with a short chimney to the top of the summit block. Our plans had been foiled once again; we were on to plan D. But we were still in good spirits; after all we were surrounded by beauty.
We got up slow, when Toxo is along, we always have to wait for the sun to actually hit her tent, not just light the sky. We even anticipated this and tried to place her tent in the most optimum position, though the trees made the exercise challenging. I think we left camp near 8 am, not a cloud in the sky and warm temperatures. We knew it wouldn’t last and we didn’t let it change our plans. Good thing too, our epic was just beginning, and unknown to us a San Ramon resident had died the day before when the same storms were hitting the Half Domes cables. The park service evacuated over 30 people from the top of Half Dome, many unprepared and ill-equipped for the weather. An investigation is still ongoing into the death. There is still debate over the Park Service’s role in the safety of hikers and climbers on Half Dome. This is the fourth death on the Cables. Please drop by the SummitPost California forum and ask for the current conditions before attempting such a hike. Be smart out there and if you don’t know what you’re doing or you’re unsure of the weather, plan a safer alternative or stay at home.
We dumped our big packs on the ground about a mile down the trail and ate a small lunch. We took bearings and note of the landmarks so we could find our gear again on the way down. We took two ropes, a single set of Metolius cams, DMM offset aluminum nuts and a set of BD nuts, the short scramble up the use trail was short and sweet. Clouds began to form in the distance as another party was climbing the Eichorn Pinnacle in front of us, they must have climbed the 5.6 route on Cathedral earlier in the morning to avoid the weather. We had to cross a short section of snow to get onto easier climbing, Since I was without an axe, Biz cut some good steps for me, but it was still a hairy situation. I forgot how much security an ice axe gives me. Now without one, I missed it greatly. I suggested we just pick a line up to the summit and rope up since we were blazing our own route by this time anyway. The snow patches limit the line we could take without my axe so I picked an easy line straight up the face through protectable features. The Metolius Mastercams worked well in the pockets I found, yet I rarely discovered placements for nuts. Biz simply free soloed alongside and above me, helping to route find and gauge the difficulty of the route. I built a small anchor and Biz tied his rope to it and continued soloing upward to set the next pitch, I brought up Adam and Z at the same time to save as much time as possible.
Biz had done a great job of route finding around the tricky snow and had built another anchor just below the crux of the entire route, a short chimney shaped area with perfect hand cracks on either side; the climbing was secure and fun. One by one Biz belayed us to the top of the summit pinnacle. As the last person, Adam, began the crux, it began to snow. We had watched the clouds build as storms passed through Tuolumne Meadows below devouring the summits of neighboring peaks but sparing us...until now. The snow came slow at first, then it picked up quickly. Snowflakes varying from giant floaters to small hail flew past. I looked over at Adam at one point to see the hail and snow blowing straight out horizontally, and all I could do was keep my back to it. We moved fast, Biz lowered each of us down with one leg wrapped over the edge of the pinnacle. I went down second to setup the next rappel, as Adam and Biz were cleaning the upper anchors. A party of three topped out just as we left the summit. They had climbed the other side via the 5.6 route and both their guide and Biz began to feel and hear the electricity in the air. It was time to go, the urgency could be felt and seen on Biz’s face.
Biz down climbed some scary and exposed terrain behind us, bringing the gear and rope down quickly without aid from a partner. We began setting up a much longer rappel and aimed for the other side of the snow field which gave me a fright earlier. It was still snowing and getting colder. I set off down the non-vertical rappel and was required to untangle the ropes as I went. My hands were numb, the ropes and rock were covered in snow and water. Toxo soon followed and had a small slip once the snow hit her belay device and jammed it up, a wet rope is surprising hard to deal with. We all made it back across the snow during the descent except for Biz, once again the hero of the story. I belayed him back across the snow after he had pulled the ropes from a different angle to reduce the chance of snagging. I could not imagine having to free solo up to get a stuck rope out in these conditions. Everything we did was near the edge of disaster yet we seemed to avert it at every turn.
We quickly packed up the technical gear, coiled the ropes, and headed back down the slope to our packs, successful and safe. We had made it. The sky soon cleared and pockets of blue shown through as we descended, we easily found our packs using the landmarks we had noted earlier and finally took a little break and sigh of relief. It wasn’t hard climbing but the conditions made it especially stressful. When someone like Biz says, “we gotta go” I have a feeling he’s right. I did not feel or hear the electricity but I can imagine it’s quite scary on top of the needlelike spire of Cathedral Peak. That mountain is a lightening rod, and we had metal climbing hardware dangling all over us.
We cruised back down the trail back to the car, as the weather got much better. I guess we were lucky to be up there when we were in order to experience the wet weather and storm. We dug out the beers from the bear box and toasted to our victory, well victory over our plan D at least.
As we drove out I counted 16 deer in Tuolumne Meadows. I guess we didn’t get enough so we stopped at Pothole Dome for some quick views of the area. The weather was beautiful, clouds brushing up against the peaks with little windows onto the granite faces of Tuolumne Peak and Mt Hoffman. I had forgotten how pretty the Meadows were. We all talked and planned and pointed in the wind on top of the dome. There’s too much to climb, too many routes, such beautiful mountains. I could spend my whole life coming up here every weekend and still not explore everything I wish too.
Next weekend is Father’s Day. I guess I’ll head to the San Fransisco Bay Area, family is important you know. Sometimes in the city or having dinner with the family my mind wonders to the mountains. I can see the snow falling, feel the cold air on my face, the granite edges on my hands. I am fully addicted to the Sierra, and even though I have yet to travel and see the other mountain ranges of the world, I think this will always be home. It doesn’t matter what the plans are, what mountain I am set on climbing. I could take the success or the failure, the snow or the hot sun, no matter how many plans are changed or how many alternative plans fall through. As long as I am up there, I feel at home, at ease and exactly where I want to be.
Muir said after his ascent of Cathedral Peak (known to some as the hardest free climb done at the time):
"No feature, however, of all the noble landscape as seen from here seems more wonderful than the Cathedral itself, a temple displaying Nature’s best masonry and sermons in stones. How often I have gazed at it from the tops of hills and ridges, and through openings in the forests on my many short excursions, devoutly wondering, admiring, longing! This I may say is the first time I have been at church in California, led here at last, every door graciously opened for the poor lonely worshiper.”
I now know exactly what he meant.
Written by Squishy, Photos provided by aahz (Adam).
Click here for more Pictures
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