November 9-11, 1991 by Graham Breakwell
This trip was planned as a fast moving fun hiking trip based around the hot springs. Some of us met Friday night just off the asphalt on the dirt road to the peak. Apart from the warm, muggy weather and constant drone of trucks on Highway 5, we all enjoyed the "Northern Lights", yes really! Between 8:00-8:l5pm there appeared shafts of red and purple moving backwards and forwards like curtains fluttering in the breeze luminescing about 20 degrees horizontally and 20 degrees vertically in the sky.
Cerro Pescadores went just smoothly, very easy map reading, on the peak at noon. The only change of plan was the walk from the asphalt, as contractors have used the dirt road as a sandpit. This extra two miles each way put back our vehicular exit to 4:00pm and our arrival at the Guadalupe hot springs to 7:30-8:3Opm. As promised to participants, this was a 15 hour day. Nothing to add about the springs other than they are perfect.
Sunday morning weather was beautiful, with blue skies and a start of 7:00am. Easy navigation up the gully and two hours later and 2000ft of gain produced a spot of rain. Within 10 minutes we were surrounded by lightning, thunder, and sheets of rain. After 20-30 cracks of thunder, 90 minutes of down-climbing, a continuous torrential downpour, and worries of flash floods in the canyon, we were safely ensconced back in the hot springs. A wonderful trip with wonderful people. Thank you to Ron Jones for outlining the weekend's itinerary.
MEMORIAL DAY FLASHES
Complete stories to come in the next issue
JOHN MCCULLY, WENDY RUESS and CHESSIE made an attempt on Big Picacho just ahead of the Van Dalsem party in Canon Diablo. At the first night's camp, Wendy was at the stream filling her canteen when she suffered blinding pain and fainted in John's arms just as he came up. They waited in camp that night, the next day and evening with no recurrence before they started back, John shouldering both packs. Upon returning home it was determined that Wendy had torn the disc between her 8th & 9th vertebra. She is recovering nicely and John is licking his many bruises.
BILL OLIVER, LARRY TIDBALL and BARBEE HOFFMANN made an attempt on Big Picacho from Blue Bottle via the Pinnacle Ridge. This, on the 60th anniversary year of the Norman Clyde led first ascent by this route. They aborted the attempt because of snow and bad weather. They then dropped to Campo Noche, arriving by noon, were on the peak (North summit only) by 4:00 and back in camp by 7:30. More to come later.
DALE VAN DALSEM skillfully led a party of 8, mostly first-timers, over the Memorial Day weekend. DALE, MARIO GONZALEZ, JUDY WARE, TOM SCOTT, EDDIE NUNEZ, JULIE RUSH, DAN SHERMAN made the North summit and TOM MOUNBLOW finished the LIST!