Butterfly Peak, Rock Point

16 March 1968

By: Ken Ferrell

Leader: Ken Ferrell
Asst.: Bob Van Allen

It was a beautiful sun-filled sky when 64 eager hikers and rock scramblers met at the Kenworthy Station entrance south of Mountain Center. Leaving some cars at this point, we caravanned 3 1/2 - 4 miles on the Morris Ranch road to a Forest Service Gate where 6S06A starts. We proceeded on this road for 1 1/2 - 2 miles to the road head.

After crossing a little rocky ridge, we regrouped in a grassy meadow and then started up the main ridge toward the summit. The new route, which had been blazed through two weeks before by the two leaders and Bob Herlihy, proved to be fairly easy to follow except in a couple of instances. After encountering the first part of the rock scrambling, one person wisely decided to remain at this point for our return.

The first of the group arrived on the summit about 11:15 where we spent about an hour relaxing, taking pictures, enjoying the scenery, and having some lunch.

We regrouped again at the Kenworthy Station entrance where we reduced the size of the party to 39 for a short hike with some bushwhacking to the summit block of Rock Point. Besides being rather overcrowded, it was too cold and windy by this time for people to stay on the summit very long and a bleak looking cloud from the higher range aided in speeding our departure. A few people suffered from a bruised knee or foot, but fortunately there were no serious injuries.

I would like to add that the trip went almost as planned except I did not count on 64 people in this type of terrain which, unfortunately for some, makes the progress seem rather slow. Apparently some people do not take the trip write-ups seriously as it was all, and maybe more than, it was written up to be. I would like to thank everyone for his patience and also for his assistance in helping some people with the rock scrambling and in the ascent and descent of the summit block on Rock Point. Also, a note of appreciation to the two trail blazers who assisted me with the brush cutting.