Mount Lowe, Mount Markham, Mount Disappointment, Mount Deception, San Gabriel Peak, Mount Wilson, Mount Harvard, Occidental Peak, Barley Flats, Mount Sally, Mount Mooney, Vetter Mountain (LO), Winston Peak, Buckhorn Peak, Pinyon Ridge, Mount Lewis, Mount Hillyer, Pacifico Mountain, Granite Mountain #1, Round Top, Mount Gleason

11 May 1968

By: Les Stockton

Annual Peak Baggers Special - 21 Peaks
Leader: Les Stockton
Assts.: Ken Ferrell, Pat Beckman, How Bailey

Sixty-seven ardent peakbaggers met at 7:00 a.m. at Red Box Station to climb a few mountains. Today the name of the game was "peakbagging" so we quickly caravanned to Mt. Wilson Saddle, hiked to Markham Saddle and, in the morning, polished off Mts. LOWE, MARKHAM, DISAPPOINTMENT, DECEPTION, and SAN GABRIEL, returning direct via the How Bailey Ridge! Back to the cars and 52 proceed on to Mts. WILSON, HARVARD, and the "well ducked" OCCIDENTAL. This peak was so well ducked, you could proceed by merely following the "quacks". The chow hounds were wondering when and where we were going to eat but any experienced peakbagger knows that no time is allowed for eating when we are peakbagging in earnest.

So, grabbing chow while we were riding, BARLEY FLATS was the next peak to fall (note to Dick Akawie - the gate was open so we went all the way). The little peak bagger special the week before decimated the ranks at this point as many had climbed the next 5 peaks with their children, so only 36 climbers reached the 10th summit on the steep fuel break trail up to SALLY. The leader was now having greater difficulty maintaining the intact group and promised to make MOONEY as easy as possible. The group was heartened by the relatively easy ascent of MOONEY and agreed to do one more. Their persistence was rewarded when the cable was down on the Lookout Peak of VETTER and the weary climbers happily took advantage of the timesaver drive-up. Our group was now reduced to 26 stout-hearted who struggled up WINSTON and BUCKHORN under overcast skies in the late afternoon. We were now getting down to the nitty-gritty and one more casualty. A hard-driven Valiant bounced off a rock in the middle of the road resulting in cosmetic but no mechanical damage. Chief Scout Al Fowler supplied the information that the cable was across the jeep trail to Condor and Fox, so we replaced these two scheduled peaks with PINYON RIDGE, (a wild V.W. approach led by How Bailey) and LEWIS in late afternoon with bright sunshine picture weather for the first time that day. We were down to six people, two VW's at 6:00 P.M. and 15 peaks. Time marches on! Howard Stephens was ready for dinner at Newcomb's when we missed the turnoff but we were hot on the scent of a new peakbagging record and we were soon hunting for the summit register on HILLYER in the windy, cool, cloudy moonlight. A long drive over to PACIFICO, climbing the summit block in misty, wet, inky darkness, on to a ridge climb of GRANITE and a traverse of ROUND TOP, then down to and across Angeles Forest Highway. After a final formidable test of driving skill and physical endurance we strategically placed 21st can and register by the radar dome in an area normally menaced in daylight hours by an armed guard. Thus the summit of GLEASON was reached at 11:55 P.M. by 2 girls and 4 guys (Vicki Duerr, Pat Beckman, Howard Stephens, Al Fowler, How Bailey and your leader), all happy that it was ended.