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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 30, 2008 - 12:04pm PT
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SuperTypo Disclaimer: This thread will have nothing to say about the rising cost of beef, Nazi daggers, rapbolting, or Bob D'Antonio's lycra. It does however involve unaccompanied dayhiking up to and including 5.9 and at least a few raps. Oh, and some inelegant glissading and gratuitous blister shots.
Summary: June (edit: not July) 26, 2008. Fast hike and climb of Ken and Clyde Minarets, roughly 20 miles in just under 17 hours; minimal snow, "dry thunderstorms" and very hungry mosquitos.
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From the Devil's Postpile trail head I brewed up and was on my way at 4 am.
The Minaret Falls are in pretty full flow despite drought conditions in the greater Eastern Sierra.
By 7 am I was at Minaret Lake, feeling confident and alert (that wouldn't last)
The snowfield leading to South Notch is about a thousand feet of gain but proved no match for a tight loop of Soft Cell on the iPod ("Sex Dwarf"/"Memorabilia"/"Frustration")
Three years ago I'd been back in there and both Ceccile and Iceberg Lakes had stayed frozen over until late July. Not this year.
Amphitheater Lake below Adams and Michael Minaret is still pretty cold.
The route through the Minarets is nearly impossible to describe other than "go up, then down, and when things get hard, go around." Here's the first tower of Ken Minaret.
And the second tower.
I couldn't find the summit register so I kept on going toward Clyde. At 1 pm I was on top and signed in. Unless I was in the wrong part of the book, this was the first ascent of the season.
From Clyde, the route across Eichorn is longer and more complicated than it looks. This is where the self-doubt and thunderstorm kicked in, basically sending me down with my tail between my legs.
After scooting down the Clyde-Ken Couloir I had to attend to some blisters that I'd been neglecting. Sabbath's 'Volume 4' was pretty important at this point.
I talked to some nice folks who had mule-packed in for a bid on the SE Face of Clyde over the weekend. These photos don't quite capture the weather accurately which of course fuels a bad case of the "what ifs."
I hoofed it back to the car by 6:45 with just enough time to freshen up and drive out after the ranger gate had closed.
Back at home base a big plate of pancakes and more coffee made the whole thing seem worth it.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
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SuperTypo Disclaimer: This thread will have nothing to say about the rising cost of beef,
Nazi daggers, rapbolting, or Bob D'Antonio's lycra. It does however involve unaccompanied
dayhiking up to and including 5.9 and at least a few raps. Oh, and some inelegant glissading
and gratuitous blister shots.
Good thing you started with a disclaimer, so we'd be warned.
Some great photos -- I liked the frozen lake. That ridge looks like a place to leave quickly if
there's thunder in the air.
Ouch, the agony of de feet.
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rhyang
Ice climber
SJC
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:16pm PT
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Nice !!
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:21pm PT
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VLG, nice report and beautiful shots thanks for posting up. Your photos are as close as I'll ever get to areas like that.
~Susan
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 30, 2008 - 12:24pm PT
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Susan,
You'd have no problem getting in there. The guy with the animal nickname...that'd be another story. Anyhow, it all goes to show that we should lurk less and train more. Good seeing you in the Gorge last month.
VLG
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L
climber
Eating sand on the shores of Malibu...
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:30pm PT
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Marty,
Wonderful TR!!!
Loved the photos. Been wanting to do the thing solo but am quite sure I'd get lost as hell and epic would ensue.
Thanks for posting this--really excellent.
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atchafalaya
climber
Babylon
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:32pm PT
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great Tr Marty. My case of snaileye always multiplies in the minarets. Great photos.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:33pm PT
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Nice day out. Must've been nice being out there solo too!
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
riding bikes thru the night
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:33pm PT
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nice!
p.s. is that a jesus magnet on your refrigerater??? hahahaha
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:34pm PT
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Thanks!
(lurking and not training in the slightest)
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L
climber
Eating sand on the shores of Malibu...
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
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SS,
That wasn't a magnet on his fridge! Call the National Inquirer today!
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:38pm PT
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Marty,
Come to the Portal this week. I can promise you no long hikes.
Just me and Bolton playing dice and palming up routes. Nobody wants to play with us. (wonder why)
Bring your own fake-meat we'll have a grand time. We can drink beer and tell Mussy stories as he's staying home tethered to the Taiko.
Seriously... join us.
~Susan
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L
climber
Eating sand on the shores of Malibu...
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Jun 30, 2008 - 12:40pm PT
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Susan--How's the air up there? Any smoke in the Portal?
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 30, 2008 - 01:30pm PT
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Susan,
We'll see. I'd love to hang with Bolton and you. Gotta check with the boss.
Anyhow, here's another view from that day--looking down at Amphitheater Lake from the top of Ken Minaret.
And a view of the famed Michael Minaret.
The notoriety of that route and Pete Starr's death has weighed heavily on me each time I've been up there alone.
Later this summer Scooter'll probably do up the full traverse good-style. Best of luck to him, and to a speedy recovery for Vern Clevenger who really inspired all of this silly running around in the backcountry.
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Double D
climber
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Jun 30, 2008 - 02:03pm PT
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Nice TR...vertical boulderfield summits and all.
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exileuro
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jun 30, 2008 - 02:04pm PT
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Cool!
"Summary: July 26, 2008. Fast hike...
You were so fast, you came back from the future :-)
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scuffy b
climber
watching the flytrap
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Jun 30, 2008 - 02:11pm PT
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Nice report.
Does anybody know the whereabouts of Hugh Safford?
He's the guy in the summit register, formerly of Bozeman and
Berkeley.
sm
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Jun 30, 2008 - 02:31pm PT
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Laura, not sure. Bob left yesterday... I"m heading up tomorrow sometime. Tonight I"ve got to cheer on Mussy at his ballgame.
~Susan
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dolomite_said
Boulder climber
the real
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" go up, then down, and when things get hard, go around. " Are you hitting all the named summits (rope or no rope) , or just moving through the terrain as high as you quick / efficiently can ? also .. . is the minaret lake trail approach faster than shadow lake ? gnarly trip . looking forward to future reports .
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climblight
Mountain climber
Northern NV
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That nice snowfield going up to amphitheater chute sure looks sweet compared to the broken finger ball bearing boulder field I last dealt with.
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