Sunday, January 31, 2010

Snow mobiling on Kolob

The view on the way to Kolob
Marilyn going past
Marilyn throwing a snow ball
My sled that I made to haul gear, it worked very well, couldn't tell it was even behind me. Used old skis.

Deaun Wilkinson, my sister

Carylee and Paul Heideman

Marilyn and I

On the trail to the mountain

Looking out cabin window, onto the deck covered with snow. The white open area is the snow covered lake. You can go real fast on the lake because you know it will be flat.

Marilyn waking up



Friday January 29, 2010 my wife Marilyn and I, my sister Carlyee and her husband Paul and my sister Deaun snowmobiled to Heidmans cabin above Kolob reservoir. It became dark before we arrived but there was a large beautiful full moon making the snow scape very beautiful. The last few miles were totally trackless, deep powder which made getting stuck a real concern. If you stopped in the deep powder you would get stuck, you had to keep moving. I had my sister Deaun on behind me and about a mile before the cabin I hit the top of a fence post propelling my sister and I about 10 feet off of the sled into the deep powder snow. We would sink up to mid chest in the powder snow. I thought the snow mobile was destroyed, the cowling was shattered and the snow mobile was upside down. It took several of us to right the snowmobile but it would not start. Paul continued up the mountain toward the cabin but got stuck just before reaching the cabin. I left all the ladies to wait in the snow until I made a trail that would reach the cabin. As I approach the cabin I saw that Paul was stuck. After making a trail, we got every one into cabin. We got a warm fire going in the stove and had a nice evening playing rook. The next day we played in the deep powder, the snow was wonderful, it was like a dream. I wish we could all do it together. It is expensive considering lost glasses, damaged snowmobile, gas etc. And that is with no snowmobile costs.







































Saturday, August 15, 2009

Climbing Mt. Whitney

Climbing group back at base camp
Plaque at top of Mt. Whitney
Climbing group at the top of Mt. Whitney


on the top

Getting close to the summit of Mt. Whitney.




A panorama of the back side vista looking off towards sequoia National Park.





Trail along the back side, this was the most precarious part of the climb. The snow really changed the dynamics of the hike.






Me and my climbing partner as we started the back side.







This is trail crest, a very rocky area right at the crest of the mountain. We still have several miles to traverse before we reach Mt. Whitney.








This is me working my way across a snow field just before we crested.









This is one of my climbing partners working his way across a steep snow field. If you slipped, you would slide for thousands of feet. Coming back one of my partners and I slid down this snow field using ice axes to control our decent. This saved about 2 or 3 hours of hiking.










This is me moving along the section that had cables, but the snow was 4 ft. above the cables, so they added no protection. Base camp is down below in the rocky area by the water.











This is me climbing above base camp. Mt Whitney is the furthermost peak that is in the clouds. The trail take us behind the row of jagged peaks.












The most beautiful sun rise I have ever seen from base camp


Base camp at 12000 ft. I am work on improvising some gaiters for the next days climb to the summit .










Traversing a snow field below base camp