The 1999 Climbing Season

Photographs, original drawings, and text by David R. Pomeroy

I took this picture using my small tripod at the summit of Pyramid Mountain, Kodiak, Alaska. This climb was the perfect combination of trail, bushwacking, and snow--with absolutely perfect weather June 1999

The 1999 Climbing Season

List of Peaks in Chronological Order

CONTENTS: Click on a link to jump to the item or scroll down to see it all This page is officially dedicated to the "Giddyap, Jasper!" Club of Mountain View, Wyoming

Drawings Clouds Rest 9,926 ft, Yosemite National Park Kalalau Trail--Remote Na Pali coast of Kauai. Mt Shasta 14,162 ft in all its Glory Grand Teton 13,770 ft --America's Matterhorn Casaval Ridge on Mt. Shasta. Evergreens with Rime Ice--Mount Bachelor, Oregon The Tetons--View from the Climbers Ranch

Photos View of Kauai's Na Pali Coast from the famous Kalalau Trail A perfect view of the Alaska Range Mount Shasta: the cozy interior of our tent at high camp Ascent of Mount Shasta-- Casaval Ridge Atop the dizzying heights of Mount Shasta Grand Teton--Our first view of the Cathedral Group Climbing the Grand--Harald on the Golden Staircase pitch On the summit of the Grand Yosemite National Park, at the head of Tenaya Canyon Halfdome. the infamous cables Halfdome "C'mon, Dad! You're slowin' me down!" Halfdome "Who's slowin' who, ya little imp?!" Halfdome Yosemite National Park, "Look out World, here I come!" Halfdome Swan dive, anyone? Robin and me on the Diving Board on the summit of Halfdome Yosemite National Park; Nevada Falls Henrys Fork Basin, UT with the summit of Kings Peak poking sbovr the steep gully At the summit of Gilbert Peak, 13,442 ft, UT Summit of Kings Peak UT, 13,528 ft. Andy Brolin on the summit ridge, Borah Peak, ID, 12,662 ft. Descent of Borah Peak. One glance down, and you felt it in the pit of your stomach--one glance up, and you knew you were soaring with eagles.

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Clouds Rest 9,926 ft, Yosemite National Park

My drawing was done from the summit of Halfdome, looking up Tenaya Canyon, past the Quarter Domes (foreground) and the Pinnacles (middle right) to the glacier polished face and lofty knife edge summit of Clouds Rest. August 1999.

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Kalalau Trail--Remote Na Pali coast of Kauai.

One of the ten greatest treks on Earth: Emerald jungle cliffs, plunge 3,000 ft to coral-lined turquoise seas. In places, the rugged trail was carpeted with mimosa petals, and the air was redolent of wild orchids April 1999

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Mt Shasta 14,162 ft in all its Glory

This is how Shasta looked to Don Mercer, Harald Mueller and me as we started up the trail to Horse Camp and from there to our base camp on 50/50 Flats. June 1999

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Grand Teton 13,770 ft --America's Matterhorn

Awesome and pristine, the Cathedral Group (l to r) Mt. Teewinot, Grand Teton, and Mt. Owen. Tom Krebsbach, Harald Mueller, and I ascended the Grand via the Exum Ridge. Snow-laced granite pinacles reach for the sky above deep green forests, set among fields of bright yellow wildflowers. July 1999.

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Casaval Ridge on Mt. Shasta

Black volcanic towers atop the massive snowy ridge that forms the left wall of Avalanche Gulch. June 1999

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Evergreens with Rime Ice--Mount Bachelor, Oregon

My drawing was done from the summit of Tumalo Mountain. Don Mercer and I had a marvelous climb! This was a scene of white on white--white snow, white clouds, white trees May, 1999.

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The Tetons--View from the Climbers Ranch

From This angle, the Grand Teton is the leftmost peak, Mts Owen and Teewinot are to the right June, 1999.

