When I planned this trip to DV, I really had no clue how much fun it would wind up being. My winter getaways to Death Valley have always been solo in the past, but that was getting kind of boring. As it happened, I met John Whitworth (catpappy) several months ago through the WPS and WZ boards. John lives just a few miles from me in the northwest burbs of Atlanta - talk about the power of the boards to bring people together! Over the fall and winter we went for a few hikes at a local mountain and before long this DV trip had turned into a joint adventure for the two of us.

We flew to Vegas together on 3/2 and before nightfall had our camp set up at Texas Springs in Death Valley. The next morning we headed for the charcoal kilns and the Wildrose Peak trailhead. We were geared up with snow boots, full gaiters and micro-spikes in case the snow got deep as we went above 9000 feet. As it turned out, we were able to handle the snow in just boots, so the gaiters and spikes stayed in our packs. The last mile to the summit the snow was fairly deep, at least to my Georgia sensibilities (6-8 inches), and we had to search for the trail at times. John has more experience in snow than I do, so a running joke began with him referring to it as "patchy" and me seeing it as "pretty damn heavy".

As we were coming from the east with zero acclimation for 9000 feet, we took it slow and steady, topping out on the summit about noon. We were almost immediately joined by two women, Carla and Sheila from Massachusetts and Oregon, who were right behind us. As best as we could tell, we were the only four on the mountain that day - we encountered no one else all day long. The four of us had lunch on the summit and enjoyed the crystal clear, stunning views of Badwater and Mt. Charleston to the east and the Inyos and snowy Sierra to the west. I spotted Bob R and Kevin R in the summit register, which was neat.

The following day, we were joined at our campsite by Laura Molnar (MooseTracks), Chris Sistrunk (SoCalGirl), Jim Freeland (SierraGator) and Harlan Stockman (not on either Whitney board, but a member of SummitPost - a very strong climber and wonderful guy). Jim's presence was a nice surprise. I had not seen him since finally meeting him at the Portal last summer, but we've been Facebook friends since and have sparred good-naturedly all winter about SEC football (the Bulldogs and Gators are bitter rivals, for those of you unfamiliar with that particular dynamic - another testament to the power of the mountains to bring people together). Chris has also been a FB friend for quite a while, so it was great being able to finally meet her in person. One helluva sense of humor! John was finally able to meet Jim and Chris. He had met Laura during the Kent Ashcraft memorial hike and cookout a few years back, so they were finally reunited! Chris had come up from San Diego, Harlan from Las Vegas, Laura from Bishop and Jim from Lake Isabella - there were quite a few miles driven (or flown) to make this little party happen!

Sidebar: Joe Quillan (quillansculpture) was originally slated to join us for this weekend, but honey-dos apparently got in the way. Joe, we missed you - and you missed a great time!

The next morning we all headed for Corkscrew Peak to meet Tom Brown (tomcat_rc) and Bob Pickering. The group gathering this day was primarily the result of a Facebook chat Laura and I had a few weeks back, and Tom's presence was also arranged through a FB chat. John is not a member of FB, but after this trip I expect to see him set up an account soon (be-friend him, folks - he's one helluva guy). It was great seeing Tomcat again! Bob Pickering and I had been corresponding by e-mail for quite a while, and it was a pleasure to finally meet him in person. He drove from Reno to join us, and I appreciated that greatly - especially since the next day was his wife's birthday and he had to turn right around and drive back to Reno after the hike. Bob surprised me by sporting a Georgia Bulldogs shirt for the hike, which confused the hell out of John, who was wearing his Georgia Tech gear. Add Jim's signature Florida Gators cap, and we had quite an interesting group with four of us outfitted in southern college football attire! Did I mention something about the power of the mountains overcoming other obstacles? Laura just shook her head .

As we were gearing up, we were surprised when Bob Rockwell arrived, along with Dave Gillanders and Arold Green. Sheer coincidence, but it was great meeting Bob R, fresh off his Kilimanjaro summit last month. I've really enjoyed the narratives that Bob has made available (in particular, his first Whitney summit story, his Denali experience, and his race to the Whitney summit against the younger ultra-marathoners), and it was an honor to finally shake his hand.

