TR Desolation Death march almost
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:52 am
1 day 5 peaks 16.35 miles 7561 elevation gain 6965 elevation loss, 2 very tired hikers!
Yesterday I finally had the chance to do the desolation death march almost, Pyramid, Agassiz, Price, Jacks, dicks, Tallac, we started at the Rocky Creek trailhead 6:45 am (if that’s what you want to call it) parked in a spot with some transformers and no, no parking signs. Found a way up the side of the road a little to the east almost at mp 59 to find a nice trail, trail goes all the way to the base of the pyramid rocks, I thought we would be off trail sooner. This trail takes you to pyramid peak in short order, think a little over 3 miles and 4000 foot elevation gain. Then it was on to Agassiz but at the peak 2 guys showed up asked them what there plan was for the day and to my surprise they wanted to do the whole desolation death march including Ralston, so off we all 4 went down the side of Pyramid to the col/notch I had found last year, across the slabs above lake Sylvia and the tarns, over to Agassiz. Love that peak so distinctive and a fun short class 3 to the summit. They were already half way to price when we left Agassiz, worked are way to Price a very easy traverse just drop down alittle. It was after Price I was nervous about, the class 3 traverse to the first notch and what was going to be on the other side of the notch. So we did go towards the west and traverse some (quite a bit and not for the faint of heart I was very glad I had someone with me and my Delorme inreach if that gets the point across) class 3+ to the first notch to my relief the other side was class 2 thank god. So down the talus to what someone called the slabs of insanity, We found them quite fun but yes you have to do some route finding and zig/zag all over the place. Finally got down to mosquito pass, my friend was considering the trail to the PCT and meet me at the car at the Tallac trailhead at this point, both of us were quite tired, but convinced him to continue, so up to jacks via the southsouthwest route, just worked up to the peak a little to the south not as bad as it looked prior but did suck. We also met up with the guys doing the whole route before the peak they had gone down to Aloha to get water and had some route finding problems. We did see 2 people up on the ridge and by there difficulties we knew we had picked the right way.
So from jacks to dicks is along the ridge with 1 class 3 section (not very long and nothing compared to getting off Price). At Dicks we met up with a group of 5 very excited people and took pictures. Getting to Dicks pass from Dicks peak just work down use trail to some nasty really loose small rocks, we are talking whole section moves with you so we went 1 at a time, there seems to be multiple ways we may have just taken the wrong one. On to the PCT Yea we were tired and still had Tallac and about 8 miles to go and it was 4PM. Got over to Gilmore we took the trail not the ridge between Dicks pass and Tallac. Started towards Tallac, he wasn’t going up it no matter what he had been there before and so had I so we decided to shave a couple of miles and cross country to the Tallac trail where it starts down the switchbacks, good thing I had my GPS as we almost missed it. So down the trail I decided to just haul butt and get to the car he said no problem, got to the car about 7pm he was about ½ hour later. Went and got the car at Rocky creek trail and pizza in South lake, home on Donner Summit by 10pm. Awesome day with so many views did not take to many pictures as had been to 3 of them before, just needed Jacks and Dicks for my OGUL adventures now up to 28!
Thanks for reading
Kristine
Yesterday I finally had the chance to do the desolation death march almost, Pyramid, Agassiz, Price, Jacks, dicks, Tallac, we started at the Rocky Creek trailhead 6:45 am (if that’s what you want to call it) parked in a spot with some transformers and no, no parking signs. Found a way up the side of the road a little to the east almost at mp 59 to find a nice trail, trail goes all the way to the base of the pyramid rocks, I thought we would be off trail sooner. This trail takes you to pyramid peak in short order, think a little over 3 miles and 4000 foot elevation gain. Then it was on to Agassiz but at the peak 2 guys showed up asked them what there plan was for the day and to my surprise they wanted to do the whole desolation death march including Ralston, so off we all 4 went down the side of Pyramid to the col/notch I had found last year, across the slabs above lake Sylvia and the tarns, over to Agassiz. Love that peak so distinctive and a fun short class 3 to the summit. They were already half way to price when we left Agassiz, worked are way to Price a very easy traverse just drop down alittle. It was after Price I was nervous about, the class 3 traverse to the first notch and what was going to be on the other side of the notch. So we did go towards the west and traverse some (quite a bit and not for the faint of heart I was very glad I had someone with me and my Delorme inreach if that gets the point across) class 3+ to the first notch to my relief the other side was class 2 thank god. So down the talus to what someone called the slabs of insanity, We found them quite fun but yes you have to do some route finding and zig/zag all over the place. Finally got down to mosquito pass, my friend was considering the trail to the PCT and meet me at the car at the Tallac trailhead at this point, both of us were quite tired, but convinced him to continue, so up to jacks via the southsouthwest route, just worked up to the peak a little to the south not as bad as it looked prior but did suck. We also met up with the guys doing the whole route before the peak they had gone down to Aloha to get water and had some route finding problems. We did see 2 people up on the ridge and by there difficulties we knew we had picked the right way.
So from jacks to dicks is along the ridge with 1 class 3 section (not very long and nothing compared to getting off Price). At Dicks we met up with a group of 5 very excited people and took pictures. Getting to Dicks pass from Dicks peak just work down use trail to some nasty really loose small rocks, we are talking whole section moves with you so we went 1 at a time, there seems to be multiple ways we may have just taken the wrong one. On to the PCT Yea we were tired and still had Tallac and about 8 miles to go and it was 4PM. Got over to Gilmore we took the trail not the ridge between Dicks pass and Tallac. Started towards Tallac, he wasn’t going up it no matter what he had been there before and so had I so we decided to shave a couple of miles and cross country to the Tallac trail where it starts down the switchbacks, good thing I had my GPS as we almost missed it. So down the trail I decided to just haul butt and get to the car he said no problem, got to the car about 7pm he was about ½ hour later. Went and got the car at Rocky creek trail and pizza in South lake, home on Donner Summit by 10pm. Awesome day with so many views did not take to many pictures as had been to 3 of them before, just needed Jacks and Dicks for my OGUL adventures now up to 28!
Thanks for reading
Kristine