| McCullough, Potosi | May 8-9, 1993 | Bill T Russell, Pat Russell |
We met Sat at 0800 at the turnoff from the power line road (4.9 mi from the Nipton Road) as stated in the Peak Guide, 3rd ed, for McCullough. From there we caravaned 1.5 mi west to a junction, then turned right and went about 2.5 mi where we parked at the location shown on the peak guide map (UTM 682379). We climbed the peak by the route described in the guide, taking about 6 hrs including lunch.
As pointed out by George Toby in SAGE 219, the right turn after the 1.5 mi should be stated in the guide. Also a right turn (N) should be stated when reaching the power line road, one mi from the Nipton Road. Three of our cars, not knowing, in the dark, which way was north, turned left and ended up going in a circle. My advice: get a car compass. Also the seven foot high white metal pole stated in the peak guide was not a good reference. Finally the five mi from the power line road to the trailhead has sandy places, one of our street vehicles got stuck.
After the climb several of the car groups went to Las Vegas for pleasant dinners and perhaps a little gambling. My $1 stake lasted about 5 minutes at the Flamingo. We all spent the night at the large open flat area around Potosi Spring, just off the access road. The additional 0.3 mi to a saddle 75 yds below the ruins of a mine and mill as stated in the peak guide is a poor road which I do not recommend. There are some big bumps on a steep spot in the access road just before (N) reaching Potosi Spring, which if they get much worse will, will be difficult for street autos to ascend. There are other poor spots in the stretch south of Potosi Pass.
On Sun we climbed Potosi via Route A Variation shown in the guide, a good way to go. Because it looked easier, we went over point 2431 instead of traversing by it. There are a few moves of easy 3rd class at two walls on its east ridge. We started at 0710 and returned by 1 515, or about 8 hours including lunch. The trip was very pleasant with good people and fine weather. Participants, with M for McCullouah and P for Potosi were:
| M M M M M M M |
P P P P P P P |
Bill T
Russell Pat Russell Devra Wasserman Vi Grasso Judy Oar Mirna Roach Greg Roach |
M M M M M M M |
P P P P P P P |
Mary Sue
Miller Asher Waxman Karen Leonard John McCully Roy Magnuson David Hammond Terry Flood |
M M M M |
P P P P |
Rheta
Schoeneman Mary McMannes Bob Hartunian Dave Welbourn David Campbell John Otter Jack Archibald |
| Donkeys Bring a Bray of Hope to Inaugural Parade If you enjoyed the jackasses at President Clinton's inaugural parade, thanks go to Janet Luke of Alta Loma, near Upland. She's the chief promoter of the American Donkey and Mule Society, and she persuaded parade coordinators that no Democrat victory march to the White House would be complete without two jacks, five female donkeys and 12 mules strutting their stuff before the nation. How soon we forget that George Washington bred mules to help give farming a kick-start in the new country. Luke's contingent may not have been as glitzy as the Sacramento Sheriff's Posse-the only other California equestrian unit to march in the parade-but the exposure went a long way, Luke says, In elevating the stature of donkeys and mules. "We still catch a lot of flak from equestrian units, but once we get bur animals out there, those people appreciate them and end up buying them," she said. |