Discussion Topic |
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 16, 2013 - 11:27am PT
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I have been staring at this mountain for the past week in admiration. Have you ever read Circling the Sacred the Mountain about Mt Kailash? Something special about this sacred peak perched on the edge of the Sierras.
Who has photos or stories of Mt Tom?
Anyone skied elderberry canyon?
Summited?
Let er rip...
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Oct 16, 2013 - 11:55am PT
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That is one peak I always wanted to do but never got around to. Just sounds like a slog.
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10b4me
Ice climber
Bishop/Flagstaff
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Oct 16, 2013 - 12:14pm PT
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Just sounds like a slog
That's what I've heard.
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HermitMaster
Social climber
my abode
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Oct 16, 2013 - 12:16pm PT
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Skiing Eldeberry in the spring is an eastside Sierra Classic. It is one of the finest there is.
But, in the summer, hiking scree is what Mt. Tom is famous for. The height can give you some great views, though.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Oct 16, 2013 - 12:34pm PT
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I want to stand on the summit of something on the bishop skyline soooooo bad!
Probably wont be Tom, that thing is huge!
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ClimberDave
Trad climber
The LBC, CA
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Oct 16, 2013 - 12:37pm PT
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Just sounds like a slog
That's what I've heard.
It was.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Oct 16, 2013 - 01:45pm PT
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Here is a (not completely geographically accurate) pastel I did of Mt Tom some years ago. My friend Wags used to live in Swall Meadows and we had great views of Mt Tom and the Wheeler Crest from up there.
Phyl
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2013 - 01:59pm PT
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Nice start to the Mt Tom stoke.
What else ya got supertopo?
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10b4me
Ice climber
Bishop/Flagstaff
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Oct 16, 2013 - 02:03pm PT
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Very nice phylp.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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Oct 16, 2013 - 02:27pm PT
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nice Phylp.
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splitclimber
climber
Sonoma County
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Oct 16, 2013 - 04:01pm PT
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I've been wanting to ride elderberry forever. I think I've been to picky on conditions, just need to do it. beautiful mountain.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Oct 16, 2013 - 07:03pm PT
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Splitclimber, man, wow - great picture.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2013 - 07:27pm PT
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Thank you Splitclimber! That is why I started this thread!
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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Oct 16, 2013 - 07:33pm PT
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Mt Tom stares at me every time I'm driving home
[/url]
Found Mt Tom not to be a slog during winter conditions.
The snow level wasn't quite this low, was able to drive up past the Buttermilk boulders when I summited.
[/url]
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Oct 16, 2013 - 08:12pm PT
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F10, u started from the milks?? That's rowdy! I would think starting from up pine creek somewhere would be the easiest way? I also know nothing. Lotsa cool shots poppin up here.
Phylp, amazing!
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Oct 16, 2013 - 09:52pm PT
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Ryan- can't say I have any experience, but I once scoped out the approach via Pine Creek. Looked like a f-fest.
edit: as a side note (I think I've posted this before); during my recon I wandered into a dense copse of aspens to find a few deer carcasses. I was checking it out and suddenly realized I was hanging in a cougar dining room. Who knows if it was watching me.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Oct 16, 2013 - 10:08pm PT
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Get up there the Chief!
Cragman snowboarding??? How did u get on top?
Thanks John, I guess that's the thing about Tom. It looks like a f-fest from any direction. Such a cool peak. Even from up at Upper pine lakes it looks like a massive mission. Seems like when there is snow that's when it's time to go.
Edit- I was too busy looking at ur view the Chief that i didn't notice what u wrote about doing laps on it, nice one!
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Oct 16, 2013 - 10:36pm PT
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Nice! Killer shots Cragman, thx for the beta too.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Oct 17, 2013 - 03:07am PT
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So the Chief & Cragman, not to thread drift too far south but while ur here, how many times you guys climbed Humphreys? Whats the beta on that for a fool with no toyota tacoma?
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Oct 17, 2013 - 11:20am PT
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Yeah, Mt. Tom dominates the view. It's huge mountain. Looks like the approach is hell.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2013 - 11:55am PT
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Thanks for the photos Cragman. Midnight start huh?
I'm gonna have to put in some big skinning days this season to ski Elderberry in the spring.
Good thing I just watched Warren Miller's Extremem Skiing 3: the Scott Schmidt Story.
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Oct 17, 2013 - 12:58pm PT
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Kim Schmitz said he skiied down the north side directly into what was once Scheelite (Pine Creek Canyon). He called it the best single ski run he'd ever done.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 17, 2013 - 01:05pm PT
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A peak with such a massive footprint. Always wanted to climb it but everything about it--guidebooks, reports, etc.--seemed to confirm it as a BIG slog. Makes me wish I still had the knees to ski it.
BTW, Chief, nice beta. Maybe I'll reconsider.
