Trip Report
A Ramble in Lynne Leichtfuss Land---Mt. Conness from the East, 1974
Saturday August 25, 2012 4:13pm
The first time I ventured up to Saddlebag Lakes with the Merced-based Scout Troop 98 I had to go back to Foresta with altitude sickness after stealing the boat the scoutmaster rented. His son Micky and I made it to the upper end of the lakes and hiked to where we could look-see what Virginia Canyon was like. I paid for my miscreance with a double-barreled headache that only susided at around 6,000 ft.

In 1974 Dolores and I joined Cathy and Bruce Hamilton and Jim Shirley for a weekend in the Tioga Pass. We selected my truck to haul gear. Jim took the Hamiltons in his BMW. We did catch a few of the elusive Golden Trout in Sawmill Creek and relaxed that evening to Jim's singing and guitar playing.

Bruce decided to stay in the fishing mode next day, keeping the ladies company. The time involved in approaching from this easterly direction depends on how fast you want to go. We decided not to push it, just ramble and enjoy the easy terrain, all of it Class II, though I did do some bouldering along the way while Jim kept snapping photos non-stop.

I'm glad he did, too.

This is for Lynne Leichtfuss and the folks at Tioga Pass Resort.

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  Trip Report Views: 4,099
mouse from merced
About the Author
mouse from merced is a trad climber from merced, california.

Comments
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Aug 25, 2012 - 04:33pm PT
climbed the east ridge in 2001? fun little jaunt.
that tarn in your last pic is called Alpine lake as I recall
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
  Aug 25, 2012 - 06:22pm PT
One of the best Tuolumne walk abouts. Yet I've never met another party on it in my three trips.
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Aug 25, 2012 - 09:43pm PT
Really great shots!
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
  Aug 26, 2012 - 12:12am PT
The difference in 40 years?

The technology that you hold in your hand.

Everything else is the same.

Pretty cool.
Bruce Morris

Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
  Aug 26, 2012 - 02:26am PT
Soloed a slag heap peak behind Saddlebag Lake on August 5th and here are some shots I took on the way up and way back down:



The peak was a talus pile. I named it "Mt. Sir Bromley" (c. 11,500+). But the views were great!

Below, False White Mountain, another 12,000 footer near Mt Conness


View east toward Tioga Peak, Mono Lake and the White Mountains from the true summit of Mt Sir Bromley (11,700+ ?).


Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Aug 27, 2012 - 10:35am PT
Awesome pics from the way back machine, Thanks Lynne!!!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Aug 29, 2012 - 02:54pm PT
Man I love that peak!

Thanks for putting up all those photos!
Seamstress

Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
  Aug 29, 2012 - 03:06pm PT
TFPU
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
  Aug 29, 2012 - 03:14pm PT
Awesome pics!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Aug 29, 2012 - 03:28pm PT
hey there say, mouse.... (well, mouse for short) :)
thanks for the WONDERFUL PICTURES... can't see them all now, :(
but they remind me of the old time shots that i used to get from my ol camera when i was in my late teens... special magic tye pictures!

very nice happy share! from lynne-land, :)
jim did a great job...
does this jim post here, too, just curiuous??

god bless...
got to go paint again, :))
and get outside into the yard of my mini-great outdoors, :) , with
the ol' pup dog...
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Aug 29, 2012 - 03:38pm PT
good stuff
crunch

Social climber
CO
  Aug 29, 2012 - 05:42pm PT
Great pics! Thanks. Climbed Conness around 1985, fabulous place with superb views
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Aug 29, 2012 - 05:46pm PT
Nice.....I love that area, wish I could make it there to bum a cup of coffee from Lynne.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Sep 1, 2012 - 01:09am PT
On behalf of jim Shirley thank you all for the comments.
He doesn't post here as he is much too busy for the likes of us, Neebee. Seriously, he's 63 and has twin girls, ages fifteen and fifteen, and he's seriously engaged in work at JPL in Pasadena. They do backpacking together. He has little time for frivolity, believe me!
I turned my brother-inlaw, Ike, on to Saddlebag Lake and he took his family there many times, mainly to fish. And we camped there at Sawmill Creek the night before we left Bill Bonebrake's ashes up on the Third Pillar. I surely do love the area. I have enjoyed all the rest of the Trip Reports that followed mine in a flurry. Even with all the TR activity, it's nice to hear it's not crowded up there on Conness.
Let me know if you run into the Giant Marmot, anyone!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Sep 1, 2012 - 02:52am PT
You'll have to introduce me to Lynne, if you will, after we are introduced to one another. I still look basically the same as I did in the pix, only older!

Ill have another TR illustrated by Jim Shirley (featuring Larry Moore and a model) in a bit...
Lynne Leichtfuss

Trad climber
Will know soon
  Sep 1, 2012 - 03:44pm PT
Beautiful TR. Also comps to Bruce for his pics.

This could never be lynne land.....I have only been here 3 short seasons. I love, respect and honor this incredible place. I am also totally humbled by it.

I love working at TPR. Anyone is welcome to come say howdy anytime.

So far Conness is by far my favorite approach and mountain.

I am not looking to conquer peaks, I try to soul speak to the land and hope it not only accepts me, but embraces me.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Sep 11, 2012 - 01:01am PT
Thanks for the nice thoughts about our temple, the Sierra Nevada, Lynne. My sister Lenna works now for Woods Creek Cafe down in Sonora if you ever get there. She can't manage to pronounce your last name, like a lot of folks. Her name is Lenna, everyone thinks it's Lena. What the L is it with Lenna Louise and Lynne Leichtfuss, I wonder?

