DATE: Sunday, July 26, 2020
DISTANCE: 4.1km / 3.55. iles
ELEVATION GAIN: 260m / 853’
TIME TAKEN: 1:15
SUMMIT: Black Butte Second Spire
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
ALPINE COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: AC/DC: Thunderstruck
PHOTO ALBUM
MAP
...continued.
The first time I woke up, it was 4AM, and I should have gotten up and headed straight for a trailhead, but I was in a luxurious bliss, in a camping van with a very nice bed, much more comfortable than the primitive arrangement in my apartment. So I unfortunately fell back asleep until 8AM or so. I had a simple breakfast, and then helped break down Kyburz Camp. The others were headed for San Jose and San Francisco, and I took off alone, up Silver Fork Road, all the way through to Highway 88, a way I’ve never gone before. Reviewing my to-do list for places to hike, every trailhead I passed by was slammed over capacity with cars. I thought maybe some people would be going home by Sunday. I decided to check out Woods Lake Campground, the jumping off point for the beloved Round Top hikes of childhood, and see if I could get a campsite. I got one, and then realized, if I was gonna stay another night, I would have to get more food! So I drove out to the Kirkwood general store, better sooner than later I figured. During my brief window of cellular reception, I saw that thunderstorms were predicted from 3-4PM. Back at Woods Lake, diligently depositing my goods in the bear box, I figured I could get in a quick trip to Black Butte before the storms hit. Wrong.
I saw the black clouds coming in, and soon after, heard the first crack of thunder. I decided to hang at my lovely campsite and wait it out, updating my very outdated hiking journal notebook, and doing some reading as well. Then the rain began, so I put everything away and jumped into the van. Thunder and rain came hard, and I decided to curl up on the bench seat of the van, in the sleeping bag, and just enjoy it. I reached a state of total tranquility there, holed up in the van pod, pouring rain on the roof, and some of the loudest thunderbursts I’d ever heard, just overhead. I drifted into a nap and woke up about 7PM. It was still overcast, but the storm had passed. It was time to hike! I went out directly west from the campsite, cross country, meandering through pine and scattered rock, up and over a small granite hill, I could now see Black Butte, a volcanic dinosaur back ridge going north-south. It was still plenty light out, so I continued, across more granite, an alpine meadow, and finally the ascent of the volcanic meatball sauce rock of Black Butte.
I directed myself towards what I thought was the highest part of the formation. I topped out, and had a stupendous view of the sunset over Caples Lake. But from here I also saw that the high point was actually the next crag to the south, lobe of savage volcanic treachery. I looked to see if I could downclimb the chasm that separated my location from the desired high point, but it looked too tricky, even if I had full daylight. I would have to retrace my steps back down the east side and then ascend again the higher spire. By the time I got back down, ti was getting too dark to do another climb, so I decided to go back to camp. I went back across a damp meadow, around instead of over the granite ridge, and then hit a surprise dirt road that carried me all the way back down to the campground. It was such a solid, broad pathway that I never had to turn on my flashlight, though it was well past sunset now. Now, to savor the delights of a cold, dark, wet campsite, I had hotdog buns with Kraft medium cheddar cheese, from the Kirkwood store, garnished with dill relish and mustard, washed down with Chico’s finest. i listened in the dark like a wraith, to the merriements of the other campers that surrounded me, the cries of their children. Tomorrow would be one last hike before I went home, somewhere in the Carson Pass area. I flipped a coin to make a choice: tails for Emigrant Lake, and heads for Red (Lake Peak), and it was heads for red.
To be continued…
FURTHER READING
• Fedak: Good info on how to properly reach the highest point
•Bob Burd: Bob takes on Black Butte
• Black Butte on SUMMITPOST and PEAKBAGGER
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