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BCD
Mountain climber
Bishop, CA
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Oct 17, 2013 - 01:44pm PT
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Rankin
Social climber
Greensboro, North Carolina
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Oct 17, 2013 - 02:10pm PT
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Personally, I wouldn't ever ascend the thing in summer....too much of a slag heap.
Cragman, you haven't done Tom from Horton Lakes? And you call yourself a Sierra climber? ;) Actually Mt. Tom is one of my favorite mountains anywhere, and the hike from Horton Lakes is super burly. Not a flat step on it. With that said, it's breathtaking to reach the plateau below the summit and imagine miners up that far. Beautiful scenery up there.
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Tricerabottoms
climber
Tri County Fairgrounds
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Oct 17, 2013 - 02:18pm PT
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I love Mt TOM! It is certainly more of a skiers peak than a climbers peak. I just recently returned to The Milks and have been staring up there. Some of my best days on thE Eastside have been driving up to the Buttermilks at daybreak and skinning from the Birthday Bolders. I think The LINE is the southeast couloir facing The MILKS. If you are quick, then you summit the peak by 11 or so and glide back to the bouldering field. At which point you change into your boldering suit and battle the pebbles until dark with a big crew. Pretty much the ultimate Eastside day in my humble opinion.... I sure hope it snows this Winter.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Oct 17, 2013 - 02:58pm PT
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Kind of a dirt lump but friendly in the winter and the views are great!
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Brian B
Trad climber
Oakland
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Oct 18, 2013 - 11:34am PT
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Hey Timid TopRope,
Where is that tub in your photo? Looks like a great soak.
B
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mcd
Trad climber
el portal,ca
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2014 - 10:02pm PT
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great shot
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Yeah Tom!
Whys it Tom anyways? Tom who? Anybody know?
BCD some really great shots. Thanks everyone.
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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The mountain is named for Thomas Clark, a resident of the pioneer town of Owensville, who is credited with being the first to ascend the peak in the 1860s
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Thanks F10.
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mcd
Trad climber
el portal,ca
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Feb 27, 2014 - 11:48pm PT
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 28, 2014 - 01:16am PT
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Yeah Buddy.
Hope you didn't try to heat up the humus like that...you're burning plastic bro!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Feb 28, 2014 - 07:40am PT
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hey there say, ryankelly... wow, had not see this...
really nice! will learn more about mt tom...
thanks F10, for the info here, too:
phylp... wow, still trying to see your painting, :)
and wow, johntp:
as to this:
Oct 16, 2013 - 06:52pm PT
Ryan- can't say I have any experience, but I once scoped out the approach via Pine Creek. Looked like a f-fest.
edit: as a side note (I think I've posted this before); during my recon I wandered into a dense copse of aspens to find a few deer carcasses. I was checking it out and suddenly realized I was hanging in a cougar dining room. Who knows if it was watching me.
whewwww, you get an: oh my! :)
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Feb 28, 2014 - 09:08am PT
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My little brother, Keith, and I, did the North Ridge of Mt. Tom one October a few years back. Except for the very start of the route (a slag, as Cragman said), it was all snow, all the time. One of the most beautiful ridges I've climbed, in terms of the views to the South, the East, and the West, and with all the snow we had on that ridge, we were careful not to be too casual about the consequences of pitching over either side. It's a LOOOOONG way down. Spent the night about half way up and just soaked it all in. The sunlit peaks to the West in the morning were absolutely stunning. The summit had that classic summit feel to it, too.
We descended via the West face directly below the summit (more a controlled fall, really), and went down to the valley via the Horton Lakes trail.
On our walk back to Bishop (my VW bus was still at the base of the North Ridge), we came across Jill Kinmont's husband and nephew who'd gotten in an impossible spot with their little pickup on a particularly rough spot. Keith and I helped pick up the bed of their truck and turn it around, and they were so grateful they told us they'd drive us anywhere we wanted to go. That was cool with us, since my bus was a really long walk from where we were, and it was pitch black. Hadn't really made a plan about that, so it was quite fortuitous.
I love Mt. Tom, but especially that my little brother and I did the route together.
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 24, 2017 - 06:09pm PT
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Ryan, thought you would like this shot. Sure wish i could see her now all loaded up! Anybody got a shot??? I miss waking up to that incredible sight over a good cup of coffee!
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 24, 2017 - 07:03pm PT
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Adamame
climber
Santa Cruz
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Jan 24, 2017 - 09:29pm PT
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Climbed the North Ridge two years ago during the not so real winter on February 1st.
It was really long...
Ten hours up and five hours down to horton creek where we had stashed bicycles and beer... then an hour down to Bishop in the full moon on the bikes.
Its like an island in the sky, a very beautiful and a memorable day.
Would love to go back this week and climb or ski it in real winter if any one is interested hit me up.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Jan 24, 2017 - 10:05pm PT
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Will Crljenko
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Jan 25, 2017 - 09:17am PT
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Christine Seashore
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Stimbo
Trad climber
Crowley Lake
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Jan 25, 2017 - 12:31pm PT
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Mt Tom last week. Elderberry Canyon is an iconic ski, a must do, bucket list adventure, up and back. In the spring the ascent is relatively fast right up the gully.
