Being a Memorial Day weekend holiday trip, a few of us carpooled from Northern California. We took Highway 108 on our drive south. Then, it was to U.S. 395.
If I ever was to finish the SPS list, I had to bag this one. The normal approach is by the Red Lake Road and trailhead, used for Split Mountain. This is a bad road, requiring high clearance. We had a VW bug to drive it, and then a van. We knew the way from so many times on it, before.
Backpacking up the trail to Red Lake, this brought back so many memories. I never had thought that I'd use this trail so many times! There was lots of snow at our base camp, just the pond below Red Lake. We had a nice camp, sleeping bags together. The other slept under a light tarp, and I had my tent or bivy sack.
The next day, climbing up the south slopes of Tinemaha, I snapped many pictures of Split Mountain's east face. I marveled at my being back here! I got ahead, and used my crampons. Summiting uneventfully, I started snapping photos of the view. Some of the others may have turned back. There was a register.
Descending, I had lost a crampon from my pack, when a strap or screw became loose. Back to camp, I made that discovery, then another climber had found it and picked it up. I gave him $10 in gratitude.
Camping another night, we shortly packed out the next day, and thus ended another peak climb, safe and successful, as it seems all of them are! The drive north on U.S. 395 made for more sights.
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