[pct-l] 1977

[bighummel at aol.com]

What this has to do with 1977, I don't know, but I agree that "Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada" by Clarence King is great, along with Joseph LeConte's "Ramblings through the High Sierra" describing an equestrian trek from Oakland to Yosemite to Mono Lake in 1870 and running into and taking along John Muir when he worked at the mill.  King's description of the natural springs at Cabezon is classic and I have posted it here a couple times.  I've tried a few times to find them (the Cabezon springs), probably buried on some private property now.  


I ride horses now. You might be interested to know that the FIRST ACCENT of 
Whitney was when three horsemen rode to the summit from the West. Clarence King 
hoped to be first up but climbed the wrong peak. A great book, I think still 
available, is  "Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada" by Clarence King. King and 
Richard Cotter, during the Brewer expedition, were the first to cross what we 
now know as the Kings-Kern Divide (which includes Forester Pass) and then 
crossed the Bighorn Plateau. The wanted to climb the highest peak then and did 
climb Mt Tyndall - and could see still higher summits to the south. After that 
King tried approaching from the east - from Lone Pine. And failed again. That 
book is a great read!




Greg Hummel "Strider"

PCT '77

" Travel light, carry little, keep it simple."