TR: Hoover Wilderness, Whorl Mtn, Oct. 26-29 2020
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NOTE: This is an abridged version of more extensive report at: https://www.trailnamebackstroke.com/hoo … l-mountain
The multiple raging fires prevent access to the entire Sierra area for many weeks. After several cancelled permits I have almost given up hope of another Sierra trip when Paul contacts me about making a 4-day hike in the Hoover Wilderness which has just reopened. We sit out a Sunday storm and meet in Bridgeport early Monday morning. I have met Paul twice in the Wilderness while doing the SHR (Sierra High Route), and we cross paths on a few websites, but otherwise we do not know each other. Paul outlines a few alternate paths on Caltopo and we agree to wing it once we start. He has an interest in going cross-country in order to see an amazing climbing rock called The Incredible Hulk, wants to get some good views of the Sawtooth Ridge, and proposes a few peaks we might climb.
We start from Twin Lakes. We are prepared for cold with a predicted wind-chill factor hovering around 12 F, but today is not quite so bad.The Incredible Hulk comes into view and it is indeed remarkable, a sort of knife edge version of the well-known Whaleback in Sequoia. There is a video of Emily Harrington & Alex Honnold climbing the “Solar Flare” route (5.12d). My iPhone camera cooperates with accidental lens flare to heighten the drama of the shot. For scale, Paul can be seen in the lower middle right side on a path.The water tells the story of very cold air. We are uncertain if water sources are flowing or frozen and I bring extra fuel in case we only find ice. Fortunately there are plenty of small but flowing trickles.We cross over the pass and descend into the far end of Slide Canyon to get the first glimpse of the Sawtooth Ridge. It is cold and windy and we keep going until we find water and tree cover. Morning arrives and we get another view of the Sawtooth. It only drops to 27 F during the night so our sleep systems perform well.We reach the top of Stanton Pass to get a view of the southern end of the Sawtooth Ridge, including Whorl Mountain (12,039 ft/ 3670 m) in the center and Matterhorn Peak on the far right. We agree that Whorl looks gnarly as we are considering whether to make a run on it the next day. The skies stay clear of smoke from the nearby Creek fire and it feels like a beautiful late-September day, not late October. For me, a perfect day.The full moon appears dramatically on the ridgeline. I am impressed with the camera of my new iPhone 11 Pro.The next morning we decide to climb Whorl after all and drop our packs along the route back to the pass. Paul takes off ahead and I don’t see him again as he is in a hurry to complete the trip and return home tonight. I arrive at the famous chockstone “entrance”, which is the start of a truly wild path to the top where one must shimmy through a cave of rocks, along ledges and through narrow passages.View north to Matterhorn and the Sawtooth Range.This Google Earth view shows my path up the conventional zig-zagging SE route, and then straight down the chute under the chockstone. At the top near the chockstone it is the usual Class 2 nasty sliding rocks and sand, but on the way down in the middle I hit many five to twenty foot drops that require difficult Class 3++ climbing moves. The rock is firm and gritty so friction and small handholds carry the day, but for anyone not comfortable with slightly exposed difficult climbing and without ropes I really don’t recommend this route down. There were several places where if the drop had been fifty feet I might have hesitated.
Nice conclusion to a good trip. We timed it just right, entering the wilderness just as Hoover opened up and one week before the first serious snow event.
We start from Twin Lakes. We are prepared for cold with a predicted wind-chill factor hovering around 12 F, but today is not quite so bad.
The Incredible Hulk comes into view and it is indeed remarkable, a sort of knife edge version of the well-known Whaleback in Sequoia. There is a video of Emily Harrington & Alex Honnold climbing the “Solar Flare” route (5.12d). My iPhone camera cooperates with accidental lens flare to heighten the drama of the shot. For scale, Paul can be seen in the lower middle right side on a path.
The water tells the story of very cold air. We are uncertain if water sources are flowing or frozen and I bring extra fuel in case we only find ice. Fortunately there are plenty of small but flowing trickles.
We cross over the pass and descend into the far end of Slide Canyon to get the first glimpse of the Sawtooth Ridge. It is cold and windy and we keep going until we find water and tree cover. Morning arrives and we get another view of the Sawtooth. It only drops to 27 F during the night so our sleep systems perform well.
We reach the top of Stanton Pass to get a view of the southern end of the Sawtooth Ridge, including Whorl Mountain (12,039 ft/ 3670 m) in the center and Matterhorn Peak on the far right. We agree that Whorl looks gnarly as we are considering whether to make a run on it the next day. The skies stay clear of smoke from the nearby Creek fire and it feels like a beautiful late-September day, not late October. For me, a perfect day.
The full moon appears dramatically on the ridgeline. I am impressed with the camera of my new iPhone 11 Pro.
The next morning we decide to climb Whorl after all and drop our packs along the route back to the pass. Paul takes off ahead and I don’t see him again as he is in a hurry to complete the trip and return home tonight. I arrive at the famous chockstone “entrance”, which is the start of a truly wild path to the top where one must shimmy through a cave of rocks, along ledges and through narrow passages.
View north to Matterhorn and the Sawtooth Range.
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