Mt. White Peak

August 31, 2002

Elevation: 14,290’

The group met up in Mammoth at the Outdoorsman Lodge mid town. Gary Sheerin, John Lapham, Ben Solomon and myself came from the North while Steve Jones, Greg “Aki” Ocasek and Jamie Craig came from the South. Ironically, we arrived Friday evening all within 1 hour of each other around 8:00pm. After loading up at Whiskey Creek (with food that is…OK…maybe a few beers too) and getting acquainted, we strolled back to the lodge and filtered off to our rooms for the evening.

The next morning we were heading up Silver Canyon in a mini caravan of two 4X4s, 4 bouncy headlights cutting though the dusty darkness; I smiled, knowing that we were going to get to come down this 10 mile dust bomb later that day. As the sun rose over the Sierras, I think Bingo and I must have each said to ourselves a dozen times, “Just another shitty day at the office!”

We finally reached the trailhead around 8:00am and proceeded to stretch, prepare our packs and lace our boots. I made a feeble attempt to protect my vehicle’s engine undercarriage with some chicken wire left behind by past visitors who had been fooled into believing that evil marmots will eat your hoses, stranding you atop a mountain! Haa Haa…yet, I was in no position to be proven wrong at 11,700’ and not a tow truck in site for hours with 6 angry, hungry and cold people. Of course, we did have a cooler full of beer, pop and water so I guess it wouldn’t have been all that bad. Then again, the sani-hut at the trailhead was chained shut?

After the infamous “before” shot I set up on my mini-pod, we all turned uphill, rounded the vehicle barricade and set off on the 7 mile, high altitude, ridge walk. The first two miles amounted to a fairly good incline as we walked up the road around 800 vertical feet. At the top of this ridge is the University of California’s Barcroft High Altitude Research Center, although it is more reminiscent of a ghost town on another planet. It looks like a very lonely place and I can’t imagine what the few poor souls who endure the winters must do up there day after day. As I passed by the very full sheep pen, I realized I had a good joke for the next person I passed on the trail.

The next 3 miles involved topping the ridge extending East from Mt. Barcroft, descending into and crossing a large valley, then ascending up gigantic knoll in the shadows of White Mt Peak. At the top of this knoll extending off the Southeast face of the peak we were able to get a great view of the switch backs zigzagging up the mountain. From here, there was a steep downhill for about 400’ vertical then across a small valley to the 1.5mile series of switchbacks which finally spit us onto the summit 1,200’ above. On the trudge up, we were lucky to see a herd of mountain goats cresting the ridge skyline above us and I managed to get some good video footage; still no sighting of the dreaded marmot.

It was around noontime as we all began to summit and we had an absolutely breath-taking vista for lunch. The day was bright and clear; not a cloud in site but the smoke from the ongoing fires in the Sierras seemed to have limited our visibility to about 100’ miles. Still, this was a sharp contrast from last summer’s attempt on mt. bikes. We were turned back just feet from the summit as we ignored the socked in conditions during the morning drive to the trailhead, the rain as pedaled our bikes across the ridges and the hail as we pushed our bikes up the switchbacks, but we COULD NOT ignore the clap of thunder and lightening that sent our walkie-talkies whirring a few seconds before it hit just above our heads. The 4 of us, getting pounded by hail and clutching the wet cold mountainside, made a quick decision to descend immediately and quickly. Talk about a miserable, cold, wet ride back to the car with our tail between our legs!!!

So, this year it was a big treat to have the weather in our favor as we dined in the 80 degree sunrays at 14,290’. Unfortunately, Aki was the only member who was not enjoying the summit as he was forced to turn back at the bottom of the switchbacks. Probably a good thing, as his arms were beginning to stretch carrying his camera equipment. He would have had bloody knuckles by the time he made the summit and got back to the cars.

After the 14 mile day and a few beers back at the trailhead (I’m happy to report that there were no signs of the so-called “killer” marmots) the group split up and the Northerners went North and the Southerners went South. We stopped to see the Patriarch Grove with the largest Bristlecone in the world of the same name. Jamie experienced a little nausea associated with acute mountain sickness on the way down confirming the life-saving addage, “Hike high, Sleep low”. Knowing we were descending rapidly and she’d be sleeping at see level by that night, we weren’t too concerned. Sorry Jamie, it’s the price we sometimes have to pay to play!

During the bouncy ride down Silver Canyon as we reached the canyon floor, we saw deer grazing and meandering through the sparse foliage. That afternoon, Bingo, Aki, Jamie and I soaked our sore muscles and tired feet in Keough Hot Springs south of Bishop as it turned dusk. As we talked about the day with other soakers in our foot deep hot tub, the sun began to set over the Sierra range, illuminating the top White Mt. Peak in a day-ending rose…and you KNOW what I was thinking. Wondering if the next day at the office could get any better??

T. GOON Whear, 9/24/02