South Fork to San G Summit

[harryquach]

http://socalpeaks.com/2011/03/san-gorgonio-mountain3-from-south-fork/

[lilbitmo]

Great TR and pictures - sorry you got sick, good idea to head down, glad you are feeling better.

[KathyW]

Thanks for the report and pictures - it's beautiful out there this time of year. So, you didn't need snowshoes?

I'm asking because we're headed up to San Gorgonio via the same route you took this coming Saturday.

[harryquach]

Hi Kathy

I should have put that in the trip report I used snowshoes from just before south fork meadows until halfway up the summit ridge couloir. It was a warm day and I used them almost the entire way to the trailhead on the way back

[zippetydude]

I like the alpine style of climbing exactly because of what you found - get up there, had fun, but need to get down - no problem, that was the plan from the beginning. HAPE is not a good thing, HACE as bad or worse, and a quick up and back avoids either one. Nice job, and perfect strategy! Beautiful pics.

By the way, you're killin' me. I almost went this morning, but was committed to previous plans. Looks like a crazy beautiful day on the ridge/summit.

z

[KathyW]

Hi Kathy

I should have put that in the trip report I used snowshoes from just before south fork meadows until halfway up the summit ridge couloir. It was a warm day and I used them almost the entire way to the trailhead on the way back

Thanks!

[bluerail]

I thought you said you waited at the TH zip....

[Cy Kaicener]

Great trip report and pictures.
Saw this trip report on the San Gabriel forum
http://sangabrielmnts.myfreeforum.org/S ... t3595.html

[Andy]

Great write-up and pics harry. I suffer from the altitude as well. In fact the last time I climbed San G with Kathy I was a complete and total mess after the summit, and that was after an easy going approach. Like Zip said, my clock starts ticking at around 9k' and any lollygagin around can really lead to a horrible situation. I'm not a big pill/drug person but the only sure bet for me is a dose of Diamox...it simply works. Maybe I'm just turning into a wimp, but as I get older my sensitivity seems to have gotten worse. Even on the JMT a few years ago I began to dread each of the passes and that's about as quick up and down as they get. What gets me is the biggest solution I've always been told was a slow altitude gain and time for acclimation. I'm sure this would work, but who wants to take a week to climb Whitney?

[Hikin_Jim]

Great write-up and pics harry. I suffer from the altitude as well. In fact the last time I climbed San G with Kathy I was a complete and total mess after the summit, and that was after an easy going approach. Like Zip said, my clock starts ticking at around 9k' and any lollygagin around can really lead to a horrible situation. I'm not a big pill/drug person but the only sure bet for me is a dose of Diamox...it simply works. Maybe I'm just turning into a wimp, but as I get older my sensitivity seems to have gotten worse. Even on the JMT a few years ago I began to dread each of the passes and that's about as quick up and down as they get. What gets me is the biggest solution I've always been told was a slow altitude gain and time for acclimation. I'm sure this would work, but who wants to take a week to climb Whitney?

The 1,000-feet-a-day rule is about the most singularly useless piece of advice ever. Using that rule may work, but it would also take you two weeks to acclimatize to Mt. Whitney if you live near the coast.

I'm not super sensitive to altitude, but I do find that it helps if I sleep under 8000' the first night. On my last Sierra backpack, my nights were as follows:
1. 6,000' -- Redwood Meadow with max elevation 9500 -- Timber Gap.
2. 8,200' -- Hamilton Lake with max elevation 8200 -- Hamilton Lake.
3. 10,700' -- Upper Little Five Lakes with max elevation 10,700 -- Upper Little Five Lakes.
4. 11,000' -- Columbine Lake with max elevation 11,000' -- Columbine Lake.

Sleeping below 8,000 and then gaining about 2,000 - 2,500 feet/day worked pretty well. Of course even 2,000 - 2,500 feet/day is a luxury that a lot of routes simply don't afford.

Climb high, sleep low,

HJ