High Sierra Topix

Recently I bagged two 14ers in one day (Puffs out chest! ).

Sport had Whitney on her “bucket list” and I thought, “Hell, if I’m climbing all the way up there I’m taking out Muir as well!” This in spite of the fact I have zero rock climbing skills.

We started by acclimating for three nights at Horseshoe Meadow and CL #4.
We spent our time enjoying each other’s company at the base of Army Pass.
 We also spent time fishing.
After 3 nights we headed down to Lone Pine. We had a beast to tackle.
Our early alpine start afforded us the opportunity to capture some alpenglow.
Soon we found ourselves at Trail Camp. There is a reason why we need to secure our food.
From Trail Camp you have an excellent view of the eastern escarpment.
You find these cables half way up the notorious switchbacks.
After you cross Trail Crest the trail can get a little sketchy.
To be continued…

You have an excellent view of Guitar Lake from the western side of the escarpment.
Eventually you do reach the summit.
Sport bagged the mountain behind her (Langley) three weeks earlier.
We had fun on the summit but I was determined to bag Whitney’s little brother to the south.
At this point Sport and I went our separate ways. She declined to join my climb up the scree slope and had 5 good reasons why.

1. She is way, way smarter than me.
2. She has much more common sense than me.
3. Her cognitive capacity trumps mine by far.
4. Climbing a class 3 rock with no equipment, training or experience is just plain dumb.
5. She knows Muir is going nowhere and we’ll do it again after we get the equipment, training and experience.

So, I was on my own.
I made it up.
And I made it down. I had skinned knees and elbows but the climb was exhilarating! I caught up with Sport on the switchbacks. I think I made it because of my special genetic disposition.
Jestem Polakiem!!

The people known as the world’s greatest climbers:

Jerzy “Jurek” Kukuczka, Andrzej Czok, Andrzej Zawada,
And more…
Kinga Baranowska, Anna Barańska, Maciej Berbeka, Adam Bielecki, Tytus Chałubiński, Leszek Cichy, Bronisław Czech, Anna Czerwińska, Jan Długosz , Ryszard Gajewski, Artur Hajzer, Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich, Konstanty Jodko-Narkiewicz, Zygmunt Klemensiewicz, Janusz Kurczab, Wojciech Kurtyka, Janusz Majer, Antoni Malczewski, Piotr Morawski, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Maciej Pawlikowski, Ryszard Pawłowski, Tadeusz Piotrowski, Piotr Pustelnik, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Marian Smoluchowski, Jan Alfred Szczepański,Mieczysław Szczuka, Krzysztof Wielicki, Martyna Wojciechowska, Mariusz Zaruski,Wawrzyniec Żuławski

Thanks for reading my post.

-Russ

How much wind was there on the summit?
Could you go into the Smithsonian Hut or see into it?

73
KD6SWA

Great report--- great year continues: fishing AND peak bagging up and down the Sierra. Great tribute to Polish climbing legends, too. I am an armchair mountaineer, rather than truly being part of the mountaineering community, but through my reading I am familiar with quite a few of the names on the list (ie more than just Kukuczka whom I assume everyone knows).

Yes, Professor, we have had a very busy year. Especially when you consider we don't post all of our trips. Trips including taking children to easy access, backcountry, Top Secret, fishing lakes.
And trips to other sensitive, off trail, Top Secret, fishing lakes.
There are some places we go that are to be never discussed on line!

Bob, it was not at all windy. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

The cabin is split into two rooms. You can access the room to the south through to door with the lightening warning posted. The note from the National Park Service was posted in that room. Have the Federales not heard of Microsoft "Word" and a printer?

Thanks for the comments,

-Russ

Congratulations Russ!! Would liked to have seen some pictures of your climb up to Muir
and some views from the summit.

Wow, two in one day. It took me 16 years to bag two, neither one of them Whitney.

maverick wrote:Congratulations Russ!! Would liked to have seen some pictures of your climb up to Muir
and some views from the summit.

OK, Maverick! "Sport" wanted to climb this peak as well. She managed to make it to the top on Monday.
She also bagged Whitney. Now she has bagged two 14ers in one day. Look forward to the upcoming report. I remembered your request and took some more pictures of the climb.

Thanks,

-Russ