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Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
#4809 06/01/10 08:20 PM
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"...if you'd like to do a bit of high desert peaks with us, it would be a gas."

I nearly fell off my chair as I read the email from Bob Burd. Had I just been invited on one of his trips? Seriously? I mean, this guy's been everywhere, hiked everything, and written up the most amazing array of reports I know. Me? Really? I know nothing he was proposing was out of my league, but my nerves went into hyperdrive the moment I imagined being out there.

Then I remembered that I could read a map, judge weather and conditions, proficiently scramble, independently route-find, and move solidly at my own pace for hours and hours. What the hell was I worried about?

Hero worship aside, I had a blast with Bob, Bill Peters, and Adam Jantz. As we huddled in the Burd-mobile Friday night over brews, discussing wake-up call and driving options the next morning, I felt just as at home with these guys as with my other climbing companions. The only difference being that Bob's almost done with day-hiking the Sierra Peaks Section list, Adam has won the Under-25 group of the Sierra Challenge, and Bill holds the record for the most time out on the trail during the SC. Fighting back a bit of an inferiority complex, we strode out along the road leading to Mt. Jefferson Saturday morning.

Great, wide basins separate rugged, towering peaks. Snow capped ridgelines snake upwards towards 12K, wind-swept cornices double back on themselves where the rock dives down to briar-choked creeks. Temperature gradients dove precipitously along the top, soaring with a return to the desert floor. Pronghorn antelope pranced out of the way of the caravan as we cruised an hour between camp and the next "trailhead". Huge skies overhead filled with brushed clouds and sweeping virga. Rainbows of wildflowers in all directions between greenest sage. I even found, after a few hours reflection on the photo, found the Great Basin rattlesnake to be perfectly gorgeous.

Four peaks in three days, possibly more if you count all the bumps in the ridges. A chance to hike (in the vicinity of) a hero of mine, and to have him say, as he's hugging me goodbye in Austin Monday afternoon, "We'll do it again."

I'm still soaring.

A few highlights:

"Where'd you leave my boy?" --Bob Burd to me on the summit of Mt. Jefferson. I turned to see that Bill wasn't behind me anymore... oops...

The guys brought snowshoes. The only shoes that fit me were my trail runners, and I forgot both pairs of my snowshoes at home. The Posthole Queen triumphs again!

I swear the snake was sleeping, and I was glad none of the guys were around to watch me quiver and shake and cry as I tried to take pictures.

"Did I do OK today?" --Me, to Bob, after the first day. Sheesh, what a freakin' neub...

"Where'd you leave my boy?" --Bob, back at the car after Toiyabe Dome.

"Are we seriously discussing the risk assessment for mosquitos?" --Me, to Bill as we were getting eaten up at the base of Toiyabe Dome.

"I would have poked it with a stick." --Bob, after ogling my pic of the Great Basin rattler I came across on the descent of Toiyabe Dome.

"I'm not at all fast, just incredibly stubborn." -Me on the top of Bunker Hill.

"Bishop." --Me, in response to the locals' questions in the saloons of Belmont and Kingston. Guess who got our little group a little mountain cred... "mmm... Bishop... yeah, that's rugged..."

The guys are still out there all week, so I can't wait to hear of the rest of their adventures. To Bob, many thanks for such a grand opportunity. To Bill, I hope the color coding comes out OK. To Adam, I'm so glad I could finally make you smile. Hope y'all didn't get stuck in Floodville this week.

Pics are here , here , here , and here .

A link to Bob Burd's trip reports .

A little slide show of the adventure.

From the luckiest girl in the world: Climb Hard, Be Safe.

-L cool

 




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Re: Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
MooseTracks #4813 06/01/10 09:18 PM
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Miss Laura,

As you know, I am very familiar withthe Burd way of doing things (his trip reports are some of the best source material for new territory), most notably, his MO of doing most of his peaks as day hikes. How did you manage the logistics of several peaks away from lodgings, etc? Did you car camp at trail heads? (I admit that I have not looked at pix yet, impatient as I can bee!)I love reading some of his accounts of gruelling dayhikes, and then driving off to a yummy meal and a tuck-in at a motel (I admit that I am a dayhiker at heart)Only to get up and repeat the same level of endurance as the day before.

Nice Snakie!


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
Bee #4820 06/01/10 10:26 PM
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There once was a Moose and a Burd,
who surpassed both the flock and the herd.
After dusting Burd's boy,
the moose remained coy,
as they both redefined the absurd.




The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
Bee #4827 06/02/10 06:57 AM
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Mizz Beeeee,

We car camped all weekend, and I think that was going to continue for the guys through the week. Yummy meal on Saturday night was provided by me, and we did grab lunch in Austin on Monday. The hikes really weren't bad (grueling wise), but the elevation gain was impressive for the actual mileage (Toiyabe Dome is 5500vf with only 9 miles of lateral movement RT, and the last 2 miles were up on the ridge).

It's not a "group" in the traditional sense: everyone is on their own, really, out there, with which I was fine. Bill and I were pretty evenly matched, speed-wise, although I just kept plugging along and he got to take breaks.


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Re: Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
MooseTracks #4849 06/02/10 05:59 PM
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Laura, just another great TR - I really enjoyed the slideshow. Kept looking for Bob's "boy". Bob's saga is just a forerunner of where you'll be eventually - running out of challenging Sierra/Cali peaks and having to look elsewhere for something new. Don't fret - there's a lifetime of adventures to be had in the Rockies and the Cascades if you're willing to earn some FF points. You could always take it easy for a while and boulder in JTNP or Utah . . . smile

And I'm trying to picture you (1) intimidated about anything, and (2) quivering/shaking/crying while snapping a shot of a sleepyhead rattle-woosie. Just can't conjure the image . . .

Re: Moose and Burd Tearin' Up NV's High Country: Mem Day '10
MooseTracks #4851 06/02/10 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted By: Laura


It's not a "group" in the traditional sense: everyone is on their own, really, out there, with which I was fine.


It does not have to be a social event, just as long as they have your back if you should ever need it.....!


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

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