Mount Fiske
Failed ascent of Mount Fiske (Southwest Ridge, class 2), July 20, 2024.
Timeline:
July 20, 2024: Mount Fiske was a leftover peak from my recent trip to the Evolution Basin with Ronald, and the last SPS peak in the Evolution Range that I had yet to climb. I had resolved to try it as a dayhike. This, however, was a big undertaking. Finding myself with a free day in July, I gave it a shot. The forecast, though, called for afternoon rain, so I got an early start and set a hard turnaround time of 11:00. On the day prior I drove to Lake Sabrina after dinner and got a few hours of sleep in the back of my 4Runner. The alarm was set for 3:50, but I was restless and got up at 3:30. After coffee and lembas bread, I started hiking by headlamp at 4:05. The miles went by quickly, and it was 9:07 when I found myself atop Echo Col, some 9.5 miles in. The weather was still good, with no clouds in the sky. But I was slow descending the basin south of the pass, to rejoin the John Muir Trail. Back up I went, toward Helen Lake. I reached the northern shore of the lake - where the route up the Southwest Ridge of Mount Fiske begins - a bit past my turnaround time (11:07). I looked up at the easy terrain toward the summit of the peak with envy, but also at the gathering clouds with apprehension.Â
Retracing my steps over Echo Col in a thunderstorm would be dangerous, so I turned around. Back I went, the way I came, a bit slower now with many miles under my belt. It was 13:23 when I topped out at Echo Col, with the weather worsening greatly. I had made my way down the pass, across a large snowfield and a talus field, to the ledges east of Echo Lake, when it started raining. I managed the ledges carefully, since the rock was now thoroughly wet (like me). But I was soon on the easier cross-country terrain below, and shortly thereafter rejoined the trail at Sailor Lake. This was all under continuous rain of varying intensity, so I had to stow my camera away in my daypack for much of the return hike. There was intense thunder and lightning over the ridges around me, making for an ominous atmosphere. Heavy rain alternated with a drizzle, but it was hard to remain dry. In a lull, I stopped to eat some lunch, as I had been moving pretty continuously without regard for nutrition till then. I passed by several camps at Sailor Lake and Blue Lake, their occupants safe and dry inside. On I went down the trail toward Lake Sabrina. The rain finally stopped around 18:00, and I was able to take my camera out for the final portion of the hike. The wildflowers were a highlight of this part of the day. I was back at the car at 18:38, a bit disappointed at failing to climb Mount Fiske, but nonetheless happy to have spent a hard, adventurous day in the High Sierra. (A 14:28 hour day, 13:47 hours moving, 24.84 miles, 6,655 feet of elevation gain).