Castle Dome.
Early Sunday morning we caravaned up the road about two miles until we reached a broad wash. Here we left the cars, the road beyond becoming very poor and hiked up the broad wash. Leader Kolbig apologized for not remembering the exact route. Topo maps of this area are unavailable and the route was followed by instinct. However, by following this bread wash until it swings into a northerly canyon past some steep peaks an the right we reached a steep slope at the head of the canyon. Ascending it we reached a saddle from which Castle Dome was clearly visible one half mile away. Descending about 75 feet we arrived at the steep slopes and gradually worked our way up to the northeastern flank of Castle Dome. Crossing along a broad ledge past some overhangs. Phil Clayton who was in the lead found an easy class three pitch which led to the summit. Again fine views were had in all directions. All climbers returned before dusk. The route we followed is far more direct than the many ups and downs of the former route. It is on sandy ground most of the way.   - Lothar Kolbig

MT. STIRLING (8217'), NOVEMBER 16

13 persons reached the top of Mt. Stirling in sunny but biting cold weather. Snow on the ground was encountered from 6500 feet on from a fresh snowstorm the previous day. Starting from the western side of the Spring Range we approached Mt. Stirling with a sweeping northern loop along pine-covered ridges and descended by a more direct route via Heraeshutem Spring (good water, ruins, petrogryphs) back to the cars, a round trip of about 15 miles with 4500 feet elevation gain.
Consensus of opinion was that this mountain well deserves to be on the DPS Peak List. After the climb part of the group left for Hayford Peak while the other part camped near Shoshone to climb Mt. Stewart in the Resting Spring Range on Sunday, another peak for our List.   - Harry Melts

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WILDERNESS

"At the gates of the forest, the surprised man of the world is forced to leave his city estimates of great and small, wise and foolish. The knapsack of custom falls off his back with the first step he makes into these precincts. Here is sanctity which shames our religions, and reality which discredits our heroes. Here we find nature to be the circumstance which dwarfs every other circumstance, and judges like a god all men who come to her. Every moment instructs, and every object, for wisdom is infused into every form." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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THE D.P.S. NEWSLETTER

Published bi-monthly by the Desert Peaks Section, Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Subscriptions: Send one dollar to Hugh Parshall, Sec.-Treas of the DPS, 627 Valencia Mesa Drive, Fullerton, California.
Editor: John W. Robinson, 418 E. 20th St., Costa Mesa, California
Deadline for February issue: February 1, 1964
 
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