TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
quentinc
Topix Expert
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:28 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Los Angeles

TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by quentinc »

I just returned from what feels like my first true Sierra backpack of the year. This was part of my continuing series of plunging as far north on the PCT as my tolerance for snow will allow.

I started from Sage Flat, at 5800. The 3400 feet of gain to Olancha Pass was relatively painless and had some nice views along the way.

Image

However, I first hit snow at about 8,500. And when I got up to Summit Meadow (9,200) I thought I had been transported in the Arctic. There was way more snow that last weekend (when I did the PCT from Kennedy Meadows to the saddle before Olancha Peak)! Not the way the spring melt is supposed to be going.

Image

I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to get to the 10,540 summit, and once I got past it the PCT was a virtual white-out. But I saw that the west side of Olancha Peak didn't look bad, so I decided to go for it (completely unplanned). I actually got above the snow fairly quickly; here's the peak from about 200 feet below.

Image

Top of the world for now (apologies for the Photoshopping, but it was cloudy and the original pic was way too dark):

Image

It's pretty steep on the east:

Image

This is northwest of Langley/Whitney. I'm still trying to figure out what the peak on the left is.

Image

The next day I got as far north on the PCT as Death Canyon (disappointingly harmless) and then decided to try cross-country along a stream from Gomez Meadow to Strawberry Meadow. This was all going fine until the stream bed became a shockingly steep canyon (not evident from my map). I got tired of hopping across from side-to-side and climbing up and around snow and boulders, so I finally headed straight up, only to find I had almost made it to the meadow.

Image

So I headed to Brown Meadow instead:

Image

And then to a riverside campsite by the Kern. My guidebook said to ford it near here. Ha.

Image

I hiked out on the Strawberry Trail, part of which is an old stock driveway (an unfortunately common theme on the Kern Plateau) and was as steep as just about any Sierra trail I can think of. No switchbacks! I have a new found respect for cows.

Other than that, lots of cross-country when the PCT was under snow:

Image

And bear tracks all over the place!

Image

And finally, a much needed rest before my descent back to Sage Flat:

Image
User avatar
windknot
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1934
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:07 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Contact:

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by windknot »

Thanks for the report and pictures! Sounds like it was a fun trip, especially with this early-season snow.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by maverick »

Nice trip Q, good variety of terrain.
The area going down to Brown Meadow looks pretty cool, as do the shots from the
top, especially towards Langley.
Thanks again for posting this Q.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
slade
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:45 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Las Vegas NV

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by slade »

quentinc - Amazing TR and pics! As discussed in your earlier thread (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6210), I'll be doing Kennedy Meadows-Olancha Pass-Sage Flat starting Saturday. I see you were using ski poles, boots and gaiters. What are the locations of your 2nd and last pics? Should I look forward to a good deal of slogging and post-holing? Thank you. slade
Shawn
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1061
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:56 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by Shawn »

Great TR, thanks for sharing. Much more motivational then reading all those skeeter reports ! :D
User avatar
Carne_DelMuerto
Topix Expert
Posts: 418
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:43 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Auburn, CA

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by Carne_DelMuerto »

Great report and photos. Thank you.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
User avatar
John Dittli
Topix Expert
Posts: 479
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:38 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Crooked Creek
Contact:

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by John Dittli »

Looks like a fun early season trip. BTW, I'm pretty sure the peak on the left is Joe Devel.

JD
Walk the Sky: Following the John Muir Trail
User avatar
Jason
Topix Regular
Posts: 324
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by Jason »

Fantastic! Thanks for the report and photos. Sitting here at work, I don't know if it's torture or inspiring to read your trip report.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by maverick »

Slade wrote " I see you were using ski poles, boots and gaiters." Looks like trail
runners/hikers to me.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
quentinc
Topix Expert
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:28 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Los Angeles

Re: TR: Olancha Peak, Snow & Adventure

Post by quentinc »

Thanks everyone.

John: thanks, Joe Devel would certainly make sense location-wise. I never realized it had such a dramatic shape -- it looks like a big hill from up close.

Slade: remarkably, the snow was generally easy to walk on. Even in the early a.m., it was only icy in a few spots, and in late afternoon was still firm enough to walk on in most places. A few drifts required postholing, but I was generally able to detour around them. As Mav notes, I borrowed one of his tricks and was wearing Gortex trail runners.
The second picture was along the PCT west of Olancha, but the area just past Olancha Pass (along Summit Meadow) was at least as bad. On the way out it really kicked my butt. The last picture was a rest stop at 4:30 p.m. on the last day (near the intersection of the Olancha Pass trail and the PCT), when I still had a mile and a half of snow to plow through, followed by the 3,400 foot descent to Sage Flat. I would never stay in a campsite like that (not pictured was a table big enough for 12, storage containers and a rake(!)), but it made for a nice break.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot] and 154 guests