Granite Mountains #1, Old Woman Mountains

10-Jan-70

By: Bob Herlihy

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A group of 15 hikers met at 8:00 am. under threatening skies and drove northward in a dusty caravan to the roadhead for Granite Mtn. (6786'). One overheated vehicle and all low-clearance cars were left at the turnoff from Kelbaker Road. By the time we arrived at the roadhead, the sky in our vicinity was clear and sunny with a cool breeze blowing. The good-natured Paul Nelson was pressed into service as assistant leader. The ascent was easy and direct, although marked by several stops to don and remove jackets as necessitated by exposure to the cold wind on our route. The minimal class 3 summit block afforded excellent views of many other ranges in the area and had just enough lunch room for our group in cozy but not crowded comfort. On the descent the lead hikers came very close to three large bucks. Upon return to the cars, a considerable delay was encountered in starting the vehic1e that had previously overheated.

We arrived at the roadhead for Old Woman Mountain (5326') just before dark. After supper we had some tasty goodies and a stimulating discussion around the campfire that covered a range of subjects dear to the hearts of ecologists and environmentalists. In the middle of the night, one car drove into the campsite and we were joined by 2 more people from the Pomona-Chino area.

The next morning we took a, direct, easy route up to the saddle north of the peak, then directly to the summit. The sky was overcast and threatening, and visibility from the summit was somewhat limited.

The descent was uneventful and made in good time. We explored some abandoned mine tunnels in the mountain near the cars, and prepared to start for home. The rain came down just as the last cars pulled away. Hard rain was encountered much of the way home.


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