GRANITE, OLD WOMAN		3/9-10/74	ROY/BARB MAGNUSON
This was one of the pleasantest trips we have ever led. A moderate sized group of cheerful, responsible people, fine scenery and good weather---what more could a leader ask? After a rainy Friday night in the desert, 18 people assembled at Kelbaker Road and Interstate 40, most not believing the others would be crazy enough to climb that day. Granite was shrouded in snow and clouds so we decided to climb Old Woman, which is 1500' lower, We drove through Danby to the road-head as clouds cleared from Old Woman. 16 climbers made the 2300' gain in about 2 hours, had lunch and returned to the cars in a leisurely fashion. We stopped at a gas station and store on old Highway 66 and filled up with various fluids. Five people decided to return home Saturday. The rest of us proceeded to Kelbaker Road, went north to dirt road 2 miles beyond Granite Pass and drove west, keeping right at junctions, until the road began to get rocky. There was a large flat space where we had a comfortable camp. We set out Sunday morning going west up the road until it turned north. We then went cross country through snow in a southwesterly direction to a ridge leading south to the summit. South of the high point there is a class 2-3 summit block on which the register is located. The views were far ranging. Although we were almost 90 miles east of Barstow we could see Mt. Baldy very clearly, as well as San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Telescope and Charleston. Again, our thanks to all participants for a fine trip.
CLARK, NEW YORK MTN.		3/23-24/74	ROY WARD
Twenty-one people in 11 cars met at the north side of I 5 and Mountain Pass Road. We caravaned up to the BLM campground at the foot of Clark Mtn., where we picked up four more hikers. We started climbing at 0830. Footing was a little loose with a small bit of 3rd class climbing necessary to gain the summit ridge. Then we went along the ridge and were on the summit at 10:22, The weather was cool and clear. After an early lunch and an hour of laying around, we headed down and at 1300 we were back at the cars. We gassed up at Mountain Pass, created a minor boom in the small store and then caravaned on to Carruthers Canyon. Four people left the group because they had other things to do. We arrived early and spent the afternoon practicing rock climbing, sleeping, reading and tossing the Frisbee, A nice leisurely afternoon topped off with a campfire, made it a perfect day. Sunday we were up at 0750 and hiked up the canyon on the road to the Giant Ledge Mine. Here we left the road and went cross country up to the peak, through some brush and a few boulders. A couple of class 3 moves and 21 of us were on top of the peak by 1030. The weather was nice and the top was covered with ladybugs. They seemed to take a special liking to Elliott Snyder, he was having trouble keeping them removed from his pants. "Should be better than ants though". An early lunch and a short rest, then on back down to the cars. We caravaned to our campsite, picked up the other cars, this was the end of a very smooth trip.
WHIPPLE MTN., MONUMENT PK., SAVAHIA PK.		14/6-7/74	BILL BANKS
Twelve climbers caravaned to the start of the climb of Whipple. The last stretch of road doesn't show on the Auto Club, San Bernardino County Road Map, but it's a feeder road first to the east and then to the north of the Chambers Well road jct. The road finally washes out just around the corner from a deserted miner's mobile trailer homesite. There's a climbers trail now leading toward the mouth of the main southwest Whipple wash along the back of a bajada. The route is described in my March 73 Newsletter write-up, perhaps Vitz will lead a future group up his "easy way".

Page Index	Prev	Page 13	Next	Issue Index