A few notes: there are a couple of variations. One describes traversing under this giant red splotch, and you can avoid the glacier, but it looked "horrendously scary" as Drew put it. We ascended via the standard, or "Secor" chute. It was fine.
I think that this climb pushed my limits mentally about as much as I'd like, and that's given that everything went smoothly. The climb is awesome, but it's super exposed and goes on and on forever. There aren't really any rests from the exposure. I got a bit burned out on it.
On the way up some folks were coming down the talus and asked us if we'd seen a "tired and lonely looking climber". We hadn't. When we got back to Finger Lake on the way back to the car, a story emerged that a 60 year old guy had started up Norman Clyde the afternoon before and had not made it back to camp, so a search was called. We ran into a few SAR guys on the way out. The mountains don't fuck around, and I have little of what people could call mountain sense. I'm a Georgia girl who moved to the Central Valley of California. Mountains are like another planet to me. Snow on mountains is like another universe altogether. I love mountains, but I don't know if I'll ever be particularly comfortable. I'm ok with that.
Today, after doing a bit of research on the missing climber and turning up a story about a guy who died on Middle Palisade a few years ago (if you fall, you aren't going to stop til you hit the bottom), I have this weird feeling that I did something kind of stupid and dangerous and got away with it. I wonder if people who make a living doing scary shit ever feel that way.
I've now summited three 14,000+ peaks in the last 10 days (plus White Mountain a few years ago). This was the proudest. Langley was a walk-up, and Russell was a lot less exposed (which is strange, since you are on a ridge), and a shorter day overall. Not sure what I'll do next.
Photos (all taken with iphone):
We started around 6:30am
The mountain comes into view.
I'm always the slowest. Even though I'm in pretty good hiking shape right now, and I generally pass people when I'm on my own, Drew and Pete are fast!
Hard to believe that it's only going to be 3rd class!
Finger Lake is gorgeous. And named after me of course. The Croft way says to skirt left around the lake and go through a bunch of gullies. DON'T GO THIS WAY. It sucks big time. Instead, go right and end up on a ridge. The footing is far more solid, made up of talus and slabs.
looking down on Finger Lake
The intimidation factor grows.
Still intimidating.
What's this white stuff?
One of the few intact glaciers in California. Wonder how long it's going to last. You can see the red rock in this shot.
So much talus/moraine
The left glacier is still in pretty good shape.
Still intimidating. I was kind of gripped the whole time. The formation was awesome and improbable. Like Croft says in his description, it was a lot like a staircase of little ledges. The rock was very good...but the exposure!
Looking up the chute. I wore a helmet. We were in a giant gully after all.
The reward: 360 degree spectacular views
Drew lounging at the summit.
Looking down on the gendarme. We came up and descended on the right side. I'd recommend this way.
on the way down.
Probably the crux of the route: stepping onto the climb from the glacier. Nobody wants to punch through and get stuck in ice.
One of the most beautiful and inviting lakes I've ever seen on the way down. Margaritas at the Mobil proved more inviting and we didn't stop to enjoy it.
Twelve hours car to car.
