Also there is a now campsite in the Alabama Hills area: Bishop's Bureau of Land. Management office announces a new Tuttle Creek Campground, due to open now, and it is located 8 miles west of Lone Pine. It provides an excellent view of Mt Whitney and closeups of the fantastic granitic rock formations of the "Bama Hills".
Many of we-DPS people use the Hills as a Friday night camp spot before a morning's climb in nearby areas.
OLD WOMAN CORRECTION---
Attention has been brought to the Editor that a correction is due last issue's Old Woman Mtn climb. The corrected map is this:
TRIP
REPORTS---The Needles Pinnacles & Boundary Cone
March 9-10 -Bud Bingham
Eleven persons turned out for the climb of the Needles highpoint along the Colorado River. Those spires are located just about 7 miles out of Topock, Arizona and just east of the River. Cars could make about two miles over an old mining road. off hiway 66, and two miles on foot brought us to the base of Gold Dome, the high point. The climb is steep crud and a rope was used by those wishing more security to gain the final ridge. The rewards are the many interesting pinnacles as viewed from the summit.
Eight climbers did a pinnacle about a quarter mile to the north of the main summit. This ascent demanded the rope.
Evening was spent in a pleasant wash off the mining road and all participants enjoyed the hearty campfire.
Sunday only eight people attempted Boundary Cone from its base. This one is four miles south of Oatman, Arizona. This is another steep climb and a rope is certainly required for those off course. The climb begins at the highway's edge(how strange?) for a west slope ascent. The east face is not advised-it must be a straight up 1000 foot!
All three climbs were short, being 1000, 150, and 1600' gains respectively. As observed, from Boundary Cone's summit, there are other entertaining peaks to the north. Those should be explored, as they can be reached on a regular 2-day weekend..
Wildflowers are starting to make their display. We saw desert lilies on the highway north of Topock. The Beavertail cacti are really displaying their blooms at this time. Arkel Erb led this trip and thanks to him!
The Kingstons Mar 16-17 -Alice Lewis
Sixteen climbers, guided by Bud & Bep Bingham, made Kingston Peak on Saturday. We passed thru a small, burned-out canyon and contoured over into another small canyon, later following a snow-covered slope to the main ridge. The six to eight inches of snow, well crusted, elicited not a few comments, as, "Where are my ice axe and gaitors?" From this main ridge we continued over a spur ridge to Kingston Pea. A little rock scrambling brought us to the summit in time for lunch. After returning to the cars we had sufficient daylight to set up camp.
Bruised and sore feet reduced our Sunday number to seven. All who par-