Tom Grundy's 2015 Sierra Challenge Page

The Sierra Challenge is a loosely organized 10 day series of long day hikes to usually obscure peaks. I have managed to do some or all of it a number of years, as can be seen in these trip reports: 2011, 2012, 2013 (just one big day), 2014. This year I missed the first 2 days because I was driving back from Utah (ultra run and OR show). I also don't think I was fully recovered from my 100km ultra. This is the Sierra Challenge - it isn't always going to feel good. I then skipped the last day to drive up to Bend to join the river trip there. This trip report is written quite a bit after the fact, so I don't have a lot of details (and I am sorry that it isn't very complete, but I might as well post what I have).

All the nitty gritty details of heights, distances, maps, links to some other trip reports, and so on can be seen on Bob's page here:
Bob Burd's Sierra Challenge 2015 Page

Day 3 (Sunday August 9, 2015), Robber Baron Pk, bonus: Crocker and Mt Hopkins

We started out at the normal blistering pace up into the high country. I lost my ability to keep up once we crossed a massive talus field and started up again. After doing the peaks it was time to head back. There was a nice long talus chute but then I snapped my trekking pole when it plunged through loose gravel into a gap between 2 blocks at the same time that I slipped. Boo. I actually caught up to Eric, but it was only because a rock had shifted and hurt his finger (it needed stitches). He missed a few days but still did most of the peaks with a splint.

Eric with a busted finger and Daria

cooking dinner with JD and Chris at the Rock Creek trailhead

Pioneer Basin from the northish. Hopkins in the mid left, then Robber Baron, and Crocker in mid right

McGee Creek valley (center right) from the summit of Crocker

Day 4, Wheeler Crest and Round Valley Peak

This day we hiked up to a number of high points along the Wheeler Crest. This was a good addition to my long term effort to climb all of the peaks visible from Bishop, but I will have to come back for a few more on the S end of the crest.

I am on top of another unnamed high point on the crest and Robert is on the way up (Bob Burd pic)

hiking back on the road

Day 5, Lamarck Col Peak

This was a short day and I chose to go pretty light and wore trail runners and a lightweight pack and managed to keep up with Bob both on the way up and jogging on the way down on this one - I think this might have been my only stage "win". That meant no bonus peaks, but it also gave me some time back in town to do laundry and make sense and respond to a letter from the IRS.

view down towards Bishop from Lamarck Col Pk

someone else's pic of Bob and I jogging down

Day 6, White Mtn N, bonus: White Mountain and Barcroft

I drove up to sleep by the gate the night before. It felt wrong to have to hike all the way from the gate (all of my previous ascents had been from Barcroft Station or with a bicycle). The scrambling N of White mountain was better than I remembered, but I messed up my route finding on the way back. Hiking over Mt Barcroft was a bit of a trip down memory lane complete with some old summit register entries.

somewhat warped (stitched fisheye panorama) image of the Milky Way from near the gate late at night

on the highest high point of White Mtn (Bob Burd pic)

Bob and Robert scrambling north of White Mountain

Bob, Jeff, Rob, Robert, and myself on the challenge peak

White Mountain from Barcroft

stars from near the Taboose Pass trailhead

Day 7, Crater Mtn, bonus O'Burley

This was another long day with an ascent of Taboose Pass and then back down to the JMT south for a while before ascending the target peaks. Just doing the challenge peak was 24 miles and 9,500 feet of elevation gain. The summit of Crater was satisfyingly steep on most sides though. I wanted to do more bonus peaks once I got all the way back here, but between feeling tired and slow and the encroaching smoke from west side wildfires I opted to head back down. I made it before dark, but not by much.

360 degree panorama from the summit of Crater Mtn, NE and Pinchot and Wynne are near the center.
O'Burley is the light colored lower peak left of the red ridge mid left of pic.

dramatic light as the sun set and the smoke poured over the sierra

Day 8, Sawmill Pk and Lookout Point

This day we had to do 2 peaks. There was some exciting scrambling descending Sawmill Peak. Then a lot of unpleasant loose talus and scree to get up to Lookout Point. I wasn't going very fast by that point and I ran out of water. Luckily I was able to refill in the creek before the hot and sandy descent.

Day 9, Forester Pass Pk, bonus Caltech Pk

Another long day starting out up from Onion Valley over University "pass" and down to the JMT south and then up to Forester Pass and the Peak. Then down the far side of Forester to do Caltech with JD before heading back (and he went up Junction Pk too, but I was tired and had been up it earlier). I was not going fast for the return, especially up over University Pass. It was fully dark by the time I made it back to the trailhead.

cutting cross country to the JMT

looking back to Center Basin from heading up University Pass

I only did 7 of the 10 days but I still got my butt kicked pretty severely (although I did do all the days I attempted). Once Eric got injured and missed a day that opened up the field for the Yellow Jersey (and King of the Mountain). Bob had a grand time egging on Robert and trying to keep the competition fierce. I just tried to keep up on the way in and get out in time to get to the next trailhead for a bit of sleep before doing it again. Still it was a good excuse to get out into the mountains and as usual I saw a lot of gorgeous terrain and met some more kindred spirits and caught up with some old friends. I wish the timing had worked out to let me recover fully from the ultra and do every day. I still managed to come in 7th in the race for the yellow jersey.

Congratulations to Robert Wu for the Yellow Jersey, Michael Graupe for the Polka Dot Jersey, Bob Burd for the Green, and Eric Su for the White and everyone who even tried to take part in this most excellent suffering.

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