Near the end of August, I packed my bags in Brooklyn and flew out late Friday evening to meet Kyle in Sacramento. We had the idea of attempting as many of Croft’s Big 4 as we could in a week. In the end, we got three of them. Altitude and general wimpiness on my part forced a rest day between Dark Star and the Keeler Needle, which threw off our timing. Kyle had already climbed Conness though, so at least one of us has ticked all four.
As a consolation prize, we spent the last day in Tuolomne, where we simul-climbed Tenaya Peak in one pitch, before driving back to Sacramento and shoving me on a plane to NYC.
Here’s a lot of pictures from the Trip. All the good ones were taken by Kyle. Kyle also led everything hard because he is a beast.
Dark Star, Temple Crag (V, 5.10b)
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Me following the second pitch.
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Kyle’s view from the middle of the third pitch traverse.
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Somewhere on the second buttress, the 5.8 pitch, I think?
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Au sommet
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Harding Route, Keeler Needle (V, 5.10c)
Kyle on the approach
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When we arrived at Iceberg Lake, there were some climbers high on the grand staircase of E. Face of Whitney. They didn’t make much progress as the afternoon turned into night. I think they spent the night up there. If you look closely, you can see them in this photo.
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We were a little concerned for them, but they did not call for help, flash headlamps, or make any other indications of distress. I think that in the end they just spent a cold night up high.
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We woke before dawn, and headed for the Harding Route.
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We added an extra (wet, loose, easy) pitch to avoid being below the Keeler/Day gully and instead traversed into the start of the route from the center of the face. Aside from the loose rock and sand, it was fine.
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Higher up on the route. Me finishing the 3rd(?) pitch.
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Approaching the Red Dihedral pitch.
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Kyle getting ready for the Red Diahedral pitch, easily the best pitch of the trip.
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Somewhere up high.
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Au Sommet
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Kyle was the man, and led all the hard pitches on the route. Including both off-widths.
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The next morning. If you look closely, you can just make out two climbers headed for the E. Buttress of Whitney.
By this point we knew we didn’t have time to get Conness – we’re just not fast enough – so we spent an additional night at Iceberg lake rather than hoof it back to Whitney Portal in the dark. We didn’t really have supplies for another dinner though, so our post-climb meal (and breakfast) was hot water and Halva bar.
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With a slightly more relaxed schedule, we had some time to kill before the Hulk. We stopped at Manzanar on our way north.
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I’m a lawyer, but a cynical one.
Just because something was legal or constitutional – now, or when it was done – does not make it right or good. It is wrong, I think, to ignore or deny that America has done things to her own citizens, and to citizens and visitors from other nations, that are, and were, an obscene affront to the principles which are said to underpin our nation.
More people should visit places like Manzanar. More people should know what we did here. And more people should be ashamed.
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Next, we hiked into the Incredible Hulk for the Red Dihedral (aka "Yggdrasil") (IV, 10c).
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When we arrived, Emily Harrington and Justin Sjong were working Venturi Effect. We napped in the sun and enjoyed the show.
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We were first in line for the Red Dihedral the next morning.
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That’s Emily Harrington and her crew down below me, chasing my slow ass up the route.
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I thought that the Red Dihedral on the Red Dihedral was harder than the Red Dihedral on Keeler. Maybe it’s a question of hand size.
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Beta for the Hulk descent. Skip the short downclimb or rap in the gully. Go through the hole instead.
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We finished the trip with a quick simul-climb of Tenaya Peak, then hung out at the lake until it was time to drive to Sacramento and the airport.
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