Our two groups headed across the desert towards Corkscrew, but between adding layers, removing layers, stopping for photos, pacing, etc., we were soon spread out into several groups. Jim, Harlan and Tom wanted to tag Little Corkscrew first so they went to the left while the rest of us bore to the right. The weather was great and it was a very enjoyable morning.

After about 2000 feet of gain, my legs were feeling a bit fatigued, especially after Wildrose two days prior. I have a problem in approaching western gains in that I have a naturally quick hiking pace. That doesn't present too much of a problem here in the south where a hike is typically an up-down-up-down-up-down kind of thing: gain 1000 feet, lose 400, gain 500, lose 300, etc. The consistent uphills of the west can't be replicated here locally, so I try to consciously maintain a durable pace when I'm approaching something like Corkscrew's 3500-foot gain in just over 3 miles. The problem is I'll get going in deliberate granny-gear, then my mind will wander (or my mouth starts flapping) and soon I realize I'm going too fast and my legs are burning. John and Bob P both noticed this and commented about it during the hike. John can drop into 1st gear and go on seemingly forever. Maybe some day I'll be able to as well, if I can ever discipline my pace. The last, really steep 1500 feet of gain on Corkscrew came with a number of 20-second rest stops, which royally pissed me off. Some day I'll learn. Maybe.

We stopped at the keyhole below the summit for about a half hour. Jim, Tom and Harlan had re-joined us by that point and there were a number of great photo ops as they climbed to the top of the window and posed every which way for shots. Jim, of course, insisted on my getting a pic of him doing the Gator Chomp up there. Not long after that we were all on the summit eating lunch, taking photos and just generally having a blast. Bob R managed to position his camera for a timed group shot, which is in his Flckr album of the hike. There was a wonderful sense of camaraderie on the summit that day, and it made the hike that much more special. The only disappointment was that someone had absconded with the summit register and box (or thrown it off the side).

Another sidebar: this particular hike took a toll on Chris. It was a little tougher than she might have anticipated, and she hit a wall about 1500 feet below the summit. She did, however, persevere and got a standing O when she topped out. She showed a great deal of resiliency and determination in summitting, and maybe learned a little something about herself. Kudos Chris! Just the beginning!

After about a half hour enjoying the experience and views on the summit, we headed down, taking a different route to exit at the drainage to the north of Corkscrew. It was time for my downhill-racer persona to materialize, and I really enjoyed scooting down that mountain, scree-ski and all. We eventually all met up at the cars and enjoyed a nice, celebratory brew (or two) before parting ways. Bob had to return to Reno, and Jim and Tom headed back home to Lake Isabella and Ridgecrest respectively. Laura, Chris and Harlan would camp one more night with us at Texas Spring.

John's patient (and tedious) backwoods fire-building skills granted us a blazing campfire with the wood that we had trouble igniting two nights before - or it may have been the big Duraflame that Harlan used. Laura, Harlan, Chris, John and I enjoyed a hilarious evening around the campfire, toasting anything that moved and rolling with laughter at John's stream-of-consciousness chatter that a few strong Porters seemed to generate. We laughed so hard it hurt. By the time we rolled into our tents, I felt it had been the best all-around day I had ever spent in the mountains. A fun hike, great scenery, beautiful weather, all shared with a wonderful group of like-minded people - most of whom had a significant BAL by day's end!

Harlan had to leave us the next morning, taking a quick detour to climb Death Valley Buttes (The Butts, as we called them). John and I planned to do the same the next day. We hung out at the campsite till about noon, BSing some more, then we saddled up and drove to Panamint Springs for a nice lunch. Laura and Chris then headed for their respective homes while John and I continued on to Lone Pine. We each had something to pass along to Doug (Jim, be sure to have Doug show you my gift), and managed to catch him at the Hostel, where we grabbed a shower and began to feel human again. Doug invited us to dinner at Seasons with he and Earlene, so we capped the day with another memorable experience. John and I were whipped after dinner and the thought of the drive back to Furnace Creek was not very appealing, so Doug set us up at the Hostel overnight which was greatly appreciated. That would have been a long drive in the dark at the end of a long day. Thank you Doug!

