| MOPAH-CHEMEHUEVI |
MAY-1l/12-l985 |
|
This trip
ends up being about 590 miles round trip coming back thru Needles. Met the
group at 0730 just west of the Mopah road junction. The green rocks at the turn
off are gone! A total of 13 went for the peak and all made it. Some wanted a
rope at the skinny spot. I do believe this can be done as a more interesting
climb if done from the first key on the way up. It looks like 1 long pitch that
may connect with the chute below the 3rd class step. Would be worth trying. You
would want a small strong group. The weather on this trip was fine. Got back
early and moved to the camp spot near Chemehuevi. The distance in from highway
95 is 4.2 miles and the turn off (north) is just a few feet beyond the second
power line crossing. Had a nice camp fire. One of the leaders managed to melt
the soles off his tennies. Next AM we found one members tire flat. After repair
he left early to assure getting home ok. We left for the peak at 0700 and got
back to the cars before 1400. All made the peak. Good trip-good
group. |
SENTINAL PEAK |
GENE/TED
5-24/27-85 |
|
This was a
private trip. 2 peaks left to go. We spent the night below the mouth of
Surprise Canyon on a very warm area amongst a herd of ORV's. Left early for
Chris Wicht camp where we found George Novak and gave him the fruit and veggies
that Betty McCosker had us get for him. He was overwhelmed with her
thoughtfulness. Left for Panamint City at 0630 to try and avoid some of the
heat. The road is completely destroyed for the first 600 vertical feet. Until
you leave the narrow canyon area its hard to believe that a road ever existed
through here. I doubt that a horse or burro could make it. Just above this
point the road begins in a derivable condition. Someone had driven an old 4
wheel drive vehicle down from up higher within a few days. This gave us some
food for thought but we later found that this was a captive vehicle that did
not make it out before the last bad storm. There was plenty of water on the
road. Both Brewery Spring and Limekiln Spring were running freely with good
tasting water. The 4wd had come out from Sourdough Canyon and it appears as if
someone may reside here. The road thru Panamint City is also washed out. The
facility at Panamint is quite amazing. Everything is left pretty much as it
must have been prior to the 84 flood. A 100 kw generator has been removed from
the mill and is stored in the machine shop. People must have left in a hurry.
We checked out some of the living areas and found childrens toys, dishes on
tables and of all things a frig full of food left from the previous year.
Checked the area over in detail and found no vehicles operable except the 4wd.
The reported runway for light aircraft had been built and used at least once as
evidenced by the bent propeller we found in what we now realized was a hanger
and not a machine shop. The backpack in to Panamint City was fast. We were
there by 1030. Next day we left for the peak about 0700 following the trail to
Panamint Pass. From here we went up the ridge. The leader erred at this point
and SHE stayed too low on the east side. Actually this made for a more
interesting trip as we got into some low 3rd class. Made the peak by 1130.
Weather was great and the views too. The last trip up was Ron Jones. We came
down the ridge into Magazine Canyon. Back to our camp by 1500. Stayed overnight
and got out early the next day. This makes a real nice easy backpack with all
the water and camping area one could want. |
GENE |