Had a team from across the state for this one - LA, San Diego, Fresno and SF Bay areas. We gathered at Onion Valley on Friday night for a bit of acclimatization. The guys slept in their cars while I set up my tent. Didn't get too much rest, but then again I never do on the first night in the Sierras. The full moon and the pervasive wind didn't help.
Aware of the forecast of strong winds the next day, we were getting ready to start when Snow Nymph rolled in. I went over and introduced myself - it's a pleasure to meet HST members in person. While talking I learned she was heading to University Peak; we wished her and her team good luck and took off first on the trail.
Even though myself and one other person had loaded our packs for weight training, we made excellent time to Kearsarge Pass. Elevations below 9000 ft are certainly dry, but above that there is quite some snow left. The trail was mostly clear to Gilbert Lake, only occasional patches in shadier spots that already had boot marks across them. We were carrying snowshoes, in the end we didn't end up using them. From above Gilbert Lake to the pass the snow patches got longer, deeper and covering larger areas, though they are still passable without any special equipment. I should mention that we had mountaineering boots on, which give better traction. From the ridge above Heart Lake the snow coverage was more or less continuous, so we made a beeline for the pass and skipped some of the switchbacks. The lakes were still frozen over, except for Lower Pothole and about one-third of Gilbert.
We were buffeted by increasingly stronger gusts of wind the higher we ascended. When we got to Kearsarge and went over to its western side, it felt like a train was hitting. While quite pleasant in the sun, the temperature was fully affected by the windchill. Couldn't spend too much time at the pass, so we turned our attention to the south ridge of Gould, which looked clear. I got my ice axe out but left the crampons in the pack and opted for microspikes instead. We stashed the snowshoes and headed up, but were immediately forced by roaring gales to angle east and stay below the crest. In the lead, I began connecting the snowfields, occasionally reaching the crest of the ridge where I would be promptly slammed by the river of air and driven east. I found it quite frightful to see that my heavy pack made absolutely no difference, it was impossible to walk in a straight line when faced with an irresistible force of nature.
My kicking steps while self-belaying allowed the guys to follow at a good pace, and soon we had reached summit ridge. Views to the north opened up, where we could see Dragon Peak and the rest of Sierra crest. Oddly enough, the strength of the wind decreased somewhat at this point, allowing us to traverse the ridge on the south to the summit block. Here we examined the NW side first and ruled it too dangerous to ascend given the wind. The crack on the south side looked more promising. The best rock climber in the group scrambled up to where the register box was, and ruled standing on the actual summit impossible due to the winds. An attempt to build an anchor and fix a rope failed. Not willing to tempt fate, we brought the box a little further down, signed the register, put it back, took our group shot and cleared out.
On the way down we retraced our steps by staying as far away as possible from the top of the ridge. When the path inevitably veered there, every gust of wind felt like a punch. I was getting tossed around like a toy, causing me to expend large amounts of energy to prevent getting blown off completely. Matter-of-factly I noticed my fingers beginning to turn blue (I prefer fingerless gloves for better grip). After the hard work of breaking trail to the top, I arrived back at the pass utterly spent from fighting the wind.
We retrieved our snowshoes, ate and drank, then started down. Ten minutes after we had left the pass clouds started streaming over the crest, eventually shrouding University Peak and covering the afternoon sun. Even though we were descending, the temps dropped further under the unrelenting barrage from the wind. The rest of the way was uneventful. I had warned the others that the trail would seem interminable once the road comes into view for the first time, and so it happened. We arrived in Onion Valley on the heels of Snow Nymph's group, who informed us they had abandoned their attempt on University and tried to go for Gould instead, but called it a day at Kearsarge when faced with the freight train of air.
The sky had cleared again. No such hope for the winds, so heading out was an idea wholeheartedly embraced by all. Snow Nymph joined us for dinner in Lone Pine before each went their separate ways. It was a great climb despite the conditions, and the views were clear as crystal with the atmosphere scoured clean. As I mentioned, much snow remains in the high country, with lakes above 10,000 ft just beginning to thaw out. Streams should be running strong for a while.
Photos:
Gilbert Lake
Approaching Kearsarge Pass
View west from Kearsarge Pass
Up the south ridge of Gould
Climber with Kearsarge Pinnacles in the background
Rixford from Gould
Brewer and the Great Western Divide from Gould
University from Gould
Group shot, somehow the camera didn't fly away
View northeast
Zoom in on the Palisades
Heading down
Back at Kearsarge Pass
University in the clouds
Gilbert Lake
