50 for 50... and dim sum
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:06 pm
After turning 49 last September (2008), I began wondering about how to celebrate my 50th birthday. Big party?... Nah... Im not really the party type, and just can not see spending all that money on a couple hour event. Trip to somewhere exciting? Probably not, seems to lack meaning. I was in search of something longer lasting and more meaningful.
Since returning to the sierra a few years ago and spending a lot more time hiking, I get in about 30 peaks a year, so I started thinking about a peak quest... 50 peaks from Sept 2008 to Sept 2009, with #50 being Mt. Whitney via the MR on my birthday. For some, 50 is less than half of what they do in a year; for others, it's more than what they would do in 5 years, for me, it seemed like a decent goal that would be long-lasting (a year long celebration ) and meaningful. I hesitated committing to the idea for several months, not wanting to become slave to the goal and ignorant of the pure joy of being in the mountains. The only rule I had for a peak to be included was that it had to be either named or numbered on a map and/or have a register. Four months into my 49th year and without aiming for the goal, I was already at 20 peaks... and summer was still to come . By early spring, it seemed that 50 peaks by September 4 was attainable, and better yet - attainable without loosing sight of enjoying the journey .
Pneumonia and an unplanned trip to Vietnam cost me a lot of opportunities, resulting in some temporary anxiety by late spring. Then the peaks just seemed to keep coming. By mid-July and eight weeks ahead of schedule I found myself at #48. "Hmmm, what to do?". I could toss out some peaks because they weren't high enough, or far enough. Or, I could just not climb more peaks until September. Neither of those options seemed realistic, so after claiming Wanoga as #49, I skiddaddled down to the Interagency Center, pulled #2 in the MW lottery, and called Sierragator to let him know we were "on" for #50.
The next question was... what would I call this peak quest now that I, for sure, would be getting more than 50 peaks? I didn't want to can my original title, just add to it and I needed something that would both account for the extra peaks and lend itself to a fun finale photo. Hence... the "dim sum", as a play on words for "then some", and you got it, you know what I carried with me on my last peak...
So, my peak quest came to an end Sept 4th. Although I still wanted to do a Whitney hike and perhaps be on the summit at sunrise (there was also a fullmoon on my BD) the permit gods were not in my favor. So, I opted for one of my favorite landscapes near Mammoth... San Jaoquin Ridge. I drove up to the ridge in the late afternoon of 09/03, parked where I had unobscured views of the Ritter Range and the White Mountains, and waited for sunset and moonrise. It was a perfect prelude to the finale. I watched the sun set between Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak, and watched the full moon dance across the sky. I awoke on my BD to watch the moon set aside the Minarets and sun rise over the Whites. Then I set off for the easy stroll to San Jaoquin Mountain, accompanied by one of the grandest skylines the Sierra has to offer. The morning offered me 3 peaks, bringing my total to 68.
Finale photos
It was a fantastic journey, and now I can stop counting numbers and just climb the mountains to get their good tidings.
I must thank all my summit buddies for their support, encouragement, and companionship. Without them, there would have been far less meaning and meaningful peaks. SnowNymph - you encouraged me early on and kept telling me I could do it!; TrailTrekker - summit buddy x 28!!!, yahhoo!; DaveG - thanx for getting me up AND down Muir; SierraGator - thanx for #50 on the MR, truly awesome. Of note, is that I met most all my summit buddies, one way or another, through this forum, so, for all the admins I am so grateful for this site and the gifts of friendship it has provided. I had another very special summit buddy - My dad loved the Sierras and introduced me to them when I was a young thing. Let's just say he's returned to the land that he loved.
So, here's the list!