The next day we scooted back to DV and headed straight for Death Valley Buttes. I couldn't find any detail on this climb on the internet, other than some brief SummitPost stuff, but it was something that looked interesting. Why they're called buttes is beyond me, as they are a couple of knife-edge peaks rising from the desert floor in the foreground of Corkscrew Peak, linked by a saddle. The only description I could find was that it was steep scree-hiking up to the Middle Butte, then some exposed climbing to the Upper Butte summit. That was exactly what it was, and it was a blast!. Neither John nor I are climbers of any consequence, but we both got some pretty good pucker-factor class 3 experience under our belts on this baby. Being a knife-edge ridge all the way, there are few choices on route, and some sections are two hands, two feet and a long way down less than a foot away. Bob Pickering keeps telling me I need some good class 3 experience. Bob, got it . . .

On the summit, John turned to me and said "Uh . . . that down-climb might be a bit sketchy." I agreed, but it had to be done. Slow and steady, we'd make it. We found Harlan's name in the summit register from the day before, but very few others. The register - a small spiral notebook - went back to 2006 and was not even half-full. Very few people seem to climb these buttes, and it beats me as to why. They're fantastic! What got our attention was an entry by Bob Burd, of all people, indicating he had belayed someone on the Upper Butte. That impending down-climb now seemed just a bit more serious to us.

After a half hour enjoying the view of Corkscrew to the north and Badwater to the south, we headed down. We were a bit apprehensive about the down-climb, but we took our time and ensured we had good contact points and balance. We kept waiting for a section to give us problems, but it never happened and things went very smoothly. Even the section we dubbed the "Mini-E-ledge" (about 20 feet of narrow rock ledge, with a long fall on one side and a sheer wall on the other) went without a hiccup - although my wife will have a cow when she sees the photos. The "scary" part was over before we knew it. Who knows, maybe the MR is in our future! High-fives and beer awaited us at the finish, and we agreed that this was the most enjoyable peak of the trip, from a challenge standpoint. If anyone heads up there in the near future, that impressive, gravity-defying cairn on the Upper Butte summit is my personal handiwork . . .

A nice little sand storm brewed up when we got back to camp - the exact same thing that happened to me the last night of my last hiking trip to DV - so John's DV experience went up another notch. Having learned my lesson during my previous tent-in-a-sandstorm fun, I slept in the rental vehicle. John laughed at me that night. He wasn't laughing the next morning.

So that's it. Our Death Valley 2011 TR. Had a blast and enjoyed great company. John, you're a fine hiking and camping partner (especially after a few beers), and I'm really glad you chose to give this a whirl. I bet it's not your last winter trip to DV! I especially appreciate the time committed (and distance driven) by Laura, Bob P, Chris, Jim and Tom to join us on this little adventure. Doug, your hospitality was superb and we're grateful for it. Laura, the moose-antler head gear you brought for me to pass on to Brianne was a real winner - she loved it! The people were as fun and intriguing as the mountains, and made the trip very special. Can't wait for the summer - and the Sierra!

Photos up soon. Got lots to go through!

An excellent read - thanks for taking the time to post it.

Have you ever done Fall Canyon? Our group of 8 did it yesterday - the TH is off the road to Scotty's Castle. One of the group had done many years earlier, and one had climbed about 1/4 mile beyond the dry waterfall, but it was new for the rest of us. Anyway - it's a stunning hike, so if you haven't done it yet, put it on your schedule for your next visit. It is simply breathtaking. I can give you more details later if you want them.

Thanks Kevin - and thanks for all the beta about Wildrose and Corkscrew! I actually did Fall Canyon in March of '08. I remember how crowded the trailhead was that's shared with Titus Canyon, but that once I made the turn for Fall the crowds disappeared! I may have seen 2 other people that day. I think I 180ed at the dry fall, so I haven't been past it. Another thing I recall is that the beach-sand effect on the way up was the worst I had experienced in DV. Hate that stuff!

That was the one regret about this trip, John's first to DV to hike - we didn't do any canyon hiking at all. It was all peaks, and the obligatory ramble out to the middle of Badwater basin. John has yet to hike a DV canyon, so I guess that gets an itinerary started for 2012!

Great TR!!!! I am jealous. I did tell you I wanted to be there. And, Laura, don't kick my ass....please :-)

As far as honey-dos: Yea, I just love fixing up a rental, ebaying, sitting on my butt at the computer, and just plain working instead of hiking!!!!!! BUT.....as I said, I am truly looking forward to a Summer My Whitney adventure......

