High Sierra Topix

Just returned from a short but wonderful skiing and climbing trip with my son Ryan.  It was our first trip into the Sierra together for a long time.  He has been resort skiing in the Sierra with friends, and so, was able to give me some really useful tips to improve on my still woefully inept downhill skiing.  The coolest part of this trip was the passing of the torch element, as 24 year old Ryan is now bigger and stronger than me, and he charged ahead, breaking trail, and choosing the route.  At the end of the ski in on the first day, when I was hauling a heavy sled uphill through the trees and dying-- he took the sled off me, and got us up to a nice, high camp.  [Note to self: Sleds are for open country; never again take an overloaded sled uphill through a bumpy tree maze!  Without my son's help I would have died cursing in a tree-well.

A very short trip deserves a short report, but there were some interesting points to it, the main ones regarding the ease of access to these places. If I understand correctly, there are none of the rec. gov wilderness permit requirements for the Eldorado National Forest, and Mokelumne Wilderness.  The permits can be obtained at the Amador Ranger Station in the town of Pioneer, and at other Forest Service offices, or online with them directly.  In summer, permits can also be had at the small cabin on Carson Pass, and the only areas that have quotas are around Winnemucca, Roundtop, and 4th of July Lakes.  If you enter from Carson Pass or Kirkwood, you can hike through this quota area on your way to Summit City Creek, and onward with an easily obtained WP for the Mokelumne. For the area above Silver Lake, where we entered on this trip, there were no requirements beyond a campfire permit.  It is a bit confusing, but the ranger on the phone was very helpful (Amador Ranger Sta.: (209) 259-3774). It seems like a very welcome throwback to the good old days, and potentially a useful option this summer.

Our goals for this trip were to ski in from Carson Pass, and to climb Thunder Mountain. I also wanted to reach the true summit pinnacle of Thimble Peak, having missed it last time.  We were successful in the first goals, but the final few feet of Thimble still eluded me.  We decided on the spot that if we could throw snowballs onto the top, that was good enough. It was easily done. Thunder Mtn. is a wonderful mass of volcanic crags, which can be scrambled through easily on the southern slopes of the mountain.  Here is that slope, and the rest of our trip in pictures:




Ryan in the crags of Thunder Mountain.


The trip began at the Kit Carson pull out, deciding what gear to take.  We took all of this stuff, and found we didn't really need the snowshoes and Sorel boots.  We left crampons behind, and could have done without the ice axe and shovel too-- though we did use them.  


The heavy gear went in the sled.




Tall Pacifico beers were part of that load.




On the way up Thunder Mtn.



  We found this "window" on our route and reached the ridge crest right under it. 







Ryan on the crest.  He led the whole way and did great.

Ryan's pano-- Silver Lake below, flowing into the Silver Fork of the American River.


We moved on up to Thimble Peak, 400' higher at 9,805'.  We checked out the skiing at Kirkwood on the way.  Roundtop in the distance.


One of the steep couloirs.

 
View north along Kirkwood Creek, with the Crystal Range, Jacks and Dicks Peaks, and Mt Rose.



Same shot taken with Ryan's I-phone.  I learned that my cheap Kodak distorts the color a lot- Damn!



The day up high was beautiful.  Here we're gazing west back to Thunder Mtn.



Silver Lake from Thimble Peak.




Thimble's tricky summit rocks.


Down, down, down.

 Back in camp.


And back down on Silver Lake.


The 1st leg of our trip done.  We spent the night in the Snowpark below Red Lake Peak.  We saw some more Mountain Bluebirds, Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal, and best of all, a pair of Coyotes hunting in the snowy fields!






For the 2nd leg, we day-skied in from Carson Pass.  We are heading first right up under the far cliffs.


This strip was nearly a replica-- exactly one year later-- of last May's ski tour with Bear; the one where I broke my leg and wrecked a ligament while skiing under Roundtop. We did almost all of the same things, but thankfully, not the wipeout.


The bowl beneath these cliffs is fantastic!  It has a big mountain feel to it.




Ryan ripping down the long bowl, and I'll come tumbling after.


Young Ryan.


17 years later.


Old man bringing up his rear.  As I said, the best part of this trip together was having my son take the lead, and outshine me by a mile in the skiing, and then take the time to teach me:  "Go ahead and lock down your boots too; keep your heels flat, and bend your knees forward more... you've got to commit to the turns."  Thanks to him I did my best skiing ever.  Too cool.

Great report! Top of thimble is pretty exciting! Get why you didnt do it!

I need to sort this out. Check out the differance:


Compare color tone with the same image below.


Same shot taken with Ryan's I-phone.



When I wrote:

I learned that my cheap Kodak distorts the color a lot- Damn!

I hadn't noticed how many of the snowy photos are pinkish. I reworked many of the ones in the Trip Report, and they are still awfully pink. Check out the differance in the tone of white snow:

My Kodak camera. And I used Contrast, Brightness and White to improve what was an even pinker image.


Taken with the I-phone. Perfect white!

So either my dependable little Kodak is too old (it's about 4 years old), or it was never any good, and I need to buy a better small camera. Any recommendations, at less than $200.00? Thanks, Harlen.

gazelle wrote:

Great report! Top of thimble is pretty exciting! Get why you didnt do it!

Apparently you found the way up; did you leap like a gazelle up from the ridge? I reckon third time will be the charm for me. I'll make it up that little north ridge if I have to do it a cheval! Congratulations to you if you made it; I was glad my son was fine not trying it. Hope to run into you this summer, Ian.

Cool report, to a place I need to revisit :-)

Gazelle, I notice you say nothing (incriminating) but just show a couple photos supposedly documenting your summit climb. It looks pretty realistic, but I understand that some climbers resort of Photoshop to complete their climbs.

I jest. I never doubted you'd reach the summit-- you must, in order to complete the Sierra Peaks list right? They don't count summits reached with snowball throws, do they?

... the final few feet of Thimble still eluded me. We decided on the spot that if we could throw snowballs onto the top, that was good enough.

You used the very route I had decided I should've tried. I climbed into the vertical crack to the far right, and was stuck there.

Thanks for showing us the way gazelle.

Another great report Harlen. Thanks again for sharing. I'm keen on exploring more backcountry around Carson Pass this winter.