| GRANITE
MOUNTAIN #2-PROVIDENCE MTN-Mar 19-20 -the Binghams On Sat we met at the high point of the Amboy-Kelso road and caravaned from there on a mining road to a site generally north of Granite Mtn, This is probably the shortest summit route. Others have climbed it following a beautiful but rocky ridge from the SE. We hiked up a canyon to the north summit, but some did not accept this as the real high point since we couldn't find a register, and hiked over to another high point to the south. Bob Michael held up the resistor and persuaded us to follow. The class 3 summit block held nobody back and 18 who started the climb signed in at the real(?) summit. Most of us drove over to the Kelso sand dunes in the PM and enjoyed the sand hiking and the prolific wild flowers of the season. If it had not been for the dips in the road we would have enjoyed the many wildflowers on our shortcut to Mitchell Caverns State Park but the bumps and haste made it impossible to focus our eyes on anything. In late afternoon we reached the park, where the Ranger informed us of "Operation Desert Strike". At one time he estimated l0,000 vehicles in the valley below the caverns. One evening he discovered an Army movement up to the Park. Upon parking his truck across the road, the Ranger told the Army Officer in the advanced group to stay out of the boundaries of the State Park. The Officer told that he had orders to bring his troops to the base of the Providence Range. The Army retreated after a talk with higher officials but the damage done to desert regions below was tremendous. The vegetation may come back but It will take many years for the ecology to recover. On Sunday prior to the Providence climb, Bob Michael provided us with some eco1ogy of the region. About 8AM the climb began a short way from the campground in a canyon which leads to the summit-that is if all the correct steep gullies are found. We gained the main ridge just south of the peak and had little difficulty in the ascent. The more direct route was chosen coming home, but not without penalty-more cactus, catclaw, and loose rock. Fifteen of the 18 found the register. Those who still had steam left went on the 3PM caverns tour. MANLY PEAK (the easy way) Mar 26-27 -Graham Stephenson Although Sid Davis was detained in Miami, producing pictures, 16 DPS members and guests climbed to the summit of Manly Peak (7196') on Sat AM after a 1-1/2 hr scramble from their cars at the end of the road on the N side of the peak. After meeting at the Ashford Mill Jntcn 21 mi W of Shoshone, the group caravaned up the Warm Springs Canyon road thru Butte Valley and approached the peak from the north. The climb was made via a ridge on the NE and 2,000' gain. The Ashford Mill road inward is varying dirt and gravel, but in genera1 good condition. Most of the climbers went back towards home on Sat nite, but four of us went up into Death Valley to Furnace Crook and then over to Ballarat. We drove one car up Surprise Canyon to road's end at Panamint City and parked the car after sound admonitions from "Mary" about the desecrative activities of the Sierra Club. On Sun Morning, Eric Schumacher, Bill and I did Sentinel Peak thru light patches of snow. The road to Panamint was in worse condition (even though recently graded) than the author can ever remember. |
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