There's one "pucker-point" at that dry falls, but there's a bypass path on the right about 100 yards before the falls, on the right. There's a pile of rocks to help with the boost. Getting up is not much of a problem - plenty of toe and handholds, but getting down is somewhat more challenging. We brought a short rope "just in case" but no one actually needed it.

It's about 3 miles to that dry falls, and we went another 2 above it, leaving about 9:30AM from the TH, and getting back about 2:30PM. As for the footing - you're right - it gives the gluts quite a workout. In the 5 miles, we gained about 1,500', but it felt more like 2,500'. Easy grade, but the footing required more effort than you'd expect. OTH - going down was VERY easy.

It gets even more beautiful above that dryfall, with lots of narrow (10' wide or less) sections. We stopped for lunch at noon at a wide point in the canyon. Another time, we'd probably go another couple of miles. Also - one of our group read about an approach whereby you hike up Titus Canyon (on harder road), climb the ridge, and then down down into Fall Canyon for the return. We're going to research that loop.

Fall Canyon is very different from other canyons in the far Southwest in that, for the most part, the sides are solid rock, and are near vertical for miles. Quite different in composition than you typically find in similar canyons in nearby ranges like the Panamints and Inyos.

A few shots:

Dog and Cat on the Wildrose summit:




Ready for Corkscrew - Laura, Jim, Harlan, Tom, John, Chris and Bob P:



The group on Corkscrew's summit - Jim, John, Gary, Laura (sitting), Harlan, Tom. Yes, that's my avatar, Tucker, on my backpack.



Gary climbing the Upper Butte:



John tweaking on the "Mini-E-ledge":



Jim and his Gator Chomp:

Great TR and photos! Those rocks look like a lot of fun.

Good to see the cats and dogs (gators, bruins, cardinal, aztecs, etc.) living together in peace.

Okay, Bulldog34...

Is it me or is it that your TR style like that of MooseTrack's?

Just as I thought, just me. Great TR nonetheless and great photos. Show us more...show us more...show us more...

Hey, Moose, great to see your smiling face again. I can now associate faces with names. Glad to see you, too.

I may be in Eastend maybe late July for some burgers brews spuds and suds. Not a definite. Did not apply for a permit for Mecca West. My wife is training in Richmond for 4 months (March-June), and then to Baltimore (July-October). We wanted to do a Labor Day hike, but her training schedule flip-flopped (Baltimore was originally for March-June). Yes, gonna be a long eight months without her.

Will make up for it when she returns! WOO HOO!

No 'Tude, I'm just long-winded with the basics. Laura's TRs may be lengthy, but they have panache and soul! I miss 'em, but I understand why we haven't seen much lately, even on her Makin' Moose Tracks website. She's been one busy girl since last August. It was great seeing her again. Nothin' quite like MooseTracks and a bottle of good scotch around a group campfire!

"How hard is cross-country going to be, right?" nice in theory at least. I'd never done anything like this hike before and all that shifty scree crap and the steep inclines definitely took a toll on me. I got into a place in my head where "whats next" encompassed not only the summit, but the return trip and the only thing my brain could work itself around was "Oh my god I'm going to die if I have to try to go back down that scree slope".... this gave Laura lots of ammo to holler at me about ;-) Actually she didn't holler, but again, coached me through a new experience in my life and helped make me a stronger person and hiker.

So... Gary... things I learned on this trip....
1- I -can- walk on steeply inclined, ever shifting, one step up-three steps down, no trail stuff without dying.

2- Sometimes the easier way down is on the OTHER side of the hill

3- Looking at the "whole" picture can lead to a very defeatist attitude. Chunking the picture into segments... even if it's just another 20 paces up the trail... helps things soooo much....

4- My pace is my pace... if I get there 20 minutes or 2 hours after the rest of the group... so long as I get there, thats what matters.... sticking to it and not giving up

5- Contrary to popular (or just my own) belief.. it's not a 12 hour drive from Lone Pine to Furnace Creek.

6- If I'm going to DV from SD... the Trona Road turnoff from Red Mountain cuts about 40 + miles off the drive...

I'll have you know that as I was driving past one of my local regional parks today I was evaluating the trails and thinking to myself "I could use that one to train for next time" and have started trying to figure out where I can get cross country here in San Diego.....

