DRIVE/ROUTE A: After the 5.8 mile fair dirt road (a.k.a. road's bend), the 0.75 mile 4WD road is mostly washed out and not worth driving the 0.3 miles we did, unless you're piloting a HUMVEE. I bent my truck's transfer case skid plate doing an infamous multi-point U-turn. It's faster, and less stressful, to just stroll the 0.75 miles from the good camping area at the road's end, up the wash (or what used to be the road) to the base of the hill that houses the two mine adits.
CLIMB/ROUTE A: Phew!, a long slog - I can't believe we saw Barbara Rebers signin FIVE times. From the recommended camping area at road's bend, two mine adits are visible, as black "dots", on the SW side of the hill that terminates Route A's ridgeline. At the NE end of the 0.75 mile 4WD road remnant(s), there is an excellent use trail that leads up to these two (Big Four Mine) mine adits. As you view the two adits from below, the use trail diagonals down from left to right, or NW to SE From these two adits, the ridge line may be gained to ROUTE A. Since the adits neighboring terrain is loose and marbly, we concluded it's a lot of effort to take the "adits use-trail". Other Route A obstacles included the "one foot forward, two beck", hike from hell, and the near knife-edged portion of the ridge just E of 3850. Otherwise, a fairly boring "peak" with fair Sierra views. The mammoth register on top (courtesy Steve Smith??) was particularly impressive and included 7.5 minute topo maps and numerous DV brochures for those with time to spend to peruse them. Since the good weather was turning for the worse (winds and high clouds), we made good time on the descent. Again, as on ascent, the hike from hell, being very loose, forced us to take turns negotiating its descent due to rock fall hazards. Back at the trucks near 3:30, Russell and Suzanne headed back to San Diego, while I camped about 30 minutes out of Trona, just off the road to Red Mountain.
I awoke Monday morning to a threatening cloudy sky slivered with piercing streaks of livid orange.
Reluctantly, I packed the truck and headed home to San Diego.
P.S. Fortitude is an amazing human characteristic. While climbing DPS peaks, and others as well, we've all endured the physical reluctance our bodies remind us of with seemingly every step. Nevertheless, we persist. This being the case, I have to mention that Suzanne displayed exceptional fortitude last weekend. While descending Granite #1, she took a slight, yet significant, fall, and incurred a moderate contusion to her left arm, rendering it nearly useless as far as C12 hiking was concerned. BUT!, the very next weekend, still impaired, she successfully climbed Pyramid Peak and Panamint Butte, with virtually one hand tied behind her back.
Mark
WEAVER'S NEEDLE, SUPERSTITION MTN, CERRO PINACATE, MT AJO
A Private Trip - November 26 - 29, 1992
Weaver's leader: Dan Richter, Assts: Bob Sumner & Bill T. Russell
Bob Sumner, Pat & Bill T. Russell, Devra Wasserman, Erik Siering, Asher Waxman, and myself met at the Peralta campground trailhead at first light. After introductions and gear checks, we set off on the standard route to the Needle via Bluff Saddle. In the wash halfway to. Bluff Saddle we heard the voices of John McCully and Karen Leonard who had come in late in the night and had camped before the campground. The climb was exhilarating and the day was beautiful affording us spectacular vistas. We came down from the V notch on the other side taking the 150' rappel and went back to camp by the westerly trail arriving in camp just after dark.
For the record, I protected the first 70' pitch with a runner and a medium friend two thirds of the way up on the right. We brought climbers up two at a time with two ropes from the belay which we found useful on the long rappel down the other side. There was no register or container on the summit.
That night most of us had Thanksgiving dinner at a Yugoslav restaurant in Mesa call Europe at Night. The food was fine and as the cowboy band played Some Day Soon we danced. "And he loved that damned old rodeo just as much as he loved me ......."
Dan RichterThe trip continues, with all helping in the leadership and navigation tasks....