Mountain Climbing In California
Wow
Trinity Alps Wilderness
Northern California
For the past few months rumours have swirled around the noticeable absence of the Apples and the nearly world famous Apples Coed Softball Blog.
Normally a fixture in Spring and Summer sports activities in Nashville, the Apples had all but vanished in 2010. In a story to be told here for the first time, it has now been learned why the Apples had all but disappeared.
As below photos and video will show, it has been discovered that the Apples went deep undercover in early Spring and began a training regiment that led to their recent successful assault and summit of Thompson Peak in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of Northern California.
A far cry from softball, the Apples climbing adventure is one for the record books. "Wow and Wow" said AGFHOF Don Bernitt upon his return to Nashville following the 5 day adventure.
For some, the trip to base camp would have been enough of an adventure. For the Apples, the hike to camp was just the beginning. Following a 4 hour cross country flight from Nashville to Sacramento the Apples then drove 5 hours to find themselves deep in the wilderness of Northern California. "We're not in Kansas anymore" said Apple Patty Pender as she joined Bernitt and Team High Altitude Trainer Rob Carter at the trail head that would take them along the aptly named Grizzly Trail leading to the base camp that would act as the final staging ground before the Apple attempt at the Thompson Peak Summit.
"The hike in was a nice way to warm up and get the blood going" said Carter as the Apples slapped 40 pound packs on their backs and made the 8 mile hike up and down countless mountains en route to base camp. "I can see where Bigfoot would like this area" added Pender as she described the dense forest of 200 foot tall redwood trees that continued for miles in all directions. "Simply amazing" said Bernitt in an effort to describe the beauty witnessed by the Apples as they navigated the trail put forth by Mother Nature. "And the smell" added Bernitt, "you really can't explain it, powerful whiffs of pine against the otherwise clean air of the mountains." "There is nothing quite like it" said Bernitt.
Nearing dusk, and after hiking in the mountains for nearly 6 hours the payoff for the was worth the effort as the 2010 Climbing Apples got their first view of Thompson Peak. "Wow" said Pender as the Apples looked high into the sky at the summit they had come to conquer. "Wow" said Pender again as her voiced echoed across the Alpine Meadow that would become base camp for the Apples.
Following the night of sleeping among the deer and with what seemed like millions of stars overhead, the Apples woke to a clear crisp day to begin their approach to the summit of Thompson Peak that loomed large in the distant at still 3 miles away.
First up for the Apples was a stroll through the meadow as they approached the first major obstacle they would face as the day unfolded, a nearly vertical 800 foot rock climb out of the valley to the top of the waterfall and Grizzly Lake.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared" said Bernitt as he described the Class 4 Free Climbing the Apples faced as they scaled the first and perhaps most dangerous pitch of the climb. "When you're balancing on a few rocks at a 70 degree incline and with a fall of 500 feet below you, you can't help but think, WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE!!"
Following the nearly 800 foot scramble and cliff assault, and for the first time in nearly 2 hours the Apples then found themselves on level ground again. "It was nice to stand up straight and not have to climb for a while" said Pender as she then described the magnificence of Grizzly Lake that lay hidden from the world at 800 feet above the valley floor. "Crystal clear water and still frozen over with beautiful blue ice in areas" added Pender as she replayed the efforts of the Apples to filter water and refill their canteens as they readied for the real reason they had come; to make it to the top!
Now at the top of the waterfall and with a hop, skip and a jump across the lip, the Apples set their sights on the prize and began the trek to the summit of Thompson Peak that had now grown larger in the sky.
Leading the way on the final summit charge was Eagle Scout and mountain climber extraordinaire Rob Carter from Franklin, TN. "I had tried twice before to reach the summit here and the mountain denied me both times" said Carter as he told the tale of previous attempts in which he had been turned back near the top by blinding white out snow conditions. "The key to any safe climb is knowing when to stop" added Carter as he reiterated the mountain climbers mantra, "you don't beat the mountain, she lets you win sometimes."
Still over a mile from the summit, and climbing at a constant incline, the Apples soon found themselves at the beginning of a 500 foot wide snow field that wrapped the summit like a bandanna around the neck of the gray lady called Thompson Peak.
Ice axes at the ready, the Apples methodically worked their way through the snow field as they entered the climbers zone that found them focused on taking one step at a time. "It's an odd sensation" said Pender, "a few hours ago you're climbing in the heat and the next thing you know you find yourself in snow and ice."
Now through the snow field the Apples found themselves with just under a quarter mile left to the summit. "It looked so close and yet still so far away" added Pender as she described the final assault. "There's no path, no dotted lines to follow" said Pender as she described the hand over hand climbing that followed.
"The boulders were as big as cars" continued Pender as she told of the final scramble to the top. "You just take it a few feet at a time, you make a move, you look for an angle and keep going"
"You'll know your at the top when you run out of rocks to climb" shouted Carter as he voiced guided the Apples over the final 50 feet of the summit assault. With one last effort and push, they had made it. Success! Summit reached!
"Spectacular" chimed Bernitt as he joined Carter and Pender at the peak. "Simply spectacular" Now standing on the top of their world the Apples were treated to a view that words cannot explain. As far as the eye could see in all directions were the mountains and valleys of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. "Victory" added Pender as she sat on the granite rock that was the summit of Thompson Peak, "Victory" she said again as the Apples paused to take in the beauty and snap a few pictures for history.
Of course what goes up must come down. And so it was for the Apples. After 15 minutes to enjoy the scenery and realize their accomplishment it was time to begin the long trek down the mountain and back to level ground. "We realized that we needed to get going if we wanted to get back to camp before dark" Pender said as she talked of the Apples adventure. "The easiest way to describe it is like this" continued Pender, "go outside and walk 1 mile around your block or neighborhood." "It will probably take you twenty minutes to walk that mile." "Well today it was just under 3 miles from our camp to the summit and it took us over 8 hours to climb those 3 miles." "That gives you an idea of what was involved to get to the top."
After leaving the summit and beginning the trek down, the Apples soon realized the value brought to the day by the experience of mountaineer Rob Carter. For when the climbing team reached the snow fields coming down, it was Carter who took a few minutes to show and teach Pender and Bernitt the art of the "Glasade"
Using their ice axes as a wedge and break, the Apples in turn sat in the snow and slid down the 500 foot slope towards the timberline below. "Talk about a rush" said Pender as she described the maneuver, "yeah it was very cold on the buttocks but it was worth it." Added expedition leader Carter, "that 15 minutes of sliding down the mountain knocked about 2 hours off the hike down." "It was either slide down or walk down, I think we made the right decision."
Once at the bottom of the snow field it was again time to walk. For the next 2 hours the Apples weaved and wove their way through the lush greenery of the mountain timberline as the made their back to Grizzly Lake and the "mental" halfway point of the descent.
"It's all downhill from here" said Bernitt as the Apples again crossed the waterfall and skirted the 800 foot drop off that was less than 5 feet away. "Next stop, camp and champagne" Pender then said as she took the lead and led the Apples back down the cliff face that had challenged the Apple trio 11 hours earlier in the day.
An hour later and 12 hours after they had started, the Apples returned to base camp having done what they had set out to do, they had climbed to the mountain top, they had reached the summit.
With evening falling and the Apples toasting their accomplishment with Summit Wine, the talk turned to the next day. "We have another 8 mile hike to go with full pack" said Bernitt as he Pender and Carter prepared to call it a day.
And so it was, as dark covered the valley and brought an end to an amazing day, all that could be heard was the distant roaring of the waterfall and the familiar sound of that now famous cheer.......................
How bout them Apples !
**pictures below**
Saturday, August 7, 2010
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