Granite Peak, Montana

Credit for this photo is http;//images.summitpost.org/original/809943.JPG

Granite Peak was my first full on technical climb.  Some say that, Denali aside, it is the most difficult of the 49 high points because of the physical endurance needed, it's technical nature, and route finding challenges.  To be honest, I was not sure that I was ready to take it on. But, Greg sent me an email to tell me that he was going to Montana for a friend's 75th birthday, and asked if I was interested in climbing Granite Peak.  He offered to find a guide who knew the route and I saw the perfect confluence of events, resistance was futile, I was committed.  As it turned out Greg ended up not going to the party in Montana because a wildfire threatened his friend's house at the time.  That did not stop the momentum hurtling us toward our project on Granite Peak.

I flew to Missoula, Montana as planned to meet Greg after the birthday party.  It was too late to change my plane reservations without significantly increasing the cost.  I picked up our one way car rental to Bozeman and left immediately.  The next morning I picked Greg up at the Bozeman Airport.  We were to meet our guide Sam Magro on August 28th to sort out gear and do some technical rock climbing.  We agreed that climbing together gave us a chance to see how the team would work and allow Sam time to instruct us regarding his plans and style of climbing on Granite Peak.  He had guided Matt Powell, a climbing friend of Greg and mine, on Granite.  Both Greg and I had spoken to Sam several times before the trip and meeting him in person just reinforced the wisdom of choosing him.  Sam now owns Montana Alpine Guides, he is a photographer and turned out to be a super good cook in addition to being a skilled guide who kept us safe and maximized our ability to succeed in climbing the mountain.  Montana Alpine Guides  Sam Magro

Sam's choice for our "practice/training" climb was Gallatin Tower from the back side.  No climbing shoes here folks, we used our boots just as we planned to do on Granite Peak.  Here is a picture from the top of the Gallatin Tower taken from the Montana Alpine Guides website.

The Tower was a three pitch climb at about 5.5 or 5.6.  Turns out the climbing was very similar to what we needed to do on Granite Peak.  Things went well, my confidence got a boost in the process.  We ended the day early, went for additional gear and food pickup and agreed to meet in the morning at Sam's house for our drive to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Me being lowered from Gallatin Tower

Sam Magro

Our plan was to pack in to the Froze To Death Plateau on the first day, August 29, 2013.  On August 30th we'd establish an advanced camp about 1500 feet higher.  The next day, August 31st, we'd go for the summit and return to base camp.  We'd then come out on September 1st if all went as planned.  If not, we'd have one more day to attempt the summit and retreat on September 2nd.

On day one we began with 50+ lb packs with sunny 90 degree weather.  Our goal would take us up 4000 vertical feet over eight miles.  Put simply, it was one of the hardest challenges I have faced.  I used ever trick in the book to turn my mental attitude from "I can't do this" to "I will do this".  Approximately six hours later, after sheltering for half an hour from a thunder storm, we arrived on the Plateau and established our camp.  Sam cooked up some hot drinks and made hummus with olives and crackers.  I do not remember ever being happier about food or more uplifted by such a simple treat!

Sorting out gear before departing trailhead

Froze To Death Plateau is at the top in the left gap

The view above is from the middle section of the trail looking up to Froze to Death Plateau.  The first section is through the woods from the West Rosebud trailhead to Mystic Lake about 3 miles and 1200 feet.  Only 2,800 vertical feet and five miles from here to our base camp!

Just above Mystic Lake

Just Below Froze To Death Plateau

Route finding is difficult as you exit the trail and traverse meadows and boulders to reach Froze to Death Plateau.  Sam was extraordinary at choosing an efficient route. (Again, this picture was taken in that area, but on our descent, we were simply trying to survive the climb on the way up, no one really wanted to take pictures at that point)

We established our base camp before sunset.  We were alone on the Plateau on our first day.  (The picture above was taken at the same location, but on our descent)

We awoke on August 30 and had a easy going morning with time to enjoy our breakfast and pack up again.  The weather was great and all was going as planned.  That morning's hike went well and we had plenty of time to rest after reaching our high camp above 11,500 feet.  It turned out that tents had already been set up there, we were allowed to use them because of Sam's relationship with the porters who had remained after their climbers had summited and descended the mountain.  It was a great morale boost and we later used those porters to help move our gear back down to base camp as we went for the summit.

