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March
2010 |
Volume
16, Issue 3 |
SPIRIT MOUNTAIN
Henry
and Roy hanging out at our campsite at Christmas Tree Pass.
The
barrel cacti were plentiful as we made the steep climb up to the ridgeline.
Roy
surveys the jagged ridgeline.
We trudge
along the faint trail along the ridgeline with Laughlin in the background.
Roy
and Henry take in the tremendous views from the summit of Spirit Mountain.
Henry
descends the brief class 3 wall near the summit.
MOUNT BANGS
It looks
like a beautiful day for a hike, right? This was the view from along the
road we drove into Elbow Canyon.
It was
a bit chilly as we start out up the road. Ed, Luba, Jose, and Eric are
ready for an adventure.
As we
get farther up the road, it becomes snow-covered, but it doesn't dampen
Luba's spirits!
Finally,
after hiking and post-holing through snow for a couple of hours, we decide
to abandon our summit attempt and turn around.
We decide to make this
our lunch spot at about 6800'.
As Nasrin,
Henry and Jose hike back to the car, the clouds look more ominous. It
snowed and rained on us before we could get back to the car.
GUADALUPE PEAK
May
2009
Report and Photos by Henry Jingle
Mountaineers like to have lists of different types of challenges. The Las Vegas Mountaineers Club has our 50 Classic Peaks. Another list is the 50 State Highpoint adventures.
This year I added Texas’ highpoint Guadalupe Peak. At 8749 feet, it is the 14th highest State highpoint. It is located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GMNP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Before this adventure, we drove to Carlsbad Caverns National Park for a cave tour. After the tour, we drove to GMNP and camped. In the evening, I walked to the visitor center and saw a ringtail cat sitting above the national park sign. Unfortunately, it was too dark to photograph but was still a great memory.
After sunrise, we drove to the trailhead parking. This is a well-marked improved trail to the summit. The elevation gain is about 3000 feet in 8.4 miles roundtrip. In the upper tree-lined trail, I came upon a black-tailed rattlesnake stretched across the trail.
On the summit, I was greeted by a pyramid shaped monument commemorating the 100th anniversary (1858 -- 1958) of the founding of American Airlines. Who knew they were flying before the Wright Brothers! Actually, the monument commemorates the 100th anniversary of Butterfield Overland Mail (began in 1858), a stagecoach route that passed south of the mountain.
LVMC MONTHLY BIO FEATURE
Chris Ransel
Where were you born?
Northern Italy
How long have you lived in Las Vegas?
18 years
What is your occupation?
Mechanical Engineer
How long have you been an LVMC member?
13 years
What is you favorite hike/climb?
My favorite climb is White Punks On Dope. The
climb is located in the southern part of Sequoia National Forest near
Johnsondale. It is a classic climb by any standard because it has
excellent rock and climbing that ranges from splitter cracks, sustained
laybacks, to run out face climbing. I had a great partner that day
in Josh Owen and it proved to be one of my most memorable climbing
experiences.
What is the most challenging hike/climb you have done?
The 2003 LVMC trip to Mt. Rainier was not only
a challenging climb but was an equally challenging exercise in logistics.
I was a new coordinator at the time and was assisting Alan Andrunas
with the trip planning. We planned training hikes, snow schools, backyard
self-rescue practice, along with coordinating flights and hotels. In
the end, Alan put on a great trip, we had beautiful weather, and
all 13 mountaineers successfully summited and returned.
How did you get into hiking/climbing?
I was in my senior year of high school; I had
a light class load, had recently given up playing baseball, and was
working in a relatively good paying part time job. I had money and
plenty of free time so I needed a new hobby. My father heard about
the LVMC from a coworker so I checked out a meeting, signed up, and
started taking all of the beginner classes that were offered. I guess
the short answer to the question is that the people of the LVMC got
me into climbing and hiking. I owe a great deal to this club and its
members for providing me with many years of friendships, memorable
trips, and great BBQs.
What are your hobbies other than hiking/climbing?
Climbing has been a huge part of my life for
many years but occasionally I branch out into other arenas such as
home brewing, reading, and cooking for my wonderful wife.
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CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Please send any address, phone number and e-mail changes to Chris Ransel, membership director. LVMC currently has approximately 120 paid members or families.
If you wish to send a check instead of using PayPal online, 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.
To the following members, please note that your membership will expire this month:
Danah
Abarr
Ed Plana
John
Musser
Luanne Seipkes
Michael Tautfest
Paul Kuroda
Sarah Cobb
Sonny
Revell
Ted
Lendis
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GENERAL MEETINGS
The
Las Vegas Mountaineers meeting this month is on Tuesday, March 23rd
at Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara. Meeting time is 7 p.m.
MARCH Tuesday, March
23, 2010 Mountaineering
in the Alps
|
APRIL Tuesday, April
27, 2010 TBA |
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