Thanks for a great weekend Gary (and John and Harlan and Laura and TomCat and... and ... and....) It was totally worth the 7 hours drive time...

Chris, excellent takeaways from that climb - especially # 4. Hike your own hike. Can't wait to hear how the local cross-country and scree training goes! I'm sorting through photos, and once they're organized will get them to you and Harlan. For the present, though, I borrowed these two from Bob R's Flickr album of the day's climb:

Chris and Laura topping out on Corkscrew's summit!



Bob R's group summit shot - Harlan, Jim, John, Tom, Gary, Chris, Bob P, Laura, Bob R:

Gary and everyone there - I had a most wonderful time with you guys in DV. It's funny - I don't think I've ever been around nicer folks than those who have a love of the outdoors. Thats always been a constant, from my Appalachain Trail days to present. I know for a lot of the folks that met us in DV there was a bit of expence in gas and windsheild time. Thanks for making the trek. And Gary, thanks for the invite and handling the logistics. You definitely know your way around the park.

At the end of each day Gary would ask me "Well what was your favorite part of the day?" I would just give him this overwhelmed look and answer back "I can't pick just one, how about one each hour?"

There were many. A few of my favorites - The alpine like enviroment of Wildrose. I could wander around up there forever. Meeting new people I've only known through the message boards. Actually hiking with these people. Being on a mountain with Bob R. Watching Laura and Chris top out on Corkscrew. The look on Laura's face when I was trying to point out a tiny cactus to her by pointing at the ground not saying a word. She thought it was a snake. Laura doesn't like snakes. She said she would break me in half if I ever did that again. Gary Facebooking at 5:30 each morning. The coyote serinade each evening behind the campground. Of all things- hearing an American Robin call at the bottom of the Buttes while we were on top. What the hell is a Robin doing in DV? Drilling into Gary what a Creasote bush looks like. Not that it doesn't grow in every square meter of DV. The evening conversation and comedic sparring at the campground with Jim, Laura, Chris, Harlin, and Gary. Dinner with Doug and Earlene.

I could go on and on, but one thing is for sure - the snow may have been patchy, but the trip was definitely thick and layered.

John

John, remind me again what that scraggly bush is - the one with the tiny, sticky leaves and funny odor?

And how's that FB account coming along?

Great Tr. Finally took the time to read the lengthy report. Good job a lot happened.It alls looks wonderful until I saw the "mini E-Ledges" That would never be doable for me. Sorry.
Glad everyone had a fantastic DV experience.

Thanks Rod, but you might surprise yourself. A couple of years ago I never would have imagined myself climbing this Upper Butte. When John and I hit that ledge in the photo, there was some serious discussion about continuing, or just turning back and calling it a day. It's every bit as dramatic in person as the photo suggests. We knew there would be a fair amount of class 3 climbing on this peak, but the exposure was at times a lot more than we expected. We decided to forge across the ledge - carefully - and found that on the return it wasn't nearly as intimidating as that first stroll across it. By and large we had solid, well-placed hand and foot holds the last 300 feet to the summit, so the actual climbing wasn't that difficult - it was just the mental aspect of ignoring the long drops just iches away that took a while to get comfortable with.

Looks like Gary is on track for Cathedral Peak this summer. When will you be out west again?

Mid-July, most likely Bob - ticking off the days like a prisoner in a cell!

Now I just need to look up Cathedral Peak . . .

BD34 and the DV group,

Great TR and photos. DV has never been on my priority list. After reading the TR and seeing the photos, I'll definately consider making a trip out that way.

Where was Lady Bulldawg and Bullpup? Taking care of the new pup?

wazzu, the Bullpup was in school (fuming that I was heading up a mountain with Laura and she wasn't), and Lady Bulldawg - well, pretty much the same thing, only compounded by the presence of the others in that illustrious group that she either knows, or knows of. They still won't let me show them the photos . . .

Death Valley is a jewel October-March, when temps moderate, so you're nearing the end of the enjoyable season. Hell-on-earth will return to the valley in another month or so, but the two big Panamint peak trails (Telescope and Wildrose) are good summer hikes. It may be 125 in the valley, but these trailheads are high enough that you escape the worst of the heat. Actually, those two are the only "maintained" trails in the entire park - all the rest is route-finding, canyons, or use trails.