1 09/06/2008 Towne Peak 7,287
2 09/20/2008 Muah Mountain 11,016
3 10/21/2008 Black Mountain East (Whites) 9,021
4 10/21/2008 Black Mountain (Whites) 9,083
5 10/25/2009 Pyramid Peak 6,703
6 11/28/2008 Ibex Peak 4,718
7 01/01/2009 Black Mtn (Santa Rosas) 3,941
8 01/03/2009 Little Corkscrew 5,804
9 01/03/2009 Corkscrew 4,414
10 01/10/2009 Black Mtn (Black Mtns) 3,941
11 01/11/2009 Opal Mtn 3,950
12 01/18/2009 Malpais Mesa 7,731
13 01/19/2009 Eagle Point 5,161
14 01/19/2009 Red Mtn 5,188
15 01/19/2009 Crater Mtn 6,040
16 01/20/2009 Lookout Mtn (snowshoe) 8,352
17 01/21/2009 Panum Crater 7,032
18 01/24/2009 Haiwee Ridge 5,952
19 01/24/2009 Scattered Bones 5,737
20 02/14/2009 Red Mountain (E Mojave) 5,251
21 02/14/2009 Fremont Peak 4,584
22 02/21/2009 Chukkar Peak 6,628
23 02/21/2009 Deer Peak 7,004
24 03/28/2009 East Ord 6,168
25 03/29/2009 Ord Mountain 6,309
26 04/04/2009 Pinyon Mountain 4,492
27 04/04/2009 Borrego Mountain - West Butte 4,492
28 04/29/2009 Morris Peak 7,215
29 04/29/2009 Mt. Jenkins 7,921
30 05/10/2009 Mt. San Antonio (Baldy) 10,064
31 05/10/2009 West Baldy 9,988
32 05/22/2009 Turtlehead Peak 6,323
33 05/23/2009 Griffith Peak 11,072
34 05/23/2009 Charleston Peak 11,915
35 05/24/2009 Fletcher Peak 10,319
36 05/30/2009 Sawtooth Peak 7,970
37 06/05/2009 Lamont Peak 7,429
38 06/05/2009 East Lamont Peak 7,475
39 06/20/2009 Trail Peak 11,605
40 06/21/2009 Mt. Muir 14,015
41 06/27/2009 Mt. Lewis 8,396
42 06/27/2009 Throop Peak 9,138
43 06/27/2009 Mt. Hawkins 8,850
44 06/27/2009 Mt. Baden-Powell 9,399
45 07/03/2009 The Fin 12,740
46 07/04/2009 Trailmaster 12,327
47 07/04/2009 Peak 12,525
48 07/04/2009 Cirque Peak 12,900
49 07/11/2009 Wanoga Peak 10,371
50 07/12/2009 Mt. Whitney (MR) 14,497
51 07/15/2009 Sentinel Dome 8,122
52 07/16/2009 Mt. Hoffman 10,820
53 07/17/2009 Mammoth Peak 12,006
54 07/18/2009 Peak 11,887
55 07/18/2009 Peak 12,002
56 07/18/2009 Gaylor Peak 11,004
57 08/01/2009 Sheep Mountain 12,564
58 08/01/2009 White Mountain Peak 14,256
59 08/02/2009 Piute Mountain 12,564
60 08/02/2009 Mount Barcroft 13,040
61 08/07/2009 Mt. Julius Caesar 13,200
62 08/30/2009 Lembert Dome 9,450
63 08/31/2009 North Dome 7,542
64 09/01/2009 Cloud's Rest 9,926
65 09/02/2009 Tuolumne Peak 10,895
66 09/04/2009 Peak 3,321 10,896
67 09/04/2009 Two Teats 11,387
68 09/04/2009 San Joaquin Mountain 11,600
Since returning to the sierra a few years ago and spending a lot more time hiking, I get in about 30 peaks a year, so I started thinking about a peak quest... 50 peaks from Sept 2008 to Sept 2009, with #50 being Mt. Whitney via the MR on my birthday. For some, 50 is less than half of what they do in a year; for others, it's more than what they would do in 5 years, for me, it seemed like a decent goal that would be long-lasting (a year long celebration ) and meaningful. I hesitated committing to the idea for several months, not wanting to become slave to the goal and ignorant of the pure joy of being in the mountains. The only rule I had for a peak to be included was that it had to be either named or numbered on a map and/or have a register. Four months into my 49th year and without aiming for the goal, I was already at 20 peaks... and summer was still to come . By early spring, it seemed that 50 peaks by September 4 was attainable, and better yet - attainable without loosing sight of enjoying the journey .
Pneumonia and an unplanned trip to Vietnam cost me a lot of opportunities, resulting in some temporary anxiety by late spring. Then the peaks just seemed to keep coming. By mid-July and eight weeks ahead of schedule I found myself at #48. "Hmmm, what to do?". I could toss out some peaks because they weren't high enough, or far enough. Or, I could just not climb more peaks until September. Neither of those options seemed realistic, so after claiming Wanoga as #49, I skiddaddled down to the Interagency Center, pulled #2 in the MW lottery, and called Sierragator to let him know we were "on" for #50.
The next question was... what would I call this peak quest now that I, for sure, would be getting more than 50 peaks? I didn't want to can my original title, just add to it and I needed something that would both account for the extra peaks and lend itself to a fun finale photo. Hence... the "dim sum", as a play on words for "then some", and you got it, you know what I carried with me on my last peak...
So, my peak quest came to an end Sept 4th. Although I still wanted to do a Whitney hike and perhaps be on the summit at sunrise (there was also a fullmoon on my BD) the permit gods were not in my favor. So, I opted for one of my favorite landscapes near Mammoth... San Jaoquin Ridge. I drove up to the ridge in the late afternoon of 09/03, parked where I had unobscured views of the Ritter Range and the White Mountains, and waited for sunset and moonrise. It was a perfect prelude to the finale. I watched the sun set between Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak, and watched the full moon dance across the sky. I awoke on my BD to watch the moon set aside the Minarets and sun rise over the Whites. Then I set off for the easy stroll to San Jaoquin Mountain, accompanied by one of the grandest skylines the Sierra has to offer. The morning offered me 3 peaks, bringing my total to 68.
