White Mountain   -   Dennis Lantz and Al Campbell

"Do as we say, not as we do" is a good trip leader philosophy which will work here too. Since Ye Fearless Editor (YFE) has asked for trip reports, not only for DPS scheduled trips, but also for non-scheduled trips by DPS members, why not a report on a scheduled non-trip by DPS members? Why not, indeed; you'll see why not.

The Forest Service recently discovered the High Altitude Research Station, University of California, strewn between Crooked Creek and White Mountain, complete with fence, so they declared it a Scientific Area, thus rendering it safe from harm by the public, the DPS, and things that go "bump" in the night. This safety is attained by a locked gate and by not giving permission to enter, at least by car. With calls and letters to the District Ranger and the Assistant Director of the Research Station, a Sierra Club group was to be admitted on a trial basis for a tour of the station and climb of White Mountain.

Due to the inflexible deadline of YFE (he writes it; he can set his own dates) and the mass of USDA/UCLA/etc. paperwork, we did not get into the Newsletter, but still filled the trip in short order through announcements at the monthly meeting. Since "the road is open at least until November 1", we knew we'd make it; since the leaders are cautious and have even been snowed off Mt. Pleasant (Mt. Pleasant?), we got telephone numbers and made a last minute snow check. Since the lab could not force their snowplow through, we decided that even the dauntless DPS would cancel. Anyone for 22 miles plus in fresh drifted snow? Calls from San Francisco to San Fernando caught nearly everyone. The Dedicated Leaders went anyway, as did a few others. We met at the Bristlecone Pine area, and over breakfast Saturday chose an alternate. The nine people finally climbed Glass Mountain, a beautiful partial snow climb, then scattered for such rugged dinner camps as the Embers in Bishop. On Sunday, the leaders joined forces with the Portland, Oregon unit of the DPS and climbed Mt. Pleasant again. And got snowed on again.

Best feature of the trip - the beautiful and unexpected country northeast of Bishop around Glass Mountain. It is well worth a weekend of just hiking, driving, and looking around. Worst feature - returning over El Cajon Pass in a slush storm after dark with lots of dry-road pilots who weren't on dry roads. Outlook for the future - if enough people are interested, (it won't take many if they are female and good looking) the leaders will try this trip again. Next time we'll include a guided tour of the Cerro Gordo silver mines and Mt. Pleasant. Watch for the exciting details in your newsletter, if you've paid for it.

57 Climb Picacho del Diablo; Trip Marred by Injuries   -   John Robinson

El Picacho del Diablo (The Peak of the Devil) lives up to its foreboding title. The Devil indicated his presence on our Thanksgiving weekend trip in the form of a sprained ankle, a wrenched knee, a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg. These misfortunes - particularly the last two - marred an otherwise successful adventure that saw a record 57 of 61 participants reach the summit.

Thursday morning we met on the Valle Trinidad road, caravanned some 38 miles to the Canyon Diablito roadhead, hiked north to the mouth of Canyon del Diablo, and climbed over the entrance waterfall. Two hours were required to get our large party over the fall with a pendulum traverse anchored to a bolt. No one fell into the pool, although one unfortunate young lady skimmed the surface when she slid
 
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