One thing I failed to mention in the TR - twice we were in position to see Whitney and Badwater Basin at the same time (highest/lowest points in the lower 48). From Wildrose Peak, and again from Corkscrew Peak. Very cool.

Gary:

Cathedral Peak is my favorite technical climb. I've done the SE buttress 50 times. It's four pitches with a 70M rope. 5.5-5.6 at the hardest, and most of the route is easier than that. Chan and I got his ten-year-old daughter up it in 2003. One of my climbing partners was a grandmother who is older than you, and it was her second day of climbing in her entire life. Here is more information:

summitpost
RichardP

Bob

Sorry to be the Spoil Sport/Devils Advocate, but even if it is easy, things can go wrong.

Weather Related Climber Death STORM, FA... Cathedral Peak

When I hear Cathedral Peak this is one of the first things that pops into my mine. I was camping in LYV that night. While I was having a good time with others around the campfire what was happening to them? The weather was just a bit overcast. . . amazing how much difference a few miles can make

so everyone, go out, have fun, but be careful out there!

I didn't mean to hijack Gary's thread, but I figure I need to respond before his wife reads that report and forbids him to walk more than 100 yards from the trailhead again.

Peter Noble wasn't the first person to die on Cathedral Peak, and he probably won't be the last. Popular peaks like Whitney, Shasta, and Cathedral attract a lot of people. Too many of those people make serious mistakes, and a few of them pay the price.

Cathedral peak is a spectacular climb on excellent, relatively easy rock. It's was my first multi-pitch climb (with a guide). When I learned to lead, it was my first multi-pitch lead. It's fairly easy for a relative newbie to follow an experienced leader up this route. There is always a rope above the second, so a fall will cause more damage to your pride than your body.

It takes me 2-4 hours to do the climb with a partner. I only take new partners when the days are warm and long. I'll take good care of Gary. And I guarantee it'll be the most fun he's ever had with his pants on!

I have to ask... Do you guys already have a date set?

I might have to walk up the other side and meet you on the top.

Hey.....Is Gary "cheating" on me? Bob, I still have him for Whitney!

Steve:

Cathedral will be one of the days when Gary is here this summer. According to him, that'll be "mid-July, most likely." We haven't set a date. In fact, Gary hasn't committed to do it yet. Gary?


Joe:

Gary should have plenty of time for both. Cathedral isn't a terribly strenuous day. You just gave me a really perverse idea. With perfect weather and a pre-dawn start on Whitney, it might be possible to solo Cathedral the same day.

Our family plans at this point are to spend two weeks in the Eastern Sierra this July - the dates are not firm as I'm waiting to see if I get a hit on the lottery. If not, it will probably be the last two weeks of July. Joe, we're definitely doing Whitney with the family. That's the centerpiece of the trip, so no worries there (assuming we get our hands on a permit). Barb and Bri would be super-POed if that didn't happen.

The first few days we'll acclimate in Mammoth and get in some hikes in Yosemite, Whites, etc., then on down to Lone Pine to do Whitney. Best guess is that I'd be free to do other stuff the second week, which would likely be the last week of July - but again, nothing firm yet. Once the lottery is over in early April we'll be in a position to make our plans.

Gary, please tell Bri that I would like a Denver Omelete when I stop by the Portal Store late in July. This gives her ample notice to look up what the ingredients are and how to prepare it.

Me too! Me too!

I want in on some of this action.

You always do the Sierra in September/October John - are you changing your plans?

Ernie, if that's what it takes to get you to the Sierra at the same time we're there, consider it done!

Bob, you're a beast. MR doubles aren't enough for you. You scare the hell outta me.

This is an excellent article applying the devil's triangle of mishaps come together for a perfect storm of disaster: Late Start--Inadequately Dressed/Weather--Failure to Abort(only element missing was a navigation error).

I believe that location had very little to do with the fatality (it could have been any place or time with the elements of disaster firmly in motion)

No, Gary. This guy is a beast!

A contributing factor ( just one of many ), and one that IS specific to the location, is that the storm came from the west, the one direction they couldn't see as they were climbing. They didn't have a true hint of their problems until they topped out and could see to the west.

Quoteth the incident report:

"THE WEATHER SURPRISE: Hiding a storm behind a mountain is one of Mother Nature's standard tricks."

