There are quite a few good photos from the next set. These are from what was probably the single best, most productive High Sierra climbing trip I've ever done. In July, 1999, Jim Lundeen and I went into the Palisades from the east. We took one day to do the approach and one to hike out. In four climbing days we did four Sierra Nevada Classics: 1. Mount Winchell's East Ridge, 2. The Swiss Arete on Mount Sill, 3. The V-Notch Couloir, 4. The U-Notch Couloir.
Jim is one of the great climbing partners, strong and fun to hang with. At the time he was very into photography.
This is on the summit of Mount Winchell, looking north toward Mount Aggaziz and Bishop Pass:
This is me with my old friend Squamish Chief, who came with us on this trip. A few of you knew him in his prime (Munge, Mud). In the background is the beautiful Sam Mack Meadow, where we spent our first night (I spent another few nights here, years later, with Jim McC, when he and I did Starlight and Thunderbolt):
Of course, Chief carried his own weight:
We finished Winchell early enough in the day that we had time to move camp from Sam Mack up to the Palisade Glacier:
The camp at the foot of the Palisade Glacier is almost magical in its beauty. The Palisades are to the west and the whole Second/Third Lake basin and Temple Crag are to the east. Jim took some nice photos in camp:
The next morning we got up early for the most difficult of these routes, the V-Notch. We moved fast back then, though, and did the climb, summited Polemonium Peak and got back to camp by early afternoon (that's another great thing about Jim, he can also haul buns in the back country). This is Jim leading across the bergschrund:
We got to the V-Notch when it was in good shape. Counting the 'schrund we did six pitches of blue, water ice:
The ice climbing on the V-Notch ends at the Palisade Crest. A few hundred feet of traversing that crest leads to a short section of technical rock to the summit of Polemonium Peak (one of California's 14,000 foot peaks). Here I am on the summit of that peak:
By the way, Polemonium Peak is named after Polemonium, more commonly called "Sky Pilot," a fabulous flower that grows in the Sierra Nevada above 12,000 feet. It is plenty beautiful to the eye, but the subtle, sweet fragrance is absolutely not to be missed:
Next up, two more Sierra classics and a pretty hike out.
