Lamont Peak

8-Apr-00

By: Jerry Keating

Running an early April trip in the Southern Sierra can be a somewhat chancy endeavor because of the likelihood of high winds in the passes and across the Mojave Desert, but April 8, 2000, proved to be an ideal day. Only light breezes developed, and skies remained cloudless as 19 persons gather& in shirt sleeves at the start of an intro