2009 Adventure Run Recap

Great Western Divide

A recap of Adventure Runs in 2009 in chronological order:

• Thompson Peak: (June 17th) Located in the rugged Trinity Alps region of the Klamath Mountains, this climb entailed passing through the rugged glacier-carved Canyon Creek drainage with granite cliffs, waterfalls, and lovely alpine lakes.
• Mount Sill: (July 9th) Stellar views from the summit (known as the best viewpoint in the High Sierra) and travel on the Palisades Glacier, the largest body of ice in the High Sierra. The approach via first, second, and third lakes with Temple Crag towering above was equally impressive.
• Clyde Minaret: (July 10th) The highest of the jagged Minaret group of peaks near Mammoth Lakes. Stunning scenery on the approach via Lake Ediza and Iceberg Lake, including the Minaret Range, Mount Ritter, and Banner Peak. Early season conditions made the lower chute on the Rock Route a little spicy, but the scrambling was fun.
• Mount Olympus: (July 16th) My second time up Mount Olympus via the Blue Glacier. I managed to improve my FKT from 2007 by 24 minutes, completing the round trip in 11:06. Great weather and similar conditions, although a bit softer snow conditions.
• Clark Mountain: (July 21st) The highest point in the Dakobed Range, Clark provides great views of Glacier Peak, other peaks in the Dakobed Range, and the Napeequa Valley.
• Ptarmigan Traverse: (July 28th) A new FKT of 14:36 on this classic traverse from Cascade Pass to the Suiattle River. The Ptarmigan travels along the crest of the North Cascades and includes extensive glacier travel, high passes, and alpine lakes.
• Suiattle Crest 50 mile: (August 4th) An aesthetic single large loop providing a grand tour of the region including Napeequa Valley, High Pass, Lyman Lakes, and Spider Gap. We completed this awesome loop in 13:37.
• The Stanford Loop: (September 23rd) Another single large loop with excellent views of the Southern High Sierra including Center Basin, the Great Western Divide, Lake Reflection, and the Kearsarge Lakes area.
• Middle Palisade: (September 24th) A classic scramble of the northeast face of this fourteener passing by gorgeous Finger Lake on the approach. Awesome views of the High Sierra from the summit!
• Pinnacles National Monument: (October 20th) Only 2 hours from the Bay Area, Pinnacles is a slice of the desert Southwest with boulder caves, red rock formations, and stately gray pines.
• Rae Lakes Loop: (October 24th) One of the most popular backpacking destinations in the High Sierra, I did this 46 mile loop in 12:31 in late-season conditions with extensive snow travel from Vidette Meadows to below Dollar Lake. While the snow, particularly on the north of Glen Pass, slowed me down, the amazing views of the snowcovered peaks more than compensated.
• Carmel River: (November 17th) My first exploration in the Venetana Wilderness, which had been closed for a year due to the large fires in 2008. This point-to-point 19 mile adventure included great views of the Santa Lucia Mountains, a stop at Jack English’s cabin in Pine Valley, and a walk down the lush Carmel River canyon with over two dozen crossings.
• Sykes Hot Springs: (November 24th) The most popular destination in the Ventana Wilderness for good reason, the hot springs are perched above the Big Sur river in a lush redwood forest making for a zen setting. The hike includes great views of the Santa Lucia Mountains and rugged Ventana Double Cone. On the way back I took the Terrace Creek Trail through a nice old-growth redwood grove and the Coastal Ridge Road with superb views of the Big Sur Coast.
• Rose Peak: (December 8th) This one wouldn’t normally qualify for an adventure run, but with 6-8+ inches of snow on the summit, this one was adventurous! The Diablo Range in the East Bay usually gets some snow at least once every winter, but the copious amounts of snow and the low elevation (1,500 ft) were rare. We enjoyed spectacular snowy scenes in the oak forest and lovely views of the Diablo Range and Bay Area. Picturesque photos from the Santa Cruz Mountains the previous day can be found here.

Excited for the many plans and ideas taking shape for 2010!