Dear Member: Temperature 40°F. on top of Mt. Charleston, temperature 110°F at Lake Mead, snow and ice on the San Francisco Peaks, dry air and blistering sun on Avawatz Peak -- those were the conditions enjoyed, or in some cases endured, by members of the Desert Peaks Section over the Memorial Day Holidays. The 40° on Mt. Charleston was described as very enjoyable. 18 climbers made the summit on Sunday. They were Polly Connable, John Cross, Rosie Kent, Elsie Kent, Eric Kent, Lloyd Balsam, Marie Smith, Eleanor Smith, Tom Brown (guest), Louise Werner, Niles Werner, David Thorn, Alden Hilton, Muriel Pope, Walter Collins, Florence Collins, Byron Groff, Gordon Uright. Niles, Louise, and Polly used a trailless route from the southeast. The remainder of the party went by trail. Both climbs commenced from Kyle Canyon. After returning from the summit Sunday evening, the group departed for Lake Mead where a sleeping bagless night was spent. Because of the high temperatures, the climbs of Mt. Wilson and Fortification Hill were cancelled, and the boat trip was taken on Monday instead of Tuesday. It lasted 4-1/2 hours, and in addition to those who climbed Charleston, the following people went nautical - Parker Severson, Freda Walbrecht, Harry Connable, Alan Balsam, Hotcake Harry (Whitney, Nev.), Aurelia Schur (Los Vegas, Nov.), Alice Caflesch, Gladys Casperson, Kasper Casperson, Viola Reed, R. J. Ledwon, Alice Carol Ledwon, Johnny Leduon, Jennie Gustafson, Georgia White, Elgin Pierce, Martha Eck, Elisa Duval, Hr. and Mrs. C.S. Warren, Roy Wright, Leota Wright, Rose Frazier, Mary M. Freidrick, Lewine Bistline, Oscar Mitchell, Carol Snothan, Walter McKay, and Tony Gamoro. Regardless of the heat, a joyous campfire was staged that night with songs by the "Smith Songsters". On Monday before heading for home, many of the group toured Boulder Dam and City. Enjoying snow and ice in the San Francisco Peaks were Freda Walbrecht, Parker Severson, and Tony Gamero. The three motored up an old toll road which leads from Flagstaff to high in the San Francisco Peaks. The group reached approximately the 10,000 ft. elevation before snow drifts covered the road so badly that they couldn't drive further. Camp was made here. Early the next morning, this group hiked along the drifted road to Freemont Pass, but beyond here the road was covered with ice. Tony, with crampons and ice ax, continued to follow the road as far as possible before heading to Humphrey'a Peak. Parker and Freda headed for the summit by direct line, dropping first into a basin which the road contoured around, then up the east ridge. The three next met on the summmit of Humphreys Peak, 12,611 ft., highest point in Arizona. From here they dropped into Doyle Saddle, then up to the summit of Mt. Agissiz. Return to camp was by an entirely different route in which they contoured around the south side of Fremont Peak. Parker described the trip as being easy to accomplish in a four day weekend. Now if we turn to the northern boundaries of the Mojave Desert region we find 5 people struggling with extremely rough terrain, torrid temperatures, and a shortage of water, which determined retreat when the summit of Avawatz Peak seemed nearly in their grasps. The party consisting of Walter and Bernice Heninger, Margaret Henderson, Fritz Sloman, and Bob Bear got off to an early start on Saturday morning from Sheep Creek Spring on the east side of Avawatz Mtns. They followed up the main canyon, relying on directions given by an old miner. But the directions were not explicit, since the trail was to go up the main canyon. At a fork in the Canyon the party took the left turn instead of the right, and ended up one canyon over from the "trail". The main ridge of the range separated them from the proper canyon. (There was to have been a spring too). By late afternoon, short of water, and near heat exhaustion, the party turned back with only one more deep gorge to cross before getting on the final summit cone. Yes, and in Santa Monica where it was cool and completely fogged in, sat I, working quantum mechanics problems. This was indeed an arduous expedition. |
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