Still fighting our way through the blinding snowstorm, we descended to deep drifts to our snug hideaway by 4 PM. After a good, hot dinner we settled down to 14 hours of sleep.
On Sun morn we were greeted by the glorious view of Olancha Pk across Owens Lake. We began our Pleasant task by passing up by "boothill" toward the ridge line, past an old radar installation, and over some rather difficult high third class knife-edge ridges to the 9,690' summit. The route gives interest, but the rock is crumbly and sharp on ungloved hands. We paused briefly while on top to photograph the spectacular Sierra, encompassing Olancha to University Peaks, and then came down to the bunkhouse where we met our packs.
Ed. note: Next time try Pleasant the easy way-follow the level road above C G and catch the level pipeline trail to the north side of the mtn. Then
take the ridge in a southerly
fashion to the top. We like this easy west side method.MORE SMATKO SCRAMBLES- Andy Smatko
Ed. note: Andy Smatko has a dream of reaching the high point of every San Bernardino County Range-a lifelong ambition! His thought and effort have been recorded in the Newsletter many times. They will continue!
On furthering an ambition, the New Yrs Weekend found Bill Schuler, Ellen Siegal, Bill Croxson and I rummaging up and over a number of S B Co ranges. On Fri AM, Ellen and I got Bill Croxson at Victorville, and went out the Barstow Freeway, turning off to the north on the third exit past Baker-the one leading to Shadow Valley. The afternoon was spent in climbing the Shadow Mtns high point and also the lone peak called Shadow Mtn just east of this named range. Both approach roads were poor, but they are negotiable with an average compact car. The views are most impressive, especially of the Kingston and Clark Ranges. That evening Ellen served us a wonder spaghetti dinner, fortifies with copious gulps of red wine to ward off the below-freezing weather. About 9 PM Bill Schuler dropped in on us, and we all enjoyed a blazing campfire.
The morning brought a generous thickness of fine frost to everything, and after thawing and drying out we started toward the ENE to Keany Pass. A few miles to the west of this spot a poor road leads NNW toward the Mesquite Mtns. This is a fairly large range and the actual summit is a chocolate brown and cream mass of rock. Only a bit of third class was noticed. The eastward view towards Devil Pk and Little Devil Pk at this time of day was accentuated by the sharp, steep northerly ridges and gullies on these two mtns. The snow-covered Clarks appeared almost Himalayan in their majesty. The westerly road to Keany Pass is good, but the easterly side is deeply eroded, steep, rock.