Finale photos
It was a fantastic journey, and now I can stop counting numbers and just climb the mountains to get their good tidings.
I must thank all my summit buddies for their support, encouragement, and companionship. Without them, there would have been far less meaning and meaningful peaks. SnowNymph - you encouraged me early on and kept telling me I could do it!; TrailTrekker - summit buddy x 28!!!, yahhoo!; DaveG - thanx for getting me up AND down Muir; SierraGator - thanx for #50 on the MR, truly awesome. Of note, is that I met most all my summit buddies, one way or another, through this forum, so, for all the admins I am so grateful for this site and the gifts of friendship it has provided. I had another very special summit buddy - My dad loved the Sierras and introduced me to them when I was a young thing. Let's just say he's returned to the land that he loved.
So, here's the list!
1 09/06/2008 Towne Peak 7,287
2 09/20/2008 Muah Mountain 11,016
3 10/21/2008 Black Mountain East (Whites) 9,021
4 10/21/2008 Black Mountain (Whites) 9,083
5 10/25/2009 Pyramid Peak 6,703
6 11/28/2008 Ibex Peak 4,718
7 01/01/2009 Black Mtn (Santa Rosas) 3,941
8 01/03/2009 Little Corkscrew 5,804
9 01/03/2009 Corkscrew 4,414
10 01/10/2009 Black Mtn (Black Mtns) 3,941
11 01/11/2009 Opal Mtn 3,950
12 01/18/2009 Malpais Mesa 7,731
13 01/19/2009 Eagle Point 5,161
14 01/19/2009 Red Mtn 5,188
15 01/19/2009 Crater Mtn 6,040
16 01/20/2009 Lookout Mtn (snowshoe) 8,352
17 01/21/2009 Panum Crater 7,032
18 01/24/2009 Haiwee Ridge 5,952
19 01/24/2009 Scattered Bones 5,737
20 02/14/2009 Red Mountain (E Mojave) 5,251
21 02/14/2009 Fremont Peak 4,584
22 02/21/2009 Chukkar Peak 6,628
23 02/21/2009 Deer Peak 7,004
24 03/28/2009 East Ord 6,168
25 03/29/2009 Ord Mountain 6,309
26 04/04/2009 Pinyon Mountain 4,492
27 04/04/2009 Borrego Mountain - West Butte 4,492
28 04/29/2009 Morris Peak 7,215
29 04/29/2009 Mt. Jenkins 7,921
30 05/10/2009 Mt. San Antonio (Baldy) 10,064
31 05/10/2009 West Baldy 9,988
32 05/22/2009 Turtlehead Peak 6,323
33 05/23/2009 Griffith Peak 11,072
34 05/23/2009 Charleston Peak 11,915
35 05/24/2009 Fletcher Peak 10,319
36 05/30/2009 Sawtooth Peak 7,970
37 06/05/2009 Lamont Peak 7,429
38 06/05/2009 East Lamont Peak 7,475
39 06/20/2009 Trail Peak 11,605
40 06/21/2009 Mt. Muir 14,015
41 06/27/2009 Mt. Lewis 8,396
42 06/27/2009 Throop Peak 9,138
43 06/27/2009 Mt. Hawkins 8,850
44 06/27/2009 Mt. Baden-Powell 9,399
45 07/03/2009 The Fin 12,740
46 07/04/2009 Trailmaster 12,327
47 07/04/2009 Peak 12,525
48 07/04/2009 Cirque Peak 12,900
49 07/11/2009 Wanoga Peak 10,371
50 07/12/2009 Mt. Whitney (MR) 14,497
51 07/15/2009 Sentinel Dome 8,122
52 07/16/2009 Mt. Hoffman 10,820
53 07/17/2009 Mammoth Peak 12,006
54 07/18/2009 Peak 11,887
55 07/18/2009 Peak 12,002
56 07/18/2009 Gaylor Peak 11,004
57 08/01/2009 Sheep Mountain 12,564
58 08/01/2009 White Mountain Peak 14,256
59 08/02/2009 Piute Mountain 12,564
60 08/02/2009 Mount Barcroft 13,040
61 08/07/2009 Mt. Julius Caesar 13,200
62 08/30/2009 Lembert Dome 9,450
63 08/31/2009 North Dome 7,542
64 09/01/2009 Cloud's Rest 9,926
65 09/02/2009 Tuolumne Peak 10,895
66 09/04/2009 Peak 3,321 10,896
67 09/04/2009 Two Teats 11,387
68 09/04/2009 San Joaquin Mountain 11,600