That's right. That is one of Mother Nature's STANDARD TRICKS. There is nothing unique about Cathedral Peak here. If you climb any mountain from the east, you won't see the storm coming from the west. However, you can see what's to the west of Cathedral Peak before you start up. On Whitney, the eastern approach to the Palisades, and many other climbs, you have no way to see what's about to get you before it happens.

Ok, I need to"Engage brain before posting" it's not location specific and is a general climbing/hiking gotcha!

Photo album finally complete (after consolidating and sequencing my photos with John's). 500-plus photos reduced to less than 130. You can view it here .

Nice photos, Gary. I'll try to ensure that you get more photos with lots of exposure in July.

Gary:

If Bob is going to take you up Cathedral this summer, let me know if you want to get out for a day for a little pre trip preparation. In an afternoon we should be able to get you ready to roll (sort of).

Kent

Kent, I wondered how long it would take you to notice that TR! I'm up for that, and so is John. We were talking this week about looking around the southern Appalachians for some moderate climbing opportunities. We both enjoyed the experience and are ready for more. You've definitely got the cred in technical climbing, bro, so just let us know when you'll be up this way!

Gary - well done with the photos. Thanks.

For local climbing - look here www.southeastclimbing.com
Sunset Rock in TN, Sandrock in AL, and Lost Wall in GA look good for beginners. Then on to Whiteside and Looking Glass in NC for some 1000 ft fun. Nice pics on the site.

Gary just found out there's some short old bolted rock in the West Palisades on the Chattahoochee only 30 min away. I'm going to see if I can find it this weekend.

For guided climbs - www.foxmountainguides.com

John

Gary and John:

I haven't been up to the ATL in a while so I will see if I can get up your way soon. I have a big race I am running in Boston on 4/18, so I know my weekends are booked between now and then. (My wife only allows me time for one obsessive-compulsive hobby at a time).

With longer days coming soon, any chance you guys could sneak away a little early one afternoon during the work week? If not, I will try to find a weekend I can work in a road trip.

John: as I recall the short bolted climb you found referenced at West Palisades is pretty hard, (like 5.12-ish as I recall). Also, some of the places you mention that are listed as "beginner friendly", (example: Lost Wall, Tennessee Wall, etc) are listed that way because they do have several easy and moderate routes, but most of these routes have to be led from the ground and traditionally protected in order to hang a top rope. Don't even think about Whitesides as it has a significantly greater pucker factor than either the East Face or East Buttress on Whitney. There are a few nice crags a couple hours from Atlanta that are great for beginners though. I know of one spot very close to town where we might be able to work on a few things. Maybe we should just climb Gary's hotel?

Anyway, let me know what you think. I seem to recall I still owe Gary a dinner and want to hear more about the Dog and the Cat in DV.

Kent

Kent, I haven't met you, but that sounds great. I just don't want to horn in on your free time. I have not done any real climbing since the mid 80's and even then it was easy stuff. I have been wanting to ease back into it, but I'll be a little limited in my pursuit. Three years ago I suffered a complete rupture of the long head of my right bicep. I'm in good shape now with just a little weakness in that arm. It is very easy for me to get time off, so I'm up for anything.

And don't worry, I'm risk adverse by nature so my only involvement with Whitesides will be looking at it. I do like the way you described it though. For some reason Gary thinks all mountains east of the Rockies are wimps.

John

Kent:

Spending an afternoon (or two) with you is exactly what Gary needs to prepare for Cathedral Peak. It's no harder than 5.6 and most of it is easier than that. He doesn't need to practice on any 5.12s or spend months in the gym lifting weights. It wouldn't hurt if he had a little experience pulling and racking pro, but that's not mandatory. I've taken plenty of newbies up there without any problems.

Gary:

An afternoon or two is all the experience you'll need. You'll need your own rock shoes. I have all the other gear. You'll get to carry the rope and I'll carry everything else.

John:

It's a little harder to climb with a party of three, but if you're here with Gary, I could be talked into taking you both. You'll get to carry the lighter rope, since Bulldogs are stronger than Yellowjackets.

Hey Kent, if you're up this way and willing, I'd love to take a crack at something you feel is appropriate for John and I. I'm generally pretty flexible with work, so whatever suits you best. Just give me as much advance notice as possible so I can clear the path. It would be great to see you again - especially if you're buying! Also, you and the catpappy will get along great.

