11
Apr
Found the Trailhead, Finally!
At Trailhead! Navigating the maze of unmarked mountain roads in dark was tough. Took 17 miles & 2 hours. Explorer did well and the back makes a swell tent.
At Trailhead! Navigating the maze of unmarked mountain roads in dark was tough. Took 17 miles & 2 hours. Explorer did well and the back makes a swell tent.
Been driving all day, and was getting concerned about fuel as I was approaching the point of no return. I just stopped at a brothel that sells gasoline as well as the more traditional fare. It has sort of a creepy twilight zone feel.
This is the most desolate part of America I have seen so far. The brothel is the first thing I have seen since Vegas aside from a few boarded up concerns here and there.
It’s been a whirlwind of a week with very little downtime and sorting out the gear last night only afforded me 3 hours of sleep. So after running the typical travelers gauntlet of delays, indifferent airline employees and ridiculous security measures, I find myself driving through a desert in a brand new but dusty black Ford Explorer on my way to Boundary Peak Nevada. At 13,140 foot it’s the biggest hill This state has to offer so I have to climb it.
The roads approaching Boundary Peak are little more than goat paths with several gulley and water crossings, so I asked for the vehicle with the most ground clearance and they gave me the Explorer which I like. It’s sofa like seats fit my manly 6′ frame perfectly. It rides like a dream (I might actually fall asleep) and has lots of cool tech. We’ll see how well it handles the nasty stuff before I give it the Danger seal of approval.
The aforementioned goat paths present another challenge in that they are not correctly plotted as far as I can tell and are harder than hens teeth to find. GPS won’t help me, as every mapping system I have studied shows them differently so I’m not sure which to trust. I have read a number of accounts of folks being lost, one for 24 hours. I spent some time on Google Earth visually following and backtracking along miles of meandering paths leading up to the mountain to find a way in. So if I got it right I’ll have enough of time to setup a proper camp at the base of the mountain tonight and get a good nights rest.
So if all goes according to plan, I’ll be striking out in the morning to climb State Highpoint #26. I’ll be moving fast and expect to be back down in time for dinner.
Then I’ll head to Vegas for a security trade show, were I’ll meet up with my good Freind Rick Overholt who is hiking up Angels Landing as I write this. Well do the trade show together and head back to Houston next Saturday.
Indecently, we won a project last month to build a server farm to handle the bookings for one of the major Vegas Hotel/Casinos. I don’t have permission to use thier name in our marketing, so I can’t tell you who it is. Not sure if this qualifies as marketing, but I’ll err on the side of caution. Did I just say that?
120 miles from Roatan. We’ll be docked there when we wake up. Digging the new beacon. 72 hours of tracking and still at 19% battery.
I have activated tracking, for the purpose of testing a new satellite beacon
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On January 10th 2015, I stood atop the summit of Mount Marcy the highest mountain in the state of New York. My long time friend and climbing partner Rick Overholt joined me on this climb, but opted not to join me on the summit. You will find the complete Trip Report here.
Statistics
Completed: January 10th, 2015
State: New York
Elevation: 5,343′
Distance: 15 Miles
Time: 2 Days
Mount Marcy Links
Trip Report
Blog Posts
Photo Gallery
GPS Track
You will find, status, photo galleries and trip reports for all of my adventures on the Highpoints Page.
iPhone & fingers froze, hence the absent updates. At Loj now putting hot things in & on our bodies. There’s a tiny room that shoots hot water out the wall!
Just finished breaking camp, everything is an ordeal in these conditions. Bars are frozen solid so I sucked some half frozen honey from a packet. Headed down
Rick turned back. Some Canadian climbers came along and I linked up with them. Found trail, we were 10 feet from it. Almost there now.
Cold is killing iPhone which used for navigation and messaging. Probably won’t be able to send a summit message. Will try foot warmer in pocket with iPhone.
Very cold, the moisture in our breath formed ice on tent walls. Overcast & snowing again, mild wind below tree line, will be stronger on summit. Moving out!
Awoken by the silence I stepped out. The mountain is still and quiet now. Snow has stopped, sky is clear & moon is bright enough to see the snowbound forest.
Making camp was tough in loose powder, new tent strong but small. Dug pit in vestibule to make room for cooking & melting snow for H20.
Forest serene & resplendent in its winter raiment. I expect to see Jack Frost any minute. Biting get wind, snow & cold sufficient to snap me back to reality.
Ranger turned us back to get snowshoes. He said we would not need them, but it’s the law. So packs are 5lbs heavier. Thanks Ranger Jim. Just left Trailhead.
The Marcy adventure begins! Rick and I are leaving the trailhead now. It’s 5 degrees w 15mph winds. Good visibility snow nice and firm. Good day to be alive!
Climbing up Mt Marcy, NY in the morning to make camp & summit Sat. Gear feeling nice at 60lbs, vs 177 on Denali. -13 w chill at the lodge, hoping for colder.
It’s 3 AM and I hop on a plane at 7AM today. Just finished packing, which is always the way it is no matter how soon I start.
I’ve been working on a more scientific way to manage my gear and embarked on the process of weighing each and every piece of gear. I got everything for this trip weighed and packed and according the the spreadsheet it is a 67 lb load. Because of the extreme weather conditions, I will have to carry lots of heavy layers.
I will shed some weight as there are a few shared items such as stoves, cookware and tent, but not much.
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