Ascender April 2008

To the following members, please note that your membership will expire this month:

Please contact the membership director if you have questions about your membership.

Please make your check payable to the Las Vegas Mountaineers Club and mail to: P.O. Box 36026, Las Vegas, NV 89133-6026.
Single membership is $30 per year, $85 for three years. Family annual membership is $40, $110 for three years. Please mail all renewals prior to the end of the month to ensure uninterrupted notification of your Ascender password.

To All Members:
Please send any address, phone number and e-mail changes to Chris Ransel.

GRAND CANYON TOROWEAP

March 7-9, 2008
Report and Photos by Chris Meyer, Joel Brewster, and Harlan Stockman

Ever since I started leading day-trip tours for Pink Jeep Tours to the Grand Canyon National Park Toroweap Overlook last September, and after learning there is a route to the Colorado River, I have been interested in leading a club trip to this location. The trip involves traveling on almost 60 miles (each way) of dirt road to the most remote way of viewing the Grand Canyon. The last time I took a tour to Toroweap was early February after big storms dumped a bit of snow out there. I traveled on 4 to 8 inches of snow for most of the trip with a number of areas having ice underneath the snow. I was able to make it to and back using the company’s Chevrolet ¾ ton Suburbans in 4-wheel drive without any problems. However, the very next week, one of our guides got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out by a tow truck. There was also another rainstorm about a week later. Therefore, I was concerned we would encounter very muddy conditions for this trip.

A total of 12 people joined me on this trip. We made sure to only have 2 or 3 people in each vehicle in case something went wrong so we would have space in other vehicles. In any case, we were carrying a lot of supplies for a 3-day/2-night camping trip. We used five vehicles for the following people to enjoy this trip - Roy Trafton, John Dagit, Candace Wise, Dave Luttman, Peppe Sotomayer, Harlan Stockman, John “Snafu” Mueller, Joel Brewster, Alan Nakashima, Colin Okada, and Doug & Maxine Hladky.

We met at 7 am on March 7 at the top of the Cannery Row parking garage to caravan to Mesquite for a quick bathroom break. We then drove through St. George to travel east on Hwy 9 as if we were going to Zion. When in Hurricane we turned right onto Hwy 59 towards Colorado City, AZ. Before entering Hildale, UT we stopped at the first and only Chevron to top off our tanks. We then traveled through Colorado City which is the city for the FLDS whose sect leader Warren Jeffs was recently sent to prison. Soon after passing mile marker 4 on the Arizona side we turned right for the dirt road to the Toroweap Overlook. We then stopped so I could brief everyone about the dirt road since I was the only one who had ever gone this route.

The road was not muddy at all. It was bumpy in many areas with some very deep ruts in several places. We found the spot where that guide got stuck with about 15-inch deep ruts.

We reached the campground grabbing the first three sites on the right. We all set up camp and then went for a walk to the viewpoint. The views were amazing. John Dagit (a fellow tour guide) and I had our picture taken showing our one finger salute to the Hualapai Indian Reservation on the other side of the canyon. Tour guides have a bit of disdain towards the Hualapai operation at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. We all got really close to the edge. If anyone had fallen in this area, it would not have been a rescue operation. The views of the canyon were phenomenal. We also admired the massive lava flows that at one time blocked the Grand Canyon.

Ironically we were visiting the area at the time of the “big flush” in which the Bureau of Reclamation released a large amount of water from Lake Powell via the Glen Canyon Dam on the east side of the Grand Canyon to try to rejuvenate the river beds in the Grand Canyon. There was a noticeable difference in the level of the water from the Toroweap Overlook. To top it off we were hiking down to the river the next day.

Colin and I went exploring down into the canyon to an area I’ve wanted to investigate for a while. Everyone else admired the views from the edge. It was really nice being on our own in the middle of nowhere. I noticed a brushy chute that would be fun, but we didn’t have time to pursue it further. I wonder if eventually we could have possibly found another way down to the river. I’ll have to wait to check out that area on another trip.

We went back to the campsite to set things up and enjoy a good meal. Two backcountry rangers drove up to see how everyone was doing. They were making their rounds as part of their normal patrol of the backcountry. Ironically they were also hiking down the Lava Falls route the next day to check it out as part of the patrol responsibility. What a shame being paid to hike!

