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Michael Golden
climber
Mountain View, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 20, 2009 - 01:46pm PT
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Took a quick trip up to the meadows with Monty this weekend. The intent was to try and walk up Mt. Warren on Saturday, and then get up really early on Sunday and have a look at the SE Buttress on Cathedral Peak.
However, the weather called for afternoon thunderstorms.
A friend had been hit by lightning on Mt. Warren on a few years back. (He was fine.) Mt. Warren is the highest point on the crest for quite some distance, so it's a lightning rod. When we arrived at the Meadows around 9:30am, and the clouds were already building, we deferred on our hike, and decided to have a look at something decidedly lower. Low Profile Dome fits the bill.
Golfer's Route was occupied, but Black Widow wasn't. Monty gave it a thumbs up. Edit: We only climbed the 5.7 approach pitch to Black Widow. The 5.9R second pitch is for real men.
And there were swell views from the belay ledge. (Do you like my ranger costume?)
Once we were finished, Golfer's Route was available. The ST guide mentions that it is a good introduction to run-out Tuolumne face climbing. It certainly had my full attention. I was impressed by the dude leading the 5.10 routes further right on the dome before I left the ground. I was even more impressed after I whined and cried my way up a runout 5.7.
Monty, on second, was laughing.
(Everybody has the same picture of Golfer's Route...
The next day, we got up early and hit the Warren Fork trailhead at 6am. (I'm still in the ranger costume, with cool ranger-like hat to complete the look.)
There were a ton of wildflowers and a ton of mosquitos. Luckily, we had our rain gear for afternoon thunderstorms, or for entomological emergencies.
After a while we had to leave the trail and head up the canyon slopes.
And then slog up an endless talus pile. Fortunately, there were pretty views along the way.
Secor says there are swell views from the top. He's right. Mt. Dana. (From this distance it looks like the Dana Couloir is chock full of snow.)
(I noticed the third edition of Peaks, Passes, and Trails is available...)
Mt. Conness and North Peak. Can't quite see into the North Peak couloirs from here, but the Conness Glacier looks pretty fat.
Mono Lake.
Should I link my summit self-portrait to the Funny Faces thread? TiO2 makes a fine sunscreen, and it makes me look a little like M.J.
The rocky "meadow" below the summit pile is a nice place to relax.
Here's another look at the talus pile on the way down. It sure is pretty.
Monty sur l'herbe.
Mt. Dana sur l'herbe.
Mariposa Lily.
Columbine.
Some white flower.
Mule ear.
Penstemon.
Iris.
Wild ramps, and bumblebees.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Jul 20, 2009 - 01:59pm PT
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Nice shots ! The Solstice couloir still looks good from a distance ..
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 20, 2009 - 02:15pm PT
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Nice views from up there!
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:49pm PT
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So did you do Black Widow or only the approach pitch to the ledge? If the Golpher's Route scared you I can only imagine how you would feel on Black Widow.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jul 20, 2009 - 04:02pm PT
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Awesome.
Thanks for the nice ride!
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Michael Golden
climber
Mountain View, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2009 - 04:50pm PT
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G_Gnome: You are quite right -- we only climbed the 5.7 approach pitch of Black Widow.
(Golfer's route didn't scare me so much as get my full attention. I didn't actually whine or cry.)
-Michael
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Michael Golden
climber
Mountain View, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2009 - 05:09pm PT
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(I clarified our abridged journey up Black Widow in the original post.)
-Michael
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 20, 2009 - 07:55pm PT
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Looks like fun!
Really nice pics.
Zander
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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Jul 20, 2009 - 09:21pm PT
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Great trip, well done, thanks for sharing! On your Mt Warren hike you walked through some of the new Wilderness that was designated back in March, so if you have great-great-grandchildren and they are lucky enough to walk the same way, it should look just like it did for you this weekend! Mono Lake looks amazing from up there, eh?
That white flower appears to be Richardson's Geranium (don't give me much credit, I had to go look it up).
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