WHITE MOUNTAIN (11,398') AND WELLS PEAK (10,833') October 11, 1980

One other climber was the only participant on this late season lead. We met in the town of Walker, CA, on U.S. 395, and took the Silver Creek access along Highway CA 108, as before. A slightly different trailhead leads left (west) up another trail along Silver Creek, and then north up a high valley.

We headed cross-country after a few miles and climbed to the top of White Mountain. The views were good, and there were various spent shells from ordinance probably being fired off on the top. A few fine examples of exfoliated rock marked the summit area.

The weather was holding, and being with Gore-Tex rainwear, I chose to circle about and climb the adjacent Wells Peak to the east. We traversed northward down past a small lake, then came to a trail and pass with a sign noting the restricted fishing. A rare species of native trout is protected by law north of this area.

It was now drizzling, but we continued cross-country along the ridge to the top of the second peak. We didn't stay long, and took a sandy slope down the south side of the peak. We could run down, with big steps leaping into the soft granitic sand. The rain stopped, and we came back to the car. Going to a campground along U.S. 395, we spent the long night talking, and reading books.

The next morning, we saw that it had snowed overnight on the higher peaks. We chose to call it, and ended the trip, our climbing summer, and headed home. The next thing for us, now, was getting enough snow to ski!

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