Well I have returned to Bakersfield! Of course was supposed to do another 2 weeks but I felt I should get back to work so I can start saving money.
So most everything went pretty well after leaving Cedar Grove. Did everything exactly as planned until I dropped down Cunningham Creek and crossed the river. I just stood there looking up the narrow water way chute I was about to climb and I just said nah! I just don't feel like doing this today. And the thought that if I just went around into Deadman on trail I could chat with Cindy which I did for hours and I could get a day ahead of schedule because I felt the beginning of the next section was just too difficult so I wanted to break it up. So went around and up to Big Bird and on doing everything as planned. I only messed up a bit on Mt. Silliman climbing completely to the wrong peak and then looking over at the real summit and having to go from there. Dropped over the pass and down Horse Creek which I did not enjoy much.
When I went back in on the last section I ended up going over the Panther Gap and then to 9 Mile Creek then to the creek coming out of Lonely Lake and then to Glacier Lake. Sadly it rained on and off all night and into the morning where I got a late start trying not to completely pack up in the rain. Although the 3am thunderstorms had long passed Triple Divide Peak was completely in the clouds and I figured why climb it when I cannot see anything so missed out on that. Annoying also because it was a 1 day storm that just had to come in on that day!
Now I had what I thought was Wildflower Pass in my sights based on what Secor says in his book but I don't know what the hell he is thinking because that cannot be it and I'm glad I did not take it. I decided to cross the next pass to the West because it looked better and it only had a short bit of class 3 to deal with. Once in Picket Guard Creek and looking at what Secor says is Wilderflower there is no way down at all! If I had climbed it I would have had to traverse the ridge to the East until I reached the next saddle!
Went down to the Kern Hot Spring and around the Kaweah's as planned. Found the piece of aircraft that Derek had found the year before. Did some more investigating and found wreckage scatted up the slope at least 700 feet higher than the piece he found as that's the highest I climbed. Even found a bomb! =P. I sort of hit the jackpot in an investigative sense as I found a piece of aircraft that was large and flipped it over to find a small plaque with aircraft model number, serial number etc so I plan to follow up on that and do some research. It even had a date of 10/54 which of course is when the plane was made or modified and not necessarily when it crashed.
When I woke on the Red Kaweah day I was a bit pissed to see clouds at 4am but I was determined to make the summit so I began up. Got some rain on the way up and it was completely freezing! I only stayed on the summit long enough to take photos and sign the register and I was off. It snowed off and on as I made my way down but success anyway!
As I made my way around to Black Kaweah yet again the clouds looked ominous and I was afraid it might start raining or be a thunderstorm but luckily nothing happened and I made the summit. A nasty peak for sure. Probably the worst I have ever climbed. Since the route is not quite as straight forward as what Secor describes I did a class 4 or 5 section or two but it wasn't so bad. Even saw in a small crack an old rusty small nail. Maybe out of the boot of Norman Clyde. =P
At this point because I had issues with the post office mainly that it's closed this year and had to make arrangements with an employee there I was scheduled to get back in on Friday meaning I would not be able to get my resupply until Monday and I did not want to spent that much money there so I cut out the Lippincott day so I could pick it up on Friday which was successful. I also should learn that moving camps and climbing peaks don't mix. I dropped down to Big Arroyo and set up just beyond the crossing in an old camp with a tree saying 1935. But it was lunch and the laziness took over so I did not do Eagle Scout Peak.
If I had not come home I actually had planned to change the whole last section to go back to Triple Divide Peak and then do all the summits South down the Great Western Divide. Basically already have a loop set for another year!
So in the end only lost about 25 pounds this year. I think I did 17 summits. set a new personal record of 27 days with no rain. Had 24 days rain total and 1 snow day.
Best of all had no bad injuries of any kind. A nice smooth year! Victory!