High Camp

I can't over state how important good food was to the success and morale of our climb.  Sam cooked up delicious meals of thai noodles, mac and cheese with salmon and sun dried tomatoes, and more....just when I thought I was depleted, the end of day meal would give me the boost I needed.  My past experience on Rainier and on other tough hikes has taught me how important and complex nutrition is when I'm trying to tackle a difficult project.  It's not unusual for me to lose my appetite and have to force myself to eat.  On this trip I seldom had to do that.

Summit day, August 31, 2013, we awoke at 4:00 am to a beautifully clear and starry night, drank coffee and ate a bagel.  I was edgy as usual and found it difficult to eat.  I choked down what I could about a quarter of the bagel.  Head lamps on and summit packs prepared we departed at about 5:15.  The initial path was navigating a boulder field, not the easiest thing to do in the dark, but before long there was plenty of light.  We turned off our lamps at dawn after descending to the ridge that began our scramble up a steep sloop on the southeast side of the mountain.  My nerves were on edge, I was not sure how I would handle the exposure, and this part of the climb was physically demanding.  Both Greg and I settled into our paces.

At this notch our scramble began up the slope visible ahead

Looking back down the slope we roped up here and proceeded across a small snow field, (not visible here)

About an hour later we reached the top of the scramble and entered the technical part of our climb.  Sam had us do a mixture of traversing and simul-climbing using the rope and the terrain to protect ourselves.  At the top we entered a series of climbs up chimneys of moderate difficulty 5.0 to 5.6.  At the very top there was what appeared to be a scary move out to the left onto a face, but it turned out to be any easy run up to the summit from there!  It was pure elation to be on top.  I did something that was an enormous stretch for me.

The technical portion

From the summit 12,799 feet

Five hours to the summit, but not quite half way done.  I stuffed down more food and water as we enjoyed the view.  Then we down climbed our route.  It was remarkable to me how much fun I had on the technical portion of the climb.  It involved so much concentration and the views were so beautiful, when I had time to look, that fear was not a factor.  As we exited the technical portion on the descent, I was drained.  We still had to regain the 500-600 feet we'd lost to get to the ridge after traversing the boulder field.  Again, I stuffed down Gu, Stingers and Cliff Bar with water and hoped it would refuel me, then I settled again into my pace and before I knew it we had crested the boulder field and were on our way down to high camp.

Ten hours from the start we were back at high camp and snacking on coffee and soup.  We repacked about an hour later and headed back to base camp.  We arrived at about 6:30, thirteen plus hours from the start of our day.  We set up our tents and settled in.  Sam came through with another rejuvenating meal as the sun set, and we congratulated one another.  It turned out that Greg's shoe had come completely apart with the soul separating from the boot.  We resolved to solve that problem in the morning....But, I had no idea how.  It was difficult to sleep that night because I was so happy and wound up.  Greg and I marveled at the beauty of a crescent moon rising on the horizon and more stars than I had ever seen spanning 360 degrees of skyline,  meteors occasionally raced to the edges of the earth with blazing tails.

Wild mountain goats were our constant companions at high camp

We woke to another beautiful sunny day on September 1st.  Just one problem now, descending eight miles and 4000 feet to our trail head with a blown out shoe.  One more aspect of our charmed climb led to the solution.  A neighboring camper, on her way up the mountain that day, came to our site and asked us sheepishly if we had extra coffee.  Apparently, she was responsible for her group's coffee and had forgotten it in the car.  We were happy to drop some weight and offered her whatever she needed.  In the course of our conversation Greg showed her his blown out shoe.  Minutes later her boyfriend Chris, a doctor in Butte, walked back to us with a strong suture needle.  He took an hour and completely sewed Greg's boot back together.  Miraculously the boot held for the entire descent back to the car...problem solved!

We ended the trip in Fishtail, Montana with a burger and a beer at the Cowboy Bar.  I had such a feeling of accomplishment, and gratitude toward both Greg and Sam.  A finishing note, my prayers for Ross Lynn, a good friend of Sam's who died in an tragic accident just before we left for our climb.  I will be forever grateful to Sam for his professionalism and his ability to maintain his focus in the face of a loss like that.

White Butte, North Dakota

After a good dinner at the Mt Rushmore cafeteria, a buffalo chili dog, I was back in the car determined to make as much distance toward White Butte as possible before dark.  I had plane reservations to attend my high school reunion in Michigan, for the morning of August 18th, and it was a long drive back to Denver.  I had to get up and down White Butte in the morning, August 16, 2013, to make it easier on my return trip.

Once again, I had a scenic drive north on 85 through Wyoming, headed to Amidon, North Dakota.  I managed to get as far as Buffalo, South Dakota before I, not my car, ran out of gas and I noted the Tipperary Motel.

