I'm embarrassed to admit. . . last month I attempted and failed to climb Mount Rose. My plan had been to snowshoe from the Mount Rose Trailhead (8,920') and follow the trail to the summit. I've been climbing SPS peaks for years, and I foolishly thought how hard can it be?. Well. . . I made several mistakes. First, I thought I could drive from Oakland to the trailhead, reach the summit, and return in one day. When I was much younger, I did manic stuff like this all the time . . . but last month, the drive sorta wiped me out; I felt tired when I arrived at the trailhead. I thought, I'd rather take a nap than snowshoe. Second, I didn't give myself time to acclimate. I came directly from sea level, and I had a headache for most of that day. The headache pounded hard as I approached 10K elevation. Third, I wasn't mindful with my nutrition. I started the day with a belly full of coffee, not enough protein, and I barely ate more than a granola bar and banana for breakfast. I've come to learn that starting a climb with an empty stomach rarely works well for me. Finally, I underestimated how much side-hilling this route requires when it's covered in snow. Side-hilling in snowshoes is tiring, and not my favorite thing. Anyway, I made lots of prideful mistakes last month. I gave up and turned back. It was humbling.
So, today. . . I returned to Mount Rose with a better plan, in better physical shape, and overall I was just more gentle with my body.
On Saturday, I drove from Oakland to the unnamed trailhead along Galena Creek off Highway 471 (near 7470'). I arrived after dark. The trailhead was empty and quiet, except for a camper van parked away from me. I slept in the back of my Suburu, which I always find to be cozy and relaxing. Truly, I've had some of my best night's sleep in the back of that car. I opened the moon roof, and fell asleep to the sounds of Galena Creek roaring nearby. In the morning, I awoke feeling rested. Sitting in the morning sunshine, I setup my old school double-burner Coleman stove. I cooked an egg omelette and boiled hot coffee: a car-camping treat.
I sorted my gear, attached my crampons to my backpack, and started hiking at 9am. The bridge over Galena Creek is gone---or I missed it---and I crossed on shaky logs. If the logs aren't your style, fording appeared to be safe, lower than knee deep. The trail was easy to follow, and snow-free up to 8100'. Beyond that, ascending the ridge to Point 10005, there were 2-4 foot snow drifts in the shade and north-facing aspects. I hugged the northern edge of the snow and managed to find a path that was nearly all dry. There's countless use trails up this slope. It seems like they all go. With a bit of mindfulness, I avoided the worst of the bushwhacking.
I reached Point 10005 at 10:29am. I could see that the final part of the SE ridge was covered in 2-3 feet snow. I attached my 10-point crampons and pulled out my ice axe. I probably could have climbed without the crampons---just wearing my trail runners---but the crampons made the final ascent so easy and fast. The summit itself was snow-free. I did not find a register, although I did visit all the various bumps along the summit complex. The vista over the Tahoe basin was a grand sight, still frosted with spring snow. On the eastern summit knob, I found a protected rock circle that sheltered me from the wind; I took a lengthy nap up there. I retraced my route and returned to the Galena Creek trailhead at 2:30.
Overall, a great spring day. . . and some redemption for my folly last month.
- On Point 10,005' looking at Mount Rose
- On Mount Rose looking south over Lake Tahoe
- On summit looking east towards Reno
- Descending Mount Rose's SE ridge with crampons, knee socks, and shorts. . . check. :)
- On Mount Rose... I didn't find the register, and didn't find a USGS marker... but I found this rusty thing.
