Seeking to complete climbing all of the peaks on the Peak and Gorge Ogul list, I gained the company of these three other climbers to do an early spring ascent. I drove one in my passenger wagon, to be followed by the other two in their 4WD vehicle. We reliably had such safe and well-planned adventures that success was almost assured.
I used my maps to find the road to Slaters Mine, and found a way quickly. There were deep ruts in the dirt road, but I was able to straddle them, and not get stuck. My potential assists in their SUV had agreed to nothing, but I presumed that they might pull me out if I had gotten stuck somehow. My buddy had been keeping notes on our drive, but later, as I started my work on my Northern Sierra Peaks Guide, refused to share any of his information. At least not without substantial payment. Even as he had gotten a ride with me, using my odometer, as I recall, and me finding the way, with some risk to my vehicle. Being that I was used to the profit minded and mercenary ways of this hiking club and its individuals, I assumed that I’d just go back and get the exact directions, someday, myself.
To this day, no one has ever come forth to do this with me, and while I had thoughts of hiking the approach road solo to get the exact directions, it is some 20 miles round trip, and since I don’t make any money from my guide and website, declined to have to spend the time and effort to do this.
As far as my peaks guide, I sought to have it as a collaborative effort, but was met with an ultimatum to hand over all of my notes, and “everything,” to presumably be destroyed. They didn’t think that having a guide to the peaks would be in their spirit of explore, enjoy, and protect, as, by them, it would bring untold numbers of hikers to scatter trash, litter, and pollution, and forever ruin the pristine landscape that, I for one, so treasure. So goes it with them, to be supported and praised by like minds who will never enjoy the views and exercise in getting to the tops of so many gorgeous summits, or ever care to.
Anyway, we parked our cars, and started the short hike to the top. Following a dirt road to the base of Mt. Siegel, we ascended by a jeep track to the top, and completed the climb in about two hours. It was cloudy and cold, and I snapped so many pictures of the view. We got some light snow that day, and I enjoyed the brisk and chill wind. Leaving a register, we started down, and stopped by the abandoned structures by the mine, to witness graffiti and hateful scrawl, offensive to people, and which I declined to record.
Getting back to our cars, we drove slowly out the same way, and I recalled the roads at the start of this route, to go back later and document them for my peaks guide. There is quite a tangle of side roads, but we had found our way so easily, that I deemed it trivial enough for a determined peak bagger to discover the route. I would not try it alone in my present car, but maybe someday, a game driver will seek to chance it, an easy peak hike with some navigation by my old memory, should I be along.
I drove us back north through Carson City, then Reno, and we again counted another peak, with roads driven with my trusty passenger wagon, an exploratory adventure hardly worthy of the negativism that is now hurled at all of this fine discovery.
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