“Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plum..”

Frank Sinatra




Living in the mountains is a real treat…but it can also be rather maddening, in a “so much to do, so little time” kinda way.

In my 23 years here in the eastern Sierra, I have filled a mental log of “to do’s” which, like a fine bottle of red just waiting to be uncorked, beg for my attention every time I pass by.

Which brings me to Carson Peak, the one constant on my list, as it stares down upon me 24/7…taunting me. After all these years, the changing light of every day constantly reveals subtle nuances of a crag I thought I knew by now.

Over the years, Flanders and I have authored most of Carson’s lines, mostly in winter. However, one region of the peak has remained untouched…an east facing wall of glorious stone that walls in the west side of the bowl on Carson’s prominent north face. This bastion inhales dawn’s earliest of light… while I, far below, sip my daily morning brew.




With the binoculars in hand the other day, scoping what I have long considered the best of all the likely lines, I could stand the impulse no longer…time for a walk next door.

My timing could not have been more perfect. Doug had been days into the annual rite of slumber-lumber gathering, and by the looks of his driveway, I could see where he might be lured away from that particular drudgery. I wandered over Wednesday afternoon, and the conversation went like this:

Me: “Dude…I’ve got an itch that needs to be scratched.”

Doug: “When do we leave?”

Me: “I’m thinking Friday morning, as soon as I get Marina on the bus….say 7:30? ”

Doug: “Count me in.”

We’ve been at this together for a few years now… few words are needed…in fact, mostly they’re a waste of breath. Showing up with a pack is word enough. We wandered off on Friday morning at 7:30 sharp…a 5 minute walk to the trailhead.

Though the approach can be done in myriad ways, we opted for the best one this time of year…follow the Fern Lake trail to within a half mile of the lake, then off trail directly toward the crags upper bowl.




BETA ALERT: The Fern Lake trailhead is located ¼ mile up canyon from the Double Eagle Resort, on the south side of the road. Follow the trail to a marked right turn to Fern Lake. The trail is considerably steeper here for a few hundred yards. At the crest of the trail, go another hundred yards or so until you are clear of a thick grove of small aspen on the right…then turn abruptly off trail following weaknesses in the vegetation. With a constant ‘heads up’, you can avoid nasty areas of thick Manzanita. Let the sunlit tower above you be your directional. Below the tower, a steep wall is reached. Follow easy 3rd and 4th class on the left side of this wall, and enter a small grove of trees while moving west, keeping the tower to your left, and angling up at about 30 degrees. Within a short time you will reach the bowl.



Hiking at a casual pace, Doug and I reached the bowl in 2 ½ hours, with another ½ hour to the base of the route. At this close proximity, and utilizing a small pair of binoculars, 2 things became clear…number one, that line I had been jonesing for was clearly the best looking one on the wall…but…it was clearly not the perfect hand and finger crack I was hoping for…welcome to the WIDE, Team Knucklehead.



Suddenly our meager rack seemed even MORE Spartan, but alas, we’d come this far, and if nothing else, the finishing summit tower absolutely SCREAMED for an ascent! Over the years of scoping this route, I was constantly drawn to this stunning tower that leaned into the sky, and envisioned it as the final pitch to whatever was done on the lower wall. From this close proximity, that upper tower appeared to be THE reason to climb this wall! We began climbing at 11:05.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story……



































We spent some time with the summit register, repairing it’s cracked lid, and adding our own names as the very last spot available, on the inside of the back cover. We paged through the older versions, and had a very special personal time as Doug found the name of his late son Layton, who made his first ascent at just 6 years old. (Rest in peace, Layton, you are sorely missed)

At 4 o’clock, we set our sights on the descent…a scramble/mostly controlled slide down scree on the east edge of the bowl, arriving at our packs just before 5. We gobbled down our remaining food, all the while marveling at the route, and it’s proximity to home, as we stared down at our rooftops. Suddenly my cell phone rang, with Leah wondering if we might be keen on dinner…we told her we’d be down by 7. (Gotta love that woman’s timing!)

With the satisfied soreness that only comes from a day of hard playing, we turned our backs on the route and headed down, arriving at the house at 6:45…to heaping plate-loads of pasta marinara and cold ale.




Route Information

Knucklehead’s Delight - Grade III 5.8+
Elevation gain from the trailhead - 3,800’
Actual route is 1,000' of climbing including 4th class section below the summit tower.
Summit Elevation - 10,909’


Rack - 6 Camalots - .5, .75 x 2, 1, 2, 3,
6 Stoppers - 3,4, 5, 6, 7 x 2
10 Draws

We found our 70m rope desirable…the last pitch used every inch!

Notes of noteworthiness: The crux of this route is real deal off-width, requiring GOOD technique…if you are not comfortable in the wide, don’t waste your time. Also, if you are not prone to running it out, I would recommend adding to your rack the following: another #3 Camalot, 2 #4 Camalots, 1 #5 Camalot. You may want a few more medium stoppers as well, mainly for the summit tower pitch. Use EXTREME caution traversing off the summit tower…MANY death blocks! No raps are needed to get off the tower…just an easy, short (10’) down-climb off it’s west end.

Finally, Frank had it right, and yesterday, Team Knucklehead got to pick a plum of their own. In Knucklehead’s Delight, we believe we have found an instant backcountry classic. I am confident in saying that if this type of climbing is in your wheelhouse, you will NOT be disappointed!


“..still it’s a real good bet the best is yet to come…..”




Good Climbing,
Dean Rosnau
June Lake