DESERT PEAKS SECTION CLIMB MT. WAUCOBA Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, 1942

Unfortunately this was the only desert peaks trip I was able to make this season & I am really sorry I missed those trips. I enjoyed the Waucoba trip more than any trip up to date & I know it will always be one of my favorite, if not the best, for a long time to come. I'm glad Morris Vehon could come because it gave him a chance to get somewhat acquainted with the club before he went home. There were 11 of us who went: Chester Versteeg, Pat Carmical, Jim Tow, Rhoda Goerz, Vee, Parker Severson, Niles Werner, Frieda Walbrecht, Harry Paley, Martin Britt & myself. Harry picked me up about 6:45 Friday night and I rode in the back of his truck with Niles to red Rock canyon where we spent the night. Since this was to be a backpack trip, I wanted to bring as less weight as possible; so instead of bringing my sleeping back which weighed 20 pounds, I brought just 2 blankets. I hardly slept that night because my blankets kept coming off & because there was a cold wind which blew all night. We were up bright & early saturday & were on our way. I changed places with Pat & rode in Chester's car. We had a hearty breakfast in Olancha & before driving about 25 miles out into the desert on a dirt road to a miner's cabin near Waucoba canyon, we stopped in Independence to fill up with a 24 hours' water supply & to get provisions. Before starting on our 5 mile hike in the very hot sun to our campsite above scenic Marble Gorge at 7800', we ate lunch and left Pat, who couldn't make the hike because of arthritis, with necessary provisions. The only calamity that day was the spilling of milk all over the inside of Rhoda's knapsack. My pack did not carry well at all, so I had some difficulty in carrying it. When we got to our camp in the bed of a stream long since dried up, I was pretty hot and tired and thirsty so I very foolishly gulped down a large can of grapefruit juice. And instead of resting I went. to the top of a near-by knoll with 2 or 3 of the others. By the time I got back to our camp, I was pretty tired & had a bad headache. I made an attempt at eating, but didn't eat much. Vee & I went to bed early, as we were to get up at 2:00 the next. morning & start our trailess, 4000 foot, 7 mile hike to the 11,127 foot summit of Waucoba, the highest peak in the Inyos, by the light, of the moon. I had a hard time getting to sleep, although I was tired, & listened to Parker recite Edgar Allen Poe late into the night by the campfire. It. was very cold Saturday night., & I had a more or less sleepless night, taking dozes instead of sleeping soundly. About 1:30 I got sick to my stomach; and, after getting rid of the little I had in my stomach, then took an aspirin & lay in "bed" until it was time to get up. We were all up by 2:00 & soon had a roaring fire. By the time breakfast was ready, about 2:45, I felt all right; but, however, did not eat any of the Sierra Club "slumgoo" of which the others partook. The moon had risen by 3:30 & we were soon on our way to the top. After crossing a rocky expanse, we started up the side of a canyon, scrambling over large rocks as we went. We were about half way up to a saddle from which the canyon started, when dawn started to break. It was certainly beautiful to watch the first rays of day strike the Sierra Peaks across the way & to see the sun slowly show its light on them. After reaching the saddle, which was about 10,000' high, we started over a ridge that took us to the summit about two miles away. I thought we would never get to the top, & about a half mile from the top my mouth got dry & I got a headache; but I went on to the top, not feeling too badly, but, except for Vee, getting to the top last. It was terribly cold, but we stayed on the summit by a small fire for about an hour. The view was marvelous, both of the Sierras & of Death valley. However, it was too cold to take many pictures. On top, Niles Werner was the first to officially made a member of the Desert Peaks Section, having qualified by climbing all the 7 peaks. We started down about 9:30, & Vee & I got back to camp by 1:00, having taken our time coming down the mountain. Soon after I had started back to camp, my headache left me & I felt swell. After we had finished the rest of the "slumgoo" which served as our lunch, we got our packs together & started down to the cars, covering the 5 miles in a little over an hour. We started home about 3:00, stopping in Lone Pine for a malt. & in Lancaster for dinner, & we were home by 1:00 Monday morning. -- Fred Johnson

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