Silver Peak, Tip Top Mountain, Mineral Mountain, Chaparrosa Peak

12 October 1968

By: Dick Akawie

Leader: Dick Akawie
Asst.: Alice Akawie

This trip involved various activities such as partying, dirt road driving, and a little hiking. After assembling near Big Bear Lake, we caravanned over paved roads to the mine site near Silver Peak. When the leader stopped to post an arrow, the other cars pulled over to the side of the road, and one of them got stuck in deep sand. It was left while we climbed Silver Peak, at the top of which the first party took place. There were three new 100 peak emblem holders -- Vicki Duerr, and Murray and Cecile Rosenthal -- and one new 200 peak bar holder -- Bob Herlihy. We then went back to the cars and out to the highway for a brief exercise in towing and pushing the car out of the sand. Then the group went on the Rose Mine Road to its intersection with the Tip Top Mtn. road. After consolidating into about half a dozen high clearance vehicles, we drove to the relay station and climbed about 100 feet to the top of the mountain. Sixty signed the register here, the same as on Silver Peak. When we got back to the vehicles, we found the road blocked by a Bronco which had had a fire in its ignition wiring. So more pushing followed to get the Bronco out of the way. Then back to the main dirt road and the rest of the cars, and on to the parking area for Mineral Mtn. Here there was a parking problem, as the road is narrow. After the cars were arranged to allow traffic to go through, we took off for the one-mile hike to Mineral Mtn., which was reached in 18 minutes. Fifty signed the register here. The caravan of about 20 vehicles then proceeded to Rimrock, passing several astounded drivers coming the other way, and again we combined into 7 vehicles and drove to the trailhead. The climb of Chaparrosa Peak, over three false peaks, was climaxed by another party for the group of 45, as this was Bruce Arbuckle's 100th peak. There was one small injury on this trip because a rock moved when it shouldn't have, but after the scraped arm and leg were patched, the victim continued on to the top. The return trip was uneventful, except for groans about going over the three peaks again, and everyone was in his car headed home by 6:15 p.m.