By the way, do you have Sierra plans this year? I know you're hooked after your trip last fall!

Re John's comment about my considering the Southern Appalachians "wimpy" - that's not entirely true. The local north Georgia mountains will kick your ass in slope and steepness - the reason that so many AT through-hikers quit before they're ever out of the state. You will burn some cals hiking here, so that's not the kind of "wimpy" I mean.

What I love about hiking anywhere out west is the vistas you are exposed to. The scenery along even the most mundane western trail is grand compared to the best local hikes here. There are trees in the Rockies, Sierra, Cascades, yes, but not in anything like the numbers here. North Georgia is nothing but a hilly/mountainous, super-dense forest. You can hike for hours and never see anything but foliage - thick and close. I've done numerous hikes here where I never saw a damn thing from start to finish but deep forest. That gets real old. I used a description on a thread here a while back to describe the experience: in some sections of north Georgia Bozo the Clown could be 100 feet away, riding a pink elephant and waving a neon sign, and you'd never see him. No BS, folks. You want to see dense forest, swing this way. The only thing I've seen in the US that's comparable is the North Woods in Minnesota, and some lower-elevation sections of the Cascades.

John, think of the view we had from Corkscrew Peak in DV at a measly 5800 feet of elevation - compare that to the view from a (rare) 6000-foot peak in North Carolina. To me it's no contest. Doesn't mean it's not beautiful in and of itself - it just means I'm personally sick of trees blocking my view, and a little rock and open space looks pretty doggone good as an alternative. That's probably why I love the desert so much.

Some of that love for vistas is undoubtedly a product of spending most of my 53 years in Atlanta. There's simply no such thing as a horizon. Your horizon here is either a tree-line a hundred feet away, or tall buildings (factoid: Atlanta has more tall buildings than any city in the US other than NY or Chicago - read that in the local paper a couple of weeks ago). I've spent most of my life not seeing beyond the nearest man-made structure or tree trunks, and getting to hike with a glorious view out west really charges me up.

It's apples and oranges, and a degree of personal bias, all rolled up. I'll trudge through the local forested mountains 'cuz I love to hike. But the Bulldog fun-meter goes up dramatically when I get to do the same in Colorado, California, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, etc!

Gary:

I will look at my calendar and see what we can work out. I may email you a couple of dates to see if you, John, and I can make it happen. In an afternoon or two you can probably learn to belay a leader, clean a pitch, take apart an anchor without turning it into a cluster, rap, and most importantly we will have some fun. We will get you "ready for Bob".

While I share your sentiment that "West is best" when it comes to mountains, views, etc, don't think that everything East of the big river is "wimpy"....certainly not our college football. Mt. Wasington in NH is home to what many describe as the "Worst weather in the world" and has killed more people than any other mountain in North America to include any mountain in AK and Canada. The day I summited Mt. Washington the wind chill on top was -46 or about average. There is little wonder the North Conway, NH area has produced some of the finest climbers in the world from old timers like Henry Barber to modern prodigies like Kevin Mahoney and plenty in between.

We even have some pretty wild stuff in the South...check out NC's Laurel Knob which is about 3 hours from your house:

http://www.osiny.org/images/content/pagebuilder/20311.jpg

Local NC ethics call for bolts to be placed only where no other options exist and they are typically very far apart often making for some very spicy climbing.

Anyway, it is all good...just so long as you get out to enjoy it!

Hope to see you guys soon.

Kent

Sounds good Kent - just let me know. Since you're making the effort to come up here, John and I could probably buy this round!

I want to do Mt. Washington some day, but every opportunity that comes up to travel for hiking, I head west. Hard habit to break. That, and I don't have gear suitable for way-below-zero weather!

Ahh heck Gary, I'm just bustin your chops. I will admit that the vistas out west are bigger and and and... ahh do I have to say it - a little better. But I'm thinking you might have never been to the top of a S. App. mountain with a proper panorama. Like Charlies Bunion, Mt. Cammerer, Mt. Leconte, The Hangover, or Mt. Sterling. Two things you'll get - views and a good workout. Mt. sterling 4200 ft. gain in 6.1 miles.

John

Kent, Bob, John - just started Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills. I'm determined to not be completely ignorant when the day comes. Freedom of the Hills is on it's way from Amazon.

Note the temperature inside the car.