See you to da Facelift, eh? Kin I have a dance?
Bruce Morris

Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
  Sep 11, 2012 - 03:20am PT
CONFESSION & CLARIFICATION

The awful truth about 'Mt Sir Bromley': What I climbed was actually Tioga Crest whose highest point is the Dore Cliff (11,900+), named after the French illustator of Dante, Gustave Dore, no doubt because of the vivid reds and yellows of the shale are reminiscent of the Inferno.

My mistake was not walking up the east side of Saddlebag Lake for 1.7 miles and then going uphill to the top of Tioga Crest via a more gentle slope than the one I took. The online guidebook says, don't go that way & I did and found out about the loose scree and random little cliffs.

Still, a pretty good platform for taking some awesome pics.

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Sep 11, 2012 - 09:36am PT
I am still learning about the area 40 years later, Bruce, so don't be down because of that. I hate looking at maps to tell me where to go. I am still around and have actually never been lost. Off-route, is how we say that. And just because someone else calls it something else is not biggie. Before maps, imagine how many different names peaks and lakes had!

Rambles are just that and not expeditions. It is the essence of outdoor life, rambling.
Lynne Leichtfuss

Trad climber
Will know soon
  Oct 4, 2012 - 11:31pm PT
Did I say this before....beautiful TR. Conness is my favorite of all so far. Cheers, Lynne
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Oct 5, 2012 - 12:28am PT
A Ramble in Lynne Leichtfuss' Van

Mouse hears "Cheers" here's Mouse
Wide awake and responsive
I hope you enjoy your ramblynne
no, no you're not repeating yourself again
but I am developing CRSD whatever that means
I love to ramble myself with myself or another elf
that's not so odd in middle errth
did I ever tell you that the essence of mountaineering is rambling
that it is also the heart and soul of adventure which ultimately lies within the lies you can tell at the campfire to the other lie-ing dogs
everybody's lie-in' about it, that moon, that moon, that moonful
some of them nearly tell the truth
I think BooDawg said boo and it scared me
some of the truth he told me as I fall-oh-ed and silently cursed my shadow

when we cross certain bridges we are hanging on the words of Borghoff
belying the likes and dislikes of not-Roper
nut Robbins or what's-his-name with the elbow stuck in the crack

but they might agree and even might have said words to that effect
and we just might stay out of trouble or go down in history
or just continue to ramble
Muir Audobon you me
in a Rambler Ambassador station wagon stuffed with ropes and haul bags with two dogs in the back
or a pair of kronnies with no reason to live housing a tall bearded mystoic
we all come to the Sierra Nevada Yosemite Tahquitz Yellow Pine Camp 4
and are changed for ever more
thanks for the feedback on this TR everyone
it was as nice, I mean fulfilling, mystical, gosh-darn-fun
as the White Lightnin' at Winterland in 1968
yes, kiddies, I am the first White Lightnin' so do not be fooled or lied to except by the Neverend
did I everend except I mention that the Reverend Ever Lies
you'll nevererver hear that heresay from me

you never forget the first but the details get fuzzy
I remember the first time rambling meant something, unlike today
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Oct 5, 2012 - 12:25am PT
Nice TR Mouse. Was that a retro application on your I-phone?! : )
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Oct 5, 2012 - 12:36am PT
Stud on the road again what a load again!

I thought about why you weren't at Facelifed

I knew it had to be something useless and out of the way

Your TRs make the rest look like shale vs. granite, with a few exceptions. Some are gneiss. Yours, however, are interesting in a way that would compare to the likes of Robbins if he did TRs.

There. But take a break next year and go to Facelift.

What ever forks in the road you take, remember, if it led you astray,
you could have chosen another, you annoying little gym rat!!!
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Oct 5, 2012 - 02:53pm PT
Great TR, Mouse, and beautiful country for climbing.

John
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Dec 18, 2018 - 05:27pm PT
bump for my favorite self-TR

and so neebee might be able to check out Jim's and Bruce's photos if she has not.

bobinc

Trad climber
Portland, Or
  Dec 18, 2018 - 05:02pm PT
Thank you for bumping this excellent TR. I wonder, did the Bruce Hamilton on your trip attend Deep Springs College?
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Dec 18, 2018 - 05:27pm PT
Bruce went to Vandy. He hails from Tampa.
Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
  Dec 18, 2018 - 06:00pm PT
Thanks for the Inspiration, Mouse. I will now be going back!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Author's Reply  Dec 18, 2018 - 06:06pm PT
Now? Tonight? This very minute? [emojigrin]

Amazing clean-up job on this old slide with the new image producer on Windows 10
Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
  Dec 18, 2018 - 07:08pm PT
In two days.....pass may not be open, we will see what the next two weeks hold.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Dec 19, 2018 - 04:17am PT
didn't but if you want[Click to View YouTube Video] you can say I can not NO DEFICIT OF FUNK[Click to View YouTube Video]
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Dec 19, 2018 - 08:46am PT
Thanks Mfm, triggered some good memories for me. I've only done the North Ridge twice and bailed on the Harding Route once, but it figures largely in my experience as a familiar and frequented spot. High density of mental snapshots from different moments in those experiences.
Go