The next day we drove to the trailhead. The road was bumpy and rough with some very worn sections. There is really no trail down to the river, but simply a lot of different routes depending on your interest. Most are heavily cairned, but still at times hard to notice considering the immensity of the canyon. Most of it has loose rocks and scree. The big scree slope required us to spread out as everyone was causing rocks to slide down. Part of the way down we saw the two rangers waiting off to the side for our large group to pass through. After I passed the rangers continuing down I heard a loud yell “ROCK!!!” The rangers were actually yelling towards me. I looked up see Candace had dislodged probably a hundred pound rock. It was rolling towards my direction. It was really hard to try to move because of the loose rocks. Thankfully the rock moved in another direction a couple dozen feet or so up the slope from me. There were many areas where we had to down climb. Essentially, this route is a class III scramble with most of the trip a steep class II with about 2500 feet elevation change in 1.5 miles!

Most of the group took the same route down, although Harlan followed a GPS track of Nick Nelson’s from an earlier trip. Since we were all spread out along the route, we used walkie-talkies to communicate with each other. The rangers were also taking a different route down. It was quite interesting having so many people in the area going down three different routes. It took our group about 2 to 4 hours to reach the river. Most of us then followed a path down the river towards the Lava Falls Rapids. Unfortunately, most of the path was underwater because of the high water level from the man-made flood, forcing us to bushwhack part of the way. We managed to find a way to the Lava Falls Rapids. There was a large boulder that offered much needed shade for a lunch rest break. The views of the area were great. We were even fortunate to watch a raft with two people navigate the rapids.

The temperature was in the low 70’s and fully exposed for the entire trip up the canyon. Most followed the same route up the canyon as on the way down. Harlan followed another route a little further up the canyon. I decided to follow another route between the two that looked fine. Fine it wasn't - my route was up loose rock and scree at an angle of about 50 degrees for several hundred feet up. It was physically draining going up this loose crap. I was then thinking to myself I should not have gone this way. I had also reached some class III rock I didn’t like too much. I kept going up as it looked like there was a good way to cut across. Harlan and I were in sight of each other as we went up. At one time Joel peered over the side from his rock and thought to himself that my way looked like as much fun as a root canal. I finally yelled to Harlan to wait, as I wanted to get over to him somehow because I was over the idea of climbing out of this on my own. I had to stop for a while to rest and to eat something. I also asked Harlan if he could see a good way for me to cut across. He yelled that the way over looked very loose and steep, but there was a spot I could get across if I was careful. He also said he would wait for me if I wanted to climb back down and hike up his route. I told him no way as I would most definitely slip and slide down the canyon and I would probably get hurt. I checked out his suggested path telling him that it looked a lot easier than what I had just came up. We then went up the canyon via a route that was better than the original one I came down with the rest of the group. We avoided that steep scree slope. Again, the entire way we all maintained radio contact.

Not surprisingly, Peppe was the fastest up the canyon completing the climb up in about 1.5 hours. Harlan and I took 3 hours with everyone else finishing the same time or within the next 2 hours. It was definitely a rewarding experience. We also were still at the trailhead by the time the two rangers finished the hike. It turns out the rangers have to wear a sidearm while on duty even during such a difficult hike. I commented to the ranger about the sidearm strapped to the leg. Their response was that it is like having an anchor tied to your leg, but required issue.

I had originally wanted to also hike to the top of Vulcan’s Throne which was an old volcano 1000 feet above the road to the Lava Falls trail. After this hike most of us were whipped and didn’t want to hike more. Therefore, we drove back to the campsite for a well-deserved meal and relaxation. There were storms in the area to the west. I was starting to worry those storms would move our direction. I remember before this trip that there was no forecast for rain so this storm really made me wonder. The winds were getting stronger. When we returned to the campsite I discovered my tent was on its side. I’m glad I had weighted down the sides with rocks otherwise it would have blown away. The storm never moved our direction and fizzled. I then wondered if we were going to encounter more snow for the next day’s hike.

Left: Group on summit of Mt. Trumbull, Right: Marching through the trees coming down from Trumbull

The next day we packed up and headed out to tackle Mt. Trumbull and Mt. Logan. We took another road heading higher in elevation. Since we were heading higher we now encountered snow and ice with some mud. The mud wasn't too bad because the snow and ice had not melted yet. We found the trailhead for Mt. Trumbull that is well-marked with a parking area. Quickly we encountered patches of snow on the trail that soon turned into only snow on the trail. As a matter of fact there was no longer a trail. Peppe, Harlan, and Roy went ahead of everyone else. Harlan had a GPS track to the peak. The rest of us simply followed their footprints in the snow. At one point we completely lost their tracks, but we finally found the tracks and continued to the peak. We maintained radio contact with Harlan and the entire group to coordinate our path. Eventually we found Harlan and the peak. It was cold up there with all the snow. The route down was a lot easier as there were plenty of tracks. Snafu took his time and came down by himself. We asked him if he was fine on his own. He said that if he couldn't follow the tracks in the snow of a dozen people, something would be wrong! The route down was more difficult because the snow was melting and it was softening. We postholed often.

