Boundary Pk Attempt,
29 May 1991
This got started when Gary Guenther and I talked about
testing his new Ford truck up the Queen Canyon road. Nancy, Gary, and I went in
4 WD as far as the first snow patch and then parked about 400 feet below the
crest. The ridge we followed allowed full view of Trail Canyon and the usual
trail for climbing it from the Nevada side. We marveled at three ski tracks
down into the bowl, either from a single skier three times or three skiers
once. We encountered snow above Trail Cyn Saddle and I put on crampons while
Gary and Nancy stuck to the dry rock outcrops. The rock was faster. We had
lunch at P12201 with the last 900 feet of Boundary in front of us, and then
strange grey clouds appeared and the wind lifted to a gale. A full grey-out
storm chased us back down to the truck, and we talked about coming back after
more of the snow was gone.
Glass Mtn (11,123'), 11 June
Dick Jali drove over from Mammoth Lakes and met with Ski and I at the east
road Junction for Sawmill Meadow. The road was found to be in very good
condition, and ends after 10 miles at 9200' Just east of the mountain. The
canyon was sluffy pumice so we went left and side-hilled on shale and patchy
snow. When we could see the summit electronic site we went toward it, as it
is the surveyed summit, but it contained no register. This was my third time on
the peak but I forgot that the register is placed on the evidently lower, south
summit. We did the summit circuit and then plunge-stepped down the snow chute
leading north, making sure we didn't pass by the canyon back to the car.
Boundary Peak (13,140'), 22 June
Gary was busy in the Sierra
this weekend so Ski and I |
set out to climb
Boundary now that the weather was stable. We drove toward Montgomery Pass. then
turned east up the well maintained Queen Canyon road just across from Janie's
Ranch. After 5.3 miles we reached the Queen mines and went into 4 WD for the
final mile to the saddle, where we parked. A trail is picked up at the
'dozer-scraped prospect at the saddle, and this trail can be followed most of
the way to the summit. We went along the ridge overlooking Trail Canyon this
time with no snow to be seen except high on the mountain after 1.5 hours we
were at Trail Canyon Saddle, and the rest of the climb went upward on heavily
trailed scree. I reached Boundary at noon, after 4.2 hours, and would have gone
over to Montgomery except Ski was nowhere to be seen. so I started back down.
Stats are: -3.5 miles. 3300 feet of gain. The next thing I heard was Ski
hollering that she was still climbing and I waited until she came up. We
crossed over a small snow patch and went to the summit. We met another couple
climbers who were coming up Trail Canyon. They were from Reno and had with them
a young dog which quickly made friends with us as it romped over the scree and
the sun-cupped snow. A perfect day, with just Little clouds looming and the
blue sky was almost purple overhead. and here I forgot my camera! Looking to
the north, we could make out Mono Lake and even Topaz Lake, which allowed us to
trace the travel route all the way to Carson Valley and Truckee Meadows. We saw
White Mountain to the south, and could count the snow patches we could use to
get water during the next week when eight of us will be doing the White
Mountains traverse. |