A limestone-paved gully was followed, past fresh Desert Bighorn tracks and past a sleeping rattlesnake coiled up on a rock, to the ridgetop. After halting briefly at a knoll (the topo shows it to be 4520+ ft elev) we dropped 150 ft and again moved steadily N to a flat area which is shown just inside the Stewart V]y 15' sheet. The steeper portion of the climb was now the 1200-ft summit cone, which we did via the W ridge and slopes. Wind came up during the day so we took the summit register down to a protected spot for perusing and signing in. Fewer than one group per year had climbed the peak in recent years. Our 2 1/2-mi, 3000-ft climb took us just 2 1/2 hours. Class 2. We returned along the climbing route in 1 1/2 hours. Our passing shadows finally woke up the rattlesnake. This new climbing direction makes easy work of the mountain but it probably won't popularize the climb, because of vehicle demands. A few big DPS trips here could conceivably wear the road down to a lower driving class (the area is not being considered for desert wilderness designation at the current time). Participants joining Steve Smith and me on this weekend were: Shane Smith, "Ski", Dana Burks, Joe and Betty McCosker, Bob Meador, Deanna Gaudineer, Jon Fredland, Cathy Robinson, Diana Leach, Rose Certini, Bruce Maynard, and Nancy Fletcher.

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RED MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . . 13 DECEMBER 1980 . . . . . . . . CAMPY This one-day outing was planned to let us explore the Rand mining district in the vein of its geographical, historical, and culinary values. Ten of us started out on this adventure at 7 AM Saturday in front of the Silver Dollar Saloon in the town of Red Mountain. We then drove a short distance to the dirt road-end at 3750 ft elev. at the boundary between Sections 32 and, 5 shown on the Randsburg topo sheet, and then climbed Red Mtn (5270 ft) via P4752 and the interconnecting ridge. A resident of the area was with us to interpret nearby points of interest. We then returned to the vehicles and drove into the Stringer District 2 mi S of Randsburg to examine a former gold working located within the Sunshine Group. After having lunch at the tidy little "76 Cafe" in Johannesburg (don't miss a side order of homemade fries) we searched by vehicle for the Steam Well located at the S end of the Lava Mts NE of Joburg. We missed the turnoff and returned to "Mtn Wells", where the principal attraction is now the rusted body of a 1940 Plymouth sedan. Back in Joburg we visited the small workshop where hand-carved furniture and very nice stained glass items are made. Then we toured Randsburg like ordinary tourists, taking in the museum, antique stores, and "Two-Finger Jack's". We had ice cream at the old soda fountain in the General Store. In this manner all our resolve to climb Fremont Peak melted away and we disbanded in mid-afternoon to our respective homes and our preparations for the Holiday season. Participants on this easy lay-back type trip were: "Ski", Kent DesJardien, Rose Certini, Howard Derrickson, Delores Holladay, Bob and Marta Hethmon, and Marlin Clark.

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