Tom Grundy's 2020 Sierra Challenge Day 6 The Socialite

8-12-2020 This was to be a big day, especially since I was planning on climbing the Hermit - about the same distance, but requiring a rope or someone to stand on to get up the summit block. We got up early (3:30 and were on the move shortly after 4 with Mason). We left the official trailhead around 4:20 am and headed up the trail. It felt like we made pretty good time up past the Lamarck Lakes and the section past there seemed easy to follow. Things started getting light as we got near the pass and some trail runners and the 5 am start faster people caught up to us. I sort of bobbled the descent with a little more talus and scrambling than necessary, especially for Iris who was wearing Hoka puffy shoes - good for trail, not so good for scrambling. We played tag with the trail runners who were faster but didn't always pick the best line. We traversed around the lakes and down to Darwin Bench where I took a good line to avoid some up and down and loops in the creek. Then down to the JMT (Bob and Iris took a little shortcut avoiding some switchbacks down and up - now I know where it is). We left the JMT to skirt around the outlet of Evolution Lake and passed Doug Mantle's camp - he had just climbed The Hermit for the 8th or 9th time and was taking a rest day before another peak tomorrow. He had horse packed in with a heap of gear, but as Bob said - after 70 you were allowed that luxury (and we all wish we could do that sometimes).

getting over Lamarck Col - Clement on the right, Mt Darwin, Mendel, and SJ Gould on the left

Darwin Canyon panorama with Mt Mendel and SJ Gould

view of The Socialite and The Hermit from Darwin Bench

Iris, Mason, and Rafee crossing the outlet of Evolution Lake, Bob and Tom on the far side

some legends meet in the back country - Bob Burd and Doug Mantle

From there we traversed across and up and down some steep slabs and ramps to get to the bowl below the Hermit and the Socialite. Then uphill again towards the saddle between them. There we saw Fred climbing down some steep rock having already topped out the day's peak. Iris, Mason, and I headed up towards The Hermit following talus to a series of ramps that cut left up to the ridge. We crossed that and then worked our way up the west side and past a few false summits to the base of the summit block. We saw Grant heading up a steeper way as we approached. He had already climbed a bunch of peaks and picked up the rope from Sean R, so we were ready to go. We threw the rope over the top, but I wasn't sure how it was sitting up there and after a few false starts Grant bouldered up the short but harder side. He belayed me up the easier but more exposed side with poorer rock quality. Then he rapped down and I belayed Iris up the Boulder side. Then I belayed everyone else up the easier side since there was less risk of a weird pendulum fall from the hole/crack I was sitting in to belay. We went fairly quickly but it still took over an hour. Sean R was the last and then I rapped down using him as a counterweight. Then we ate a bit and changed back into hiking mode and headed back down.

terrain we crossed after Evolution Lake

Hermit summit block
the boulder problem is in the sun above Mason

Hermit summit block from the N
the easier but looser and more exposure way up on the right

outlet of Evolution Lake and waterfall

This time we took the ridge back towards the saddle. At first it was faster, but then those that were traversing on the west side pulled ahead. We slowly made our way up to the summit of The Socialite. From there we continued down the ridge towards the base of another peak. It looked fun and we were right there, but things were running late and we were tired so Iris and I traversed around the N side and down that ridge until we could drop down to the JMT/PCT far below. This is a really beautiful area of the Sierra and we enjoyed the views but still had a long way to go. We were able to cut off some of the elevation loss as we cut over to the trail to Darwin Bench, but we were definitely moving more slowly as we headed uphill. As we passed the lakes we were also passed by JD who did McGee that day and Sean R and Rafee who had done the extra peak we skipped. Before the final slog up to the pass we were somewhat energized by Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Code Red we had stashed in the lake on the way in. We didn't quite make it up to the pass by the time we needed headlamps.

view from on The Hermit to The Socialite

view from The Socialite back to The Hermit

Socialite summit panorama
The Hermit is to the left with tiny cloud above it, The lighter colored Evolution Range in the middle, then Goddard, McGee, and Rafee

panorama looking down into Evolution Basin and Saphire Lake overlooked by Fiske and Huxley
the bonus peak we didn't climb is on the right

Saphire Lake

JD passes us in Darwin Canyon on the way back from McGee peak

bubbly sugary caffeine to help us over Lamarck Col

starting up Lamarck Col - the views are still nice but it is getting dark

just a little bit of light and color as we near Lamarck Col

From the pass to the car seemed to go fairly smoothly, but we weren't really moving very fast. It ended up being 18:50 from the campground trailhead, so over 19 hours from the truck. We were tired. Iris washed up a bit while I just ate some food and curled up to sleep.

Total for the day 2 peaks. Strava said 19.42 mi (it didn't record from Lamarck Col to the end(iphone 5)) or 26.44 mi (iphone x) and 8624 or 9653 ft of elevation gain. It was a long tiring day.

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