We then wanted to tackle Mt. Logan, but we all concluded such an endeavor would not be in our best interest. The road (if you will call it a road) was a deep mud bath. I also realized we would not be able to complete the hike and get off the dirt before dark. Therefore, we abandoned the last peak and headed home. The shortest distance to the end of the dirt would have been to continue along the same road we used to reach Mt. Trumbull, but I knew from past experience that portion was muddier than the route up. Therefore, we went back the same way we came up. The ice had melted, so the conditions had degraded. We all made it out fine with a bit of mud on our vehicles.

The trip was a great experience. No one got hurt and there was no damage to any of our vehicles. Everyone had a great time. I really want to come back again. I’m sure I’ll coordinate another trip to Toroweap in the future. Thanks a lot to those who drove as the rest of us could not have enjoyed the trip without you!

LIBERTY BELL ARCH

March 29, 2008
Report by Kim Owen, Photos by Joel Brewster and Chris Meyer

Cars. As far as the eye can see. Lining the road, glinting in the early morning sun. Tourists blink vacantly from behind their windshields. I stand outside my van and stare up the road.

This isn’t a hike. Wha??

I’m stuck at the damn. I mean dam. Damn dam.

I’m afraid I’ve missed the group, and I’m frantically calling Amy Brewster and her posse, the leaders of our Liberty Bell Arch hike.

Then I spy her. A little white speck waving at me from half mile up the road. She is also standing outside her SUV, talking into her cell phone while husband and kids are strapped (and squirming too, I’m sure) in the motionless vehicle.

Chris Meyer (also trapped in his car with his own family) speculates that someone blew through the checkpoint and caused the entire security patrol to enact an immediate lock down.

He is right. We are parked in the third position from the security checkpoint, and people are getting antsy. The patrol officer stares into the distance and ignores us.

After 20 more minutes we see the flashing lights of a patrol car coming towards us, followed by an SUV pulling a boat driven by sheepish looking guy. They pull over next to us and the motorists glare at the guy while he slumps down behind the wheel. Way to go man. Nice way to kick off a weekend morning at the lake. Time’s awastin’. Thanks dude.

Then the traffic kicks off, and we finally make it to the trailhead. I see the rest of our group includes Bob G.-sans the Hummer this time-natch, the trailhead is just a pull-off on the side of the road three miles past the “Welcome to Arizona” sign. Peggy and Steve are ready for action in addition to the Brewster, Meyer and Owen clans.

Sunscreen slathered, diapered up (the little kids, that is) we head for the hills. The sun shines, the desert blooms and the dogs run amok. It is a beautiful day.The trail is easy to follow and winds up and down for about 2.5 miles. Along the way there is an open mineshaft. Tantalizing… I dream about falling into the mineshaft and disappering for little awhile hee hee. A little me time, me takes what me can gets. But oops, I left my blender in the car, and what good is a getaway without a good margarita?

We decide to explore the mine on the way out.

Toby leads the group along the trail

About two miles in, we pass the Liberty Bell Arch. It’s a little ways off the trail, up a steep embankment. We all stop to take a look while baby Kenny sleeps, oblivious to the geologic woder in front of him.

We reach a scenic overlook and stop for lunch, drinking up the aerial view of the Colorado. Kayaks drift around far below us and birds dive and dart just below the cliff. My son (damn his red-headed daredevil genes) passes the time by lunging for the edge of the cliff every few minutes. Multiple adults body-block him each time he makes a break for it. It seems it’s a fun game for his 2 year-old mind. It gives his poor mama here a stroke five times over till Dad finally takes the hyper-active little rascal for a walk among the sage, AWAY from the edge. He then busies himself hiking with two adult-size trekking poles while my husband gamely dodges the steel tips. Danger-boy. (sigh)

The dogs scrounge for cast off morsels of dried fruit and crackers while the Trail MILFs discuss LVMC, The Next Generation. Among our topics of the day, a road trip to Colorado this summer, Kristi’s chic new ‘do and the fact that Sierra is in fact a Hot Little Dish and Baby Kenny and Nicholas are going to have to throw down for her lovely attentions. Hopefully not for many years to come. And only if my son survives his cliff-jumping, pole-wielding stage.