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1999 Season photos

Click on image to see full size

	April 1999 -- Kauai, Hawaii. This is the view of the Na Pali Coast from the famous Kalalau Trail. Saul Pleeter and I made our way through here to the remote Hanakapiai Falls. The only way in here is by foot, and the rugged trail is matched only by the sublime beauty of this tropical paradise. Hurricane Iniki foiled my plans to visit here in 1993, so I was very happy to finally make it.
	June 1999 -- A perfect view of the Alaska Range with Mt. McKinley above my left shoulder. Pictured, (l. to r.) are Paul Geise, Chuck Bonning, and me. Paul and I had already hit Pyramid Peak, on Kodiak Island. As you can see, we had perfect views of Denali, Foraker, Denali Pass, the Moose's Tooth, thanks to unusually clear weather. As we climbed the Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park, we knew bears were a worry, but we hooted and hollered enough to keep them at bay.
	June 1999 -- Mount Shasta: Harald Mueller (left) and Don Mercer (right) smile from the cozy interior of our tent at high camp. To avoid the crowd at Helen Lake, we opted to camp at 50/50 flats, just a little lower, to enjoy the solitude. In a few hours, we'd be heading for the summit.
	June 1999 -- Ascent of Mount Shasta; still early on summit day. This is Casaval Ridge, with rough-hewn basalt reaching up to the sky. By this time, Harald Mueler, Don Mercer, and I have been climbing for hours in the dark, finding our route by headlamps. Dawn's first light casts a shadow of Mount Shasta against the horizon (right side near ridge).
	June 1999 -- Harald (right) and I pose atop the dizzying heights of Mount Shasta. Perfect weather and calm winds made our success all the sweeter! The scent of sulfur wafted through the air, reminding us that there was precious little difference between Mt Shasta and Mt St. Helens, before it blew its top! No resting on our laurels here-- the trickiest part lay ahead, after all this was just the half way point!
	July 1999 -- A moment of sobering silence marked our first view of the Cathedral Group. Tom Krebsbach, Harald Mueller, and I contemplated the breathtaking height of our lofty goal, the Grand Teton, here sandwiched between Mt. Teewinot and Mt. Owen, as we saw it from Jenny Lake. This was going to be more than just a stroll through the woods! This was the edge; the Lathe of Souls!
	July 1999 -- Climbing the Grand. Harald (in red) reaches the top of the inspiring Golden Staircase pitch, on the Exum Ridge route. Just look at the snow fields and glaciers below us! Our high camp was on the saddle between the Grand and the Middle Teton. At this point, the only thing loftier than the summit was our spirits!
	July 1999 -- On the summit of the Grand Teton. Tom Krebsbach and I enjoy a moment of serious reflection upon our arrival at the summit. Four short years ago the two of us had perched upon the summit of Gannett Peak (Wyoming's highest), now we were at the top of Wyoming's second highest! Before the summer was over, we'd share the tops of two more mighty western summits: Gilbert and Kings Peak, UT.
	August 99 -- Yosemite National Park, with my daughter, Robin (11). We are standing at the head of Tenaya Canyon. Halfdome, our ultimate goal rises in the distance behind us. Before getting there, we would summit Clouds Rest, where we made our first camp. Robin (aka the Raw Bean) is wearing her highpointer T-shirt. Two kindred souls breathing thin air! Her pack weighed in at 8 lbs (sleeping bag, pad, and teddy bear); mine was close to 65 lbs (everything else)
	August 1999 -- Yosemite National Park. Storm clouds nearly dashed our summit dreams, but a window of blue sky provided the chance to tackle the infamous Halfdome cables. Robin's first view of the seemingly vertical cables up the sheer north face of Halfdome evoked a "You've GOT to be kidding" response. Halfdome, once labeled unclimbable, can now be reached by anyone with the courage of lion, strength of a bear, and the nerve of an eagle. All you have to do is pull yourself up 50 stories of steel cables--and don't look down, if you are scared of heights!
	August 1999 -- Halfdome cables, "C'mon, Dad! You're slowin' me down!" I showed Robin how to wrap her leg around the stanchion for safety, as she clipped first one, and then another, carabiner to both the cables on the other side of each stanchion. A waist harness combined with tubular webbing completed the safety system.
	August 1999 -- Yosemite National Park, "Who's slowing who, you little imp! " My fourth trip up the cables in six years was like the first, as I relived the excitement through Robin's eyes.
	August 1999 -- Yosemite National Park, "Look out World, here I come!"
	August 1999 -- Summit of Halfdome. Swan dive, anyone? Robin and me on the Diving Board on the summit of Halfdome. Plenty of clouds remained from the morning showers, and every so often one would float in on top of us! While I marveled at the view, Robin spent most of her time at the summit feeding cookies to (further) fatten up "Marmie," a wiley marmot, skilled in begging for, and stealing trail snacks!
	August 1999 -- Yosemite National Park; Nevada Falls. This shot taken near the base of Nevada Falls during our hike out. What can I say that this photo doesn't say for itself?
	August 1999 -- Henrys Fork Basin in the High Uinta Range of remote Northeastern Utah. Heading into the final climb(s) of the 1999 season, our team was (l. to r.) Daryl, Tom Krebsbach, Andy Brolin, and Pete Wrench. Early on summit day, the team paused for this shot with the summit of Kings Peak poking over the notch of the steep gully at the headwall of Henrys Fork Basin.
	August 1999 -- At the summit of Gilbert Peak, 13,442 ft, UT. This was a "warm-up" climb that took Tom Krebsbach and me to the top of Utah's second highest peak. An emerald green basin, studded with lakes, makes a sharp contrast to the chilly barren boulders of Gilbert's summit. Marymount students will recognize my book bag that is none other than my summit pack!
	August 1999 -- Summit of Kings Peak UT, 13,528 ft. Here we perch atop the summit of mighty Kings Peak UT. We were so glad that none of us had to return home twisted with grief because one of us didn't make it back. Indeed, we all made it down safely. Two days later, Andy and I would go on to summit Borah Peak, in the Lost River Range of Idaho (see below)
	Aug 1999 -- The summit ridge of Borah Peak, ID, 12,662 ft. Here's Andy Brolin rocketing up, I was close behind, but I stopped to take this pic. This part of the climb was a solid class 4, but a welcome break from the heart pounding exertion of the steep hike and the exposure of Chicken-Out Ridge. The sky was cloudless and the wind mild. Five and a half thousand vertical feet lower, the traditional steak dinner awaited us in Mackay, ID
	August 1999--Descent of Borah Peak. Andy makes a high step, while Karen looks on. Steve is a bit further down. We are just below the snow bridge, and the yellow rock ahead marks the infamous "Chicken-Out-Ridge." Far below is the Lost River Valley.
	Aug 99--A moment of glory! What a perfect ending to a perfect climbing season! I'm perched on Chicken Out Ridge on Idaho's highest mountain. One glance down, and you felt it in the pit of your stomach--one glance up, and you knew you were soaring with eagles. It just doesn't get any better than this!

