The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

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shuteye
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The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by shuteye »

A few miles upstream of Lake Eleanor, Bartlett Creek joins Kendrick Creek, and between the two drainages begins a miles-long high granite ridge, overlooking Kendrick Canyon, that leads to Nance Peak and Kendrick Falls beyond. I know this area is very familiar to some here, and that some have explored parts of the ridge, as well as Kendrick canyon, but has anyone followed the granite ridge from its beginning, which I realize could possibly include class 3 or harder? On GE it seems possible. Either Bartlett or Kendrick would have to be crossed, depending on which of the many possible approaches was selected, all including bushwhacking. What do these creeks look like early season—later season? Would the fire have made any of these approaches a better choice? Has anyone already tried this ridge this way? Any thoughts very much appreciated.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by oldranger »

Whatever more knowledgeable persons advice is concerning route this is the perfect year for a september trip in that area. Early season the creeks will be nasty. Much of your route will be low elevevation so hopefully you will get some cooler weather late in September. Though in my one trip to that area in 1980 around Oct. 1 the temp was about 100 as I hiked down to Hetch Hetchy.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... n_Map1.jpg[/rimg]

This is an early season trip I did last year. I day-hiked the ridge from Nance Peak to the small lake 1.5 miles southwest. In general, the terrain is cliffy, more so than shown on the map. I also had to avoid some steep snow. You cannot go exactly on the top of the ridge. The views are really fantastic. I wrote a trip report, you should be able to find it. Hardly anyone goes back there. It is not easy country. You can easily get into some major bushwhacking. The only people I saw was a tent set up across Flora Lake.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by shuteye »

Thanks, Old Ranger, Wandering Daisy, I have been to the area once before (Kibbie—Flora—Spotted Fawn—Boundary) and really enjoyed it. WD—before posting, I did read your trip report, and about your hike to Nance and to the lake down along the ridge line. I’m not surprised that it was cliffier than it looks, and I know you’re a climber accustomed to judging such things. I realize it might not go, but if it did, it could be a really cool kind of sidewalk in the sky access to some pretty great places. I have also read TRs about the infamous bushwhack to Edyth up Kendrick Canyon (as well as from Laurel etc) and about GB’s many experiences in that area. Looking at Google Earth, the ridge difficulties don’t appear completely forbidding: where it gets steeper, the slab seems more broken or might be passable by dropping off the ridge into the Bartlett Creek drainage. There is brush but is doesn’t appear completely solid on the ridge. What kept you off the top of the ridge— snow, brush, cliff-outs? I’d bring shoes, a haul line, a light pack. Of course, I realize a section too small to show up on GE or a topo could stop me cold. Both of your enthusiasms for the area, though, makes me continue to think about trying it this year.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

The biggest problem doing the entire ridge late season would be no water. Early there are plenty of small snow-melt trickles as well as ponds and lakes. But to have water on top, you get deep crossings. Can't win on that one. The larger lake on top is pretty impressive- could camp there, but it is quite buggy.

Parts of the exact ridge are little rock cliffs. Parts are dense brush. I was not that far off the ridgeline, but my style is to go around obstacles instead of over or through them. I had limited time so looked for the quickest route. Snow was not an obstacle on the ridge, but an obstacle getting up onto it. I did not take my trekking poles on that day-hike. When I was up there the snow was soft and I did not care to wade through it. The hardest part was getting off the ridge! I was cliffed out a few times and had to go back up, traverse and find other routes.

It would be a really cool route. Hope you can try it.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by maverick »

I have gone up Kendrick Canyon to the 5 lakes before Edith Lake, and then climbed up to Nance Peak via the class 2/3 section south of the lake, starting up just north of Peak 6790.
That cluster of 5 lakes are really nice and worth visiting if you are in the area.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by shuteye »

Thanks, Maverick, good to know. Nice route: no way for you to know if it would go. Halfway up your chute seems to stay around 45 degrees for a good distance. Is it scree, blocky, mixed? Smooth slab at 45 degrees isn't usually class 3. I might take it on the way back.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by maverick »

The main issue was the dense manzanita, no water was an issue too because of the slow pace, fighting the bush up hill and the heavy pollen in the air from each time I grabbed a branch, my clothes and pack were green from the pollen, as was probably my throat and lungs.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by shuteye »

You're not kidding, Maverick. On the slope just above lake level the manzanita looks bad but not so bad as as it looks midway up where the grade gets really steep and the cliffs close in from either side. Crazy bad up there.

Of course if you had had Google Earth back then, you would never have become the possesor of such a vivid memory. Forgive me if I pass on the second ascent. You wouldn't have really let me go up there, would you? Grade 5 manzanita. My little ridge project seems tame in comparison, almost sane.
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Re: The granite ridge leading to Nance Peak?

Post by maverick »

Of course if you had had Google Earth back then, you would never have become the possesor of such a vivid memory.
No, I do enjoy challenges, especially the less sane side of me. :unibrow:
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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