Olancha Peak 5/30/2009 - FAILed attempt

Ze Hiker · Post by **Ze Hiker** » Sun May 31, 2009 3:51 pm

http://socalhikes.com/2009/05/olancha-peak/

(shakes fist at weather gods)

I still hate snow!

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:06 pm

Bummer about having to turn around. Did you go with Jeff S. or rather did Jeff S. meet up on this hike with you? I got invited by Jeff to do Olancha Peak, but I had other plans about 125 miles or so north of you.

Post by **Taco** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:07 pm

It's never a failed attempt if you had a good time!

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:05 pm

TacoDelRio wrote:It's never a failed attempt if you had a good time!

+1. I've turned around many times. A few times I wished I hadn't even started, but the other times I still had a good time

JEFFSCOF · Post by **JEFFSCOF** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:35 pm

Sorry you didn't make it but taco dude is absolutley right if you had a good time in the wilderness definatley not a failure.

Hey EnFuego, no I couldn't get anyone to go with me to Olancha and looking at the weather I decided to just do Baldy. I did the ski hut trail in my best time ever so all in all it was a great day. I'll post pics and tr later. Still want to do Olancha if you and ZE want to go let me know and i'll plan it. I have no plans for 6-13 if you guys are down..

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:41 pm

I'm interested too, if it works out with my schedule!

lakenyon · Post by **lakenyon** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:56 pm

I was roughly 500 feet below you when you turned around, having started late. I also decided to turn around when the hail started, but I thought everyone (not just you two) was head of me. I thought I'd just walk up a ways to meet everyone, then descend with the group. But then I didn't see anyone, and the hail abated, so I just went on to the top. Strange we did not see each other.

LD · Post by LD » Sun May 31, 2009 8:57 pm

"Right now I don’t think I’ll go back and “finish it off” as I’d rather check out many of the other Sierra mountains"

Come on, who are you kidding? You just know that's gonna bug the hell out of ya

You were probably already planning your next trip up on the drive down.

Good to know I'm not the only one to make that mistake at "Gomez junction". After losing elevation for I awhile came to the same conclusion you did. "effed up somewhere"

That was back in "05"

When you make it to the top next time watch out for the metal unistrut holding up the antenna stuff. I just about knocked myself out hitting that with my head standing up.

That cow driveway sucked on the way down. I remember hardpanned dirt with little rocks acting as ballbearings. Fell on my arse many times. Didn't really cut much time off either.

By the way hiked with your friend lorraine yesterday. I think we wore her out

JEFFSCOF · Post by **JEFFSCOF** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:04 am

I'll post a thread in plans and partners to see who is interested in Olancha June 13th....

Ze Hiker · Post by **Ze Hiker** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:13 pm

Tim wrote:
TacoDelRio wrote:It's never a failed attempt if you had a good time!
+1. I've turned around many times. A few times I wished I hadn't even started, but the other times I still had a good time

definitely. had a great time. just missed a bunch of rocks. and a good warmup for the hike in 2 weeks.

JEFFSCOF wrote: Still want to do Olancha if you and ZE want to go let me know and i'll plan it. I have no plans for 6-13 if you guys are down..

Thanks, but I got something else worse planned for that day. Good luck on bagging Olancha, hopefully the weather will be good.

lakenyon wrote:I was roughly 500 feet below you when you turned around, having started late. I also decided to turn around when the hail started, but I thought everyone (not just you two) was head of me. I thought I'd just walk up a ways to meet everyone, then descend with the group. But then I didn't see anyone, and the hail abated, so I just went on to the top. Strange we did not see each other.

Very odd we didn't see each other. Of course I may have been less prudent if my gf wasn't there and went up, but fine with missing it.

P.S., Lee do you think you can make the SGW hike in 2 weeks?

LD wrote: Come on, who are you kidding? You just know that's gonna bug the hell out of ya You were probably already planning your next trip up on the drive down.

Good to know I'm not the only one to make that mistake at "Gomez junction". After losing elevation for I awhile came to the same conclusion you did. "effed up somewhere" That was back in "05"

By the way hiked with your friend lorraine yesterday. I think we wore her out

lol, well the only other time I had to turn around on a peak was the ridge route up to Monrovia. We were just below Rankin and everyone else (except one guy) were just "done", so I just went up to Rankin, but couldn't make everyone wait and go get Monrovia. So that burned quite a bit but waited a year to go back and bag it. Maybe similar with this one, but this hike is more annoying in terms of drive and long flat portions of trail.

It seems many people mess up with the Gomez trail. I blame Gomez.

What hike did you do, must have been exhausting!

LD · Post by LD » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:42 pm

Zé wrote: What hike did you do, must have been exhausting!

11 of us did Williamson to Pleasant View. Lorraine "volunteered" to lead the slower group from Williamson to Pleasant View while 6 of us did a quick side trip to Goodykoontz and then we caught up to them at Will Thrall. I think Lorraine was tired because she's not used to walking so slow