TELESCOPE PEAK
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:18 pm
On my last day in Death Valley, I led a group to Telescope Peak. Driving on the road to Mahoganny campground requires a high clearance vehicle, but I saw a few sedans parked off the road half-way towards the campground. The weather forecast was a high of 50-degrees with wind gusts up to 45-50 mph. We were prepared. Or so I thought.
It was a beautiful, maintained trail with spectacular views. Prior to hiking we had talked with some guys who informed us that there would be strong winds on certain parts of the trail. They also told us how cold it was at the summit. Every bit of their information was true. For the most part the wind was calm but it was very windy at the saddle and after the switchbacks toward the summit. The last two miles were the toughest.
This was a training hike for Whitney. (I got my permit and am looking forward to a successful summit in September.) So I was so proud of myself for not getting elevation sickness. This was my highest hike of the year.
Anyways, the summit views were breathtaking. I found two benchmarks and there was a register. We sat behind a rock wall and ate lunch. In my opinion, the wind chill was tolerable.
We hung out for almost an hour but later regretted it. As we descended the peak, the winds really hit us hard. I was freezing. The wind was so strong, and I felt like it might knock me down. Even though I was prepared for the cold weather, it wasn't enough. We tried our best to hurry back but it was a long way to our cars. The winds never stopped.
Our plans to bag Bennet or Rogers peak on the return quickly came to a halt. I really enjoyed hiking to Telescope but next time I'll wait for better weather conditions.
Stats: 16 miles, 3300' gain
It was a beautiful, maintained trail with spectacular views. Prior to hiking we had talked with some guys who informed us that there would be strong winds on certain parts of the trail. They also told us how cold it was at the summit. Every bit of their information was true. For the most part the wind was calm but it was very windy at the saddle and after the switchbacks toward the summit. The last two miles were the toughest.
This was a training hike for Whitney. (I got my permit and am looking forward to a successful summit in September.) So I was so proud of myself for not getting elevation sickness. This was my highest hike of the year.
Anyways, the summit views were breathtaking. I found two benchmarks and there was a register. We sat behind a rock wall and ate lunch. In my opinion, the wind chill was tolerable.
We hung out for almost an hour but later regretted it. As we descended the peak, the winds really hit us hard. I was freezing. The wind was so strong, and I felt like it might knock me down. Even though I was prepared for the cold weather, it wasn't enough. We tried our best to hurry back but it was a long way to our cars. The winds never stopped.
Our plans to bag Bennet or Rogers peak on the return quickly came to a halt. I really enjoyed hiking to Telescope but next time I'll wait for better weather conditions.
Stats: 16 miles, 3300' gain