This was a backpacking and climbing expedition in John Muir Wilderness in California's eastern High
Sierra. On Septermber 2-4 Labor Day weekend in year 2000, Steve Dai and I camped at Treasure Lakes in Rock Creek
basin for two nights. This was a weekend of less than perfect weather, with a big rain storm on the western slopes
of Sierra Nevada and gusty winds on the east side. The route from the trailhead at the end of Rock Creek Road (10240')
to Treasure Lakes (11075') is mostly an easy trail walk on Morgan Pass Trail with a small elevation gain. Near
the end there is a short section of scrambling over a hill of granite slabs to reach Treasure Lakes from the trail
at Gem Lakes. The route traverses popular Little Lakes Valley surrounded by an amphitheatre of high peaks: 13748'
Mt. Morgan, 13711' Bear Creek Spire, 13713' Mt. Abbot, among others.
On 9/3 we set out to climb 13600'+ Mt. Dade, which is between Abbot and Bear Creek Spire. It's an impressive
peak with a steep north face and deeply furrowed snow couloirs leading to a sizable glacier below. The easiest
way to the top is reportedly through the "Hourglass Couloir", a wide, 1000' high snow couloir whose slope
approaches 40 degrees. On our way up we tried to avoid the "snow" in the couloir which was actually hard
ice this time of year. We climbed up on the right side of the couloir along its cliff wall. However the extremely
loose rock and the steepness made our footing precarious. We vowed to take an easier path down, probably through
the visible path that was cut into the ice patch in the couloir. Once we made it above the steep part, we walked
toward the summit on class 2 terrain around 25 degrees steep. There was a thousand feet to go, and the cold winds
were blowing hard, almost pulling me off the slope sometimes. After a few hundred vertical feet we decided to retreat,
as the time was approaching 4 pm and I was feeling weak and short of breath. We probably reached somewhere around
13100'-13200', after climbing for about 6 1/2 hours.
On our way down we descended the middle of the couloir in the loose rock and sand. My ice axe proved very helpful
in stopping me from sliding. Making it across the ice patch was difficult and frightening. The ice axe could not
dig in deep in the hard ice. Fortunately the little bit of soft new snow accumulated in ice depressions gave us
better footing much of the way, but where they're absent the danger of falling was high and we didn't have adequate
protection. At last we both made it down in one piece, and vowed never to do the same again. I suppose in early
season the snow patch has not yet consolidated into hard ice, which would make ascending Mt. Dade truly a class
2 climb as described in guidebooks. My ascending the summit of Mt. Dade will wait till such a day comes.
Here are some pictures taken on this trip:
- Alpenglow with storm clouds on Sierra Nevada range near Crowly Reservoir
- At the shore of Long Lake, looking toward Bear Creek Spire (center) and other
peaks forming an amphitheatre.
- Panoramic view of two of the Treasure Lakes and our camp site (the yellow
tent on the left), with Bear Creek Spire (far left) and Mt. Dade (3rd from left) in the background; Hourglass
Couloir is visible below the saddle to the left of Mt. Dade.
- Alpenglow on Bear Creek Spire (left) reflected in Treasure Lake
- View of four Treasure Lakes from above, with Mt. Morgan on the right. Our
camp site was by the rightmost lake.
- Steve on a rock rib by the side of Hourglass Couloir, Mt. Morgan and Rock
Creek basin in the background.
- Small glacier on the saddle above Hourglass Couloir, whose ice chunks constantly
breaking up while sliding into the frozen lake.
- Me on the high point of the climb, looking toward Bear Creek Spire, Mt.
Darwin, Mt. Goddard, Royce Peak, Feather Peak, Mt. Julius Caesar, and other High Sierra peaks beyond.
- Me on the high point of the climb (2), looking toward the cliffs on Mt. Dade's
southwest face.
