We met up at Cloudburst Summit by 7am. A couple PCT dudes came up the trail. They had started at the Mexico border and were stopping at Mill Creek Summit. One was from Colorado, and the other was also from out-of-state. They looked well-worn, but had lots to tell us about their trip so far. Apparently I need to get over to Luna Mountain, one of their favorite sections of the PCT. After wishing them farewell, we started off on our own, much shorter adventure.
Our first stop was Winston Ridge. Dima had never been here, so he signed the register, which was tucked between some boulders under a log.
We then continued west, down the ridge to Peak 6850. This stretch had nice rock formations and easy scrambling. Here the off-trail began after a use trail vanished.
Dima could hardly contain his excitement upon seeing this triangular sign post.
And Rico could hardly contain his excitement when I demanded that he take a picture of me on Peak 6850.
(My "Blue Boy" moment.)
While dropping down the other side of 6850, the view of 6306 opened up, and we got our first glimpse of the connecting ridge.
Before reaching the next ridge, we first had to test our luck in the poodle dog minefield. Thankfully the poisonous bushes were either dead or dying, and not very big, which made weaving through them a fairly simple task.
Soon we were off Winston Ridge and dropping down the steep spur.
(Photo by Rico)
Pacifico and Bare seemed to be wondering what the heck we were doing leaving the shaded comfort of Winston Ridge.
I turned and waved goodbye to the trees.
By this point I was already lagging behind Dima and Rico, who reached the saddle before me.
A large bush provided a bit of shade. We stopped to stash and drink water. A dead tree still stood tall nearby. Upon seeing it, I blurted out, "Dead Tree Saddle!" No doubt, this blabbering was an early sign of dehydration setting in.
From Dead Tree Saddle it's about one mile to Peak 6306, with another 575 feet of gain, factoring in the up and down. First we climbed the steep slope to Point 6147.
From 6147 we got a good look at the bad to come.
We took turns searching for the best route through this maze of withered, scratchy brush, much of which we crushed and stained with blood.
(Dima blazes the route by stomping down the dead brush.)
(Photo by Rico.)
(Looking back at Point 6147.)
On top of the uphill brush-whacking, the rising heat posed another challenge. Dima and Rico coped well. However, not being in the best of shape, I started feeling exactly the way my legs looked.
But as those who've seen School of Rock know, "you're not hardcore unless you play hardcore." And I wasn't about to let a little brush and sunlight prevent me from reaching a peak that nobody really cares about. Well, nobody except some Sierra Club freaks.
The register was safely tucked inside a rock pile atop the treeless summit.
The register had been placed by R.S. Fink in 1984. Only eight people had visited since then. I don't know if any of them had a name for the peak, but I like the sound of Little Rock Mountain, considering its location between the two branches of Little Rock Creek.
We won't go into how pathetically I exited this adventure. But during the return trip, on the south side of the peak, Dima found a Budweiser straight steel tab top can.
Apparently they made these in the 70s to mid-80s. So, either Mr. Fink dropped it, or somebody else beat him to the top.
Or, perhaps a clever deer carried it up the slope from Little Rock Creek.
