i had tried this peak last June with Dave G and between not trusting my old desert hiking boots that i was wearing and not having the guts to make a lateral undercling move on a friction slab i choked. this time Phil armed with the knowledge of my deficit, hiked with a rope and some aid to make sure i could make the summit. what a guy!!
we had a great hike except for the unfortunate falls both guys took while crossing Carillon and Lone Pine Creeks before 5 am. both of them took a spill on the ice on the crossings while it was still dark. ouch!
we took advantage of the slabs above Lone Pine Lake and the winter snow traverse to save time plus it creates a more direct route to Trail Camp. i was suffering from some GI problems that morning and as i started up the chute felt like it was time to turn in the towel. Phil, bless his heart, would not hear of it and suggested we count 50 steps and then break for a minute all the way to Trail Crest. his encouragement, pace and generosity of staying with me as i slugged it upward got me there. with a decent break at TC i was feeling myself again and the traverse of the backside to Muir was a breeze. thank you Phil!! we had great snow all day, though near rocks it is really thinning and caution must be maintained. if the Sierra continues to have sunny days we will finally begin to see a decline in the conditions as summer (tries to) arrive.
the route finding from the trail to the beginning of the Class3 climb was easy and equipped with beta from Dave G, his photos and my memory we had no trouble following the route. Phil belayed me across the Class3 move that i failed last year and down it again as we descended.
it was a thrill to finally sit atop Muir's summit and enjoy the view on such a perfect day. this was my 7th fourteener and a perfect way to begin the Sierra summer season. though with all the snow, i'm still wondering when it will ever feel like summer in the Sierra???
Our objective
Following Phil up the Class3 route
Nice view of Mount Whitney from the summit
On the downclimb i took a photo of the benign looking bump in the center over the slab which is the move that defeated me last time.
On the winter traverse back after a great day
rest of my pix are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma81/MountMuir52910#
). There is an alternative route that avoids it, but at the cost of a little more sustained Class 3.
let’s not start a bad trend here 