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curt wohlgemuth
Social climber
Bay Area, California
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Jan 25, 2017 - 12:36pm PT
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Elderberry Canyon can be a great descent. But with such a huge vertical, it's difficult to get prime conditions both at the top and the bottom. At least, that's my experience from the two times I did it.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Jan 25, 2017 - 05:23pm PT
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I've got a slightly funny Mt. Tom story.
So....we blasted up to Bishop (way pre-dawn, 2 ish)and I was supposed to do a Shoe demo with Peter (Croft). I worked for Boreal at the time as a rep. I was with my friend Tom and my dog Scout.
But, I was obsessed with bagging Mt. Tom.
So, on the drive I called Peter and begged him to do the demo. He understood and said yes immediately.
We met in the Wheeler's parking lot and handed off the shoes.
Then, the 3 of us headed up to The Milks to bag the peak.
Aw, free of responsibilities we headed up the peak.
Got to the summit and Scout was feeling the altitude pretty bad (we were strait up from sea level). She barfed, ate it, barfed again, ate it and barfed again.
I was reminded of the famous Todd Gordon quote, "a Dog always returns to his vomit."
She ate it again and we headed down.
After 1000 or 2000 feet down she was feelin' pretty good.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
Bhumi
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2017 - 10:34pm PT
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the Mt Tom thread lives on!!
nice photo Dan!
and love all the stories and photos from others...
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jan 26, 2017 - 06:25am PT
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Great stuff! Must climb it before I'm too feeble. The photos and stories here are what's best about TACO.
BAd
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Jan 26, 2017 - 06:58am PT
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Just got invited by a buddy in Bishop to ski Elderberry this spring...the east side should be epic this year.
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Happy Cowboy
Social climber
Boz MT
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Jan 26, 2017 - 12:17pm PT
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Thanks BIOTCH and Capt. for the kind mention of two friends who died in an Avalanche on Tom. I was a close friend of Chris Seashore from too long ago, 1962. We did a lot of BC skiing together. She was rather small and lightweight and an awesome skier with an infectious personality. I still remember her ability to ride high on breakable crust where us guys would flounder. Here's the card from her wake...RIP Chris and Will
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Jan 26, 2017 - 07:00pm PT
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Beautiful. ^^
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Dan McDevitt
Social climber
tioga cliff or fifi buttress
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Nov 20, 2017 - 12:42pm PT
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hailman
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Nov 20, 2017 - 04:59pm PT
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Went up there last August to climb the north ridge...but completely botched the approach. I think I drive too far up Pine Creek Rd, then couldn't figure out how to cross Pine Creek (raging after big winter).
I was about to tyrolean my way over on that manky rope, but decided against it when my butt started dipping in the water!!
As I recall I hiked Mt Gould that day instead, and ferried numerous thru-hikers up and down from Onion Valley trailhaed / Independence.
PS. Looks like there's a neato miner trail going up the south side of the mountain. If you look close you can see it criss-crossing the snowfields:
Would be cool to see their handiwork up close. Those guys were the real deal!!
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Nov 20, 2017 - 07:21pm PT
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Did Tom solo in late summer, I think, maybe 17 or so years ago, via the south side, before getting to Horton Lakes. Fun slog. Wouldn’t want to do it with any snow around; that just makes the geology invisible.
Tried to do Basin Mountain another time and got to the saddle just below the summit, above the south side of the ‘basin’ but lightning was popping off all around and I didn’t want to get zapped, so I bailed.
Humphreys looks really cool.
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ryankelly
climber
Bhumi
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2017 - 08:07pm PT
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Dan McD - Thanks for kickstarting this thread again
Other folks - I feel the mountain stoke! Thanks for that
Nice to see the EastSide now that Tioga is closed. Sweet, sacred Sierras
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ground_up
Trad climber
mt. hood /baja
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Nov 20, 2017 - 08:37pm PT
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Jody, those pictures jump off the screen nice work !
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Nov 21, 2017 - 09:14am PT
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Jody, those pictures jump off the screen nice work
+1, beautiful photos Jody.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Nov 21, 2017 - 05:15pm PT
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Bishop Creek, 48"x48" Oil on Canvas (Mt. Tom in the background)
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ryankelly
climber
Bhumi
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2017 - 06:11pm PT
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@Jody - thanks for posting your work, really nice
@Mtnmun ~ that scene looks like that feeling when you get back down from the mountain top feeling scorched by the sun and wind and then when you sit by the creek and you feel the joy of rushing water and life
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Dan McDevitt
Social climber
tioga cliff or fifi buttress
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Jan 25, 2018 - 12:33pm PT
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a few hours ago
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| Messages 1 - 61 of total 61 in this topic |
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