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The 1999 Climbing Season--Chronological List

Date	Peak	State	Altitude (ft)	Partners
Mar 99	Mount Washington--Presidential Range of the White Mountains	New Hampshire	6,288	Don and Kathy Youssef
Apr 99	Kalalau Trail--Remote Na Pali coast of Kauai	Hawaii	Hanakapiai Falls	Saul Pleeter
May 98	Tumalo Mountain--Near Bend & 3 Sisters Wilderness	Oregon	7,775	Don Mercer
May 98	Joshua Tree N.P.--in the High Mojave Desert	California	5,185	Saul Pleeter
Jun 99	Pyramid Peak--Kodiak Island	Alaska	2,268	Chuck Bonning, Paul Giese
Jun 99	Kesugi Ridge--Denali State Park	Alaska	3,268	Chuck Bonning, Paul Giese
Jun 99	Mount Shasta--Mountain of Mystery and Menace	California	14,162	Don Mercer, Harald Mueller
Jul 99	Grand Teton--America's Matterhorn	Wyoming	13,770	Harald Mueller, Tom Krebsbach
Aug 99	Clouds Rest--Yosemite National Park	California	9,926	Robin Pomeroy
Aug 99	Half Dome--Yosemite National Park	California	8,842	Robin Pomeroy
Aug 99	Gilbert Peak --in the Windy High Uinta Range	Utah	13,442	Andy Brolin, Pete Wrench, Daryl Tom Krebsbach
Aug 99	Kings Peak--in the Windy High Uinta Range	Utah	13,528	Andy Brolin, Pete Wrench, Daryl Tom Krebsbach
Aug 99	Mount Borah--Incredibly steep Peak in the Lost River Range	Idaho	12,662	Andy Brolin

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