Baby Kenny surveys the scene blissfully from his cozy backpack, unaware that we are carelessly prattling on about his future forays in the world of dating. Toby, the wisest of all, sits and munches contemplatively on his PB&J.

Back on the trail, Joel deals with his feisty toddler who has decided she wants out of the backpack, and can walk the trail on her own, thank you very much. And who’s the one to say no to a girl who knows so decisively what she wants???

Right below the Liberty Arch, our trail leader Toby takes a little spill on some loose rocks. In a millisecond, three hikers are by his side as he takes a breather on a nearby rock. Water is proffered, wounds are examined and Toby waits, stoically, bravely for his mom to round the bend. He studies the little prickers that cover his hand. Bob whips out a mammoth size first aid kit (dude, did you really have that stashed in your little pack? kudos) and goes to work on the stickers. Mom comes and gives her special mommy magic to Toby’s hand, and we hit the trail again.

We all veer off the trail to inspect the open mineshaft. Indeed, it is open, bounded by a little shrivel of ancient barbed wire, and I’m afraid one of my wide ranging mutts will get too close and fall in. Nick is safe in his backpack, so I focus my obsessive maternal worry machine on my dogs. But all is well. Bob warns us not to take anything electronic into the mine, as it will de-magnetize in there. So that means my blender won’t work? Damn. So much for my frozen fantasy.

Speaking of frozen, I’m over it, the hike, I mean. It’s freakin’ hot, we’ve seen the sights, and I want to go home. Anything over 80 degrees, my brain melts. We reach the cars and pack up. But the trip is not complete without the requisite stop at A&W in Boulder City. Nothing says “great job kids” better than a fantastic sugar rush right before the ride home. Root beer floats all around. But wait, I feel ripped off, and I fear I am showing my age a bit… Since when did they start using that fake soft ice cream that extrudes out of a machine in root beer floats? What happened to real ice cream? But I digress.

Post-hike stop at A&W

SAR RESCUE FROM WHITE ROCK HILLS PEAK

April 5, 2008
Report and Photos by Chris Meyer

I enjoy this peak since it offers a great advanced scrambling experience to the top of a Red Rock NCA peak. This time, we didn’t make it to the peak because we needed help from Search and Rescue (SAR). I’ve been to the top of this peak twice before - both times following a route along the west side starting from Rocky Gap Road after the Willow Springs Picnic Area. This time I wanted to follow a route from the south side along a ridgeline to the left of the peak closest to the Lost Creek parking area.

Dave Luttman, Colin Okada, and I met at the Red Rock parking area before the fee station at 7:00 am. Dave volunteered to drive to the Lost Creek parking area.

A monster cactus

We started the hike about 7:30. We proceeded up the White Rock Hills loop trail until we were close to the scrambling route. We enjoyed some class III scrambling and found a barrel cactus that was over 5 foot tall! I was even surprised to discover small patches of ferns in crevasses along the sandstone. Soon into the hike (about 8:00,) Dave realized we were heading up terrain that exceeded his comfort level. He decided to turn back and hike something easier while Colin and I agreed to continue. We agreed to use our radios to communicate with each other. Dave would meet us back at his car. Dave told me to use ch 18 subch 0.

Dave and Colin scramble up the rocks

Colin and I continued up the ridgeline enjoying great class III and IV boulders and chutes. Several areas we had to stop and think of the best route up. Everything was going well until about halfway up. After traveling through manzanita and scrub oak brush I stopped to relieve myself. Colin was going to continue to climb over a boulder. Once I turned around towards Colin all of a sudden I noticed he had just impacted to the ground. A handhold thought to be secure broke loose. Colin fell almost three feet down. When falling backward Colin used his right arm to brace himself, and unfortunaely, the angle of impact dislocated his right shoulder. At first we both thought it was a soft tissue injury. I asked him to raise and move his arm to loosen it up. However, he was not able to lift his arm past his neck and there was a lot of pain. I then felt his shoulder feeling a bulge. We concluded his shoulder was dislocated and there was absolutely no way we could make it down the mountain via the route we followed. There was no way to get higher to reach an easier way down either. The only way down was with the help of SAR. The accident occurred at 5,385 feet at N 36 degrees 09’ 46.5” W 115 degrees 29’ 37.4”. This position was about 1200 feet above the parking area after traveling about one mile.

Colin sure looks cheerful for having a disclocated shoulder (boulder from which he fell in background)!

Thankfully both of us had our cell phones with us. I didn’t have a signal from our location so I moved to another location with a line of sight view of Blue Diamond. I called SAR at about 09:15. I was surprised to discover they can ping my cell phone to determine the GPS coordinates. I confirmed them using my GPS, although, they don’t have the final decimal reading like my GPS.

I went back to Colin to check how he was doing. I suggested he eat his sandwich to keep his energy up and because he wouldn’t be able to do so once SAR arrived. I had told SAR I would lay out red webbing on a rock I had brought for this trip near our location. I then sat in the open to wait for a SAR helicopter to arrive. SAR spotted us about 10:00. They circled around our location trying to find a good spot to land. It was amazing how well the pilot was able to maneuver in such confined space. These people are very highly trained and experienced. Colin and I thought they would land in the area above us, then downclimb. The helicopter found a spot over a hundred feet away (at the same level of us) dropping off a SAR rescuer. After a few minutes I hadn’t seen the rescuer so I started heading his direction to help him find a route to us. The rescuer assessed Colin’s situation and used a triangular bandage to secure his shoulder. I then realized I should have thought of that as I had a triangular bandage with me in my first aid kit. The SAR rescuer was happy Colin was able to walk because otherwise they would have to use a basket. He then let us know we get a free ride on a helicopter! It was a nice gesture, but we never intended for such to occur.

SAR helicopter approaching

I assisted Colin in hiking to the landing zone (LZ). I broke off the brush we traveled through to provide a clear path to the LZ. A little up climb was necessary, but Colin did fine with help from the both of us. The SAR helicopter hovered away from the LZ in the area over the Lost Creek parking lot. I was told to wait while the SAR rescuer led Colin to the LZ area. The helicopter slowly approached the LZ. I then realized the only way to land was for one of the skids to be placed on the rock while the other was floating on air. The pilot did a phenomenal job of keeping the helicopter completely level while Colin and the SAR rescuer boarded the helicopter. Very amazing flying skills! The helicopter then took Colin away to the ambulance.

Evaluating Colin's injury

I was alone on the peak waiting for the helicopter to return for me. Once Colin was hurt I continually tried to radio Dave to let him know what was occurring. Unfortunately there was no response. The helicopter took me down to the Red Rock loop in front of the Sandstone Quarry. The loop was closed to all traffic until the helicopter left. I thanked the SAR rescuer then joined Colin in the ambulance. We were then taken the wrong way on the loop back to the parking area so I could drive Colin’s car to Summerlin Hospital. I couldn’t drive my car because my keys were in Dave’s car!

Colin boarding helicopter

Colin was in great spirits the entire time despite his shoulder throbbing. The doctors confirmed via x-rays his shoulder was dislocated. My wife Kristi had to meet me at the hospital with a spare set of keys to my car. She then took me to my car. I then went out onto the loop to find Dave. While traveling the loop I tried to reach him on the radio with no luck. I finally found Dave sitting in his car at the Lost Creek parking area. It turns out his radio only went up to channel 14. I told him the situation and we then went to the hospital. By the time we arrived Colin’s shoulder was back in place and he was sleeping. We left the emergency room about 3:00 pm. I drove him to my house to watch over him, had dinner, and then determined he could be left alone for the night. We went back to the hospital to get his car and drove him back to his house.

The next day I asked another Pink Jeep Tour guide who was at Red Rock that morning for a tour about the rescue from their perspective. I know they would have been in the Rocky Gap/Willow Springs area at the time of the rescue. They of course had no idea what had happened. A guide told me there was a fire truck in the area and that a BLM Ranger approached him stating something in a derogatory manner indicating this incident was a tour guide’s fault. Since SAR asked me my occupation, I told them I was a tour guide. The SAR rescuer then asked if Colin was a client. I told him no way. A tour company would never take someone up this peak and they wouldn’t have permits to do so anyway. Apparently, word spread that a tour guide was involved and blame was directed to the first tour company seen by a ranger – Pink Jeep Tours.

In any case, Colin is doing well and he is in great spirits. He had a great time with the route and he has no regrets knowing full well the risks for these kinds of activities. He will recover and be out on the mountains again in the near future!

GRAND CANYON TOROWEAP

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GENERAL MEETINGS

PLEASE NOTE: The Las Vegas Mountaineers monthly meeting this month
is on THURSDAY, April 24 at Sunrise Library
Sunrise Library is located east of Nellis Blvd. at 5400 Harris Ave. between Washington and Bonanza.
Meeting time is 7:00 p.m.