On checking in, the cutest little girl, a niece of the owner, offered to carry my bag for me.  I guess I was beginning to look old and haggard as a result of the long hours in the car?  A father with his two young sons, all in camouflage clothing, greeted me in the hallway on the way to my room.  It turned out they had been bow hunting for antelope, unsuccessfully.  Ironically, I was to catch my first picture of an antelope the next morning on the drive to White Butte.  With the good vision, speed, and wariness of an antelope, it must take significant skill as a hunter to kill one...

Yes, that's an antelope...it's hard to get a picture of these fellows, especially with an Iphone!

At breakfast in the morning I met a group of dinosaur hunters.  This area of South Dakota is near some of the best territory to find dinosaur fossils.  The group was from a university in England.  They would not allow me to take their picture.  Hummmm, wonder what that was about?

The morning drive

Approaching the trail and looking toward White Butte

The threat of thunderstorms was a factor today.  I had also been warned that rattlesnakes are plentiful on the trail to White Butte.  Determined and undaunted, I set off early to reach the high point and then make as much distance back to Boulder as possible before dark.  By 9:00 am I was at the road leading to White Butte and had parked my car.  The wind was blowing and dark clouds were off in the distance, but it looked as if I could make it up and back on my short hike before the storm began.  I took a poncho for rain protection and a hiking pole to fend off rattlesnakes before I toddled down the trail.

This is where the White Butte Trail begins

There are no trail markers to White Butte (elevation 3,507),  I simply "felt my way up" to the highest point until the benchmark appeared.  I tapped my walking stick ahead and listened for rattlesnakes.  Sadly, I did not see one.

I reached the benchmark in about an hour.  The weather seemed to be holding, but I was aware that a thunderstorm could move in quickly.  A high point is not the place to be when that happens.  I did not see a summit register.

On top of White Butte

Looks like someone took the summit register?

After a few pictures I was on my way back to the car and headed to Boulder.  I made it to Cheyenne, WY about eight hours later and checked in to another Holiday Inn Express, dinner at the Outback Steak House, nothing says America like supporting the local franchisees!  The next day I reached Boulder once again after 1,600 miles and four high points! Another successful road trip!

Sunset August 16, 2013 outside Cheyenne, Wyoming

Harney Peak, South Dakota

The drive from Nebraska to South Dakota was mainly on Route 85 through Wyoming.  The character of the land changed significantly from the areas of Kansas and Nebraska I had seen.  Here the land was more rolling, it felt western, buttes appeared now and then, horses and cattle had larger ranges filled with grass and sage brush, fewer fields of crops appeared than the days before.  I had a beautiful sunny day to drive and at sunset I saw antelope.  The antelope had spectacular eyesight.  I tried regularly to stop and take photos of them, but succeeded only once.  Whenever the antelope saw motion they were off in a run to hide, quite remarkable considering the fact that I was often nearly a mile from them.

It was nearly 8:00 pm when I reached the town of Custer.  I had considered setting up my tent in the National Forest, but it was too late considering my lack of local knowledge.  Consulting my trusty Trip Advisor, I quickly called about a room in the Chief Motel, sealed the deal and dropped my luggage before grabbing a bite to eat at the Dairy Queen.  Nothing like sound nutrition to prepare for a hike up a mountain.

The next day, I went looking for a good breakfast and stocked up on some snacks.  After days of just driving I was looking forward to a proper hike and was excited about seeing the Black Hills.  Harney Peak is 7242 feet.  From the Sylvan Lake Trailhead at 6200 feet it's a little over 3 miles and  about 1,100 feet to the top.  There were plenty of people in the parking area when I arrived at about 9:30 am.  I laced up my boots and decided to push my pace to the top.  I did not stop, save for a picture or two, before I reached the top one hour and fifteen minutes later, reaching the summit at just before 11:00 on August 15, 2013.

Harney Peak is where Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux holy man received his great vision, "I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world.  And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being".  Black Elk Speaks

Prayer Flags left by the Lakota

The Peak was named in honor of General William S Harney commander of the military in the Black Hills area in the late 1870s.  Ironically, the first europeans to summit Harney are believed to have been led by George Armstrong Custer in 1874 during the Black Hills Expedition.

On the summit/ fire tower of Harney Peak

I concluded my hike by making my way across the summit area to another isolated high point and had my lunch away from the groups of hikers who had gathered at the top.  It was early and I was within 20 miles of both Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument.  Before leaving the area I visited first Crazy Horse then Rushmore.  I highly recommend them both!  I was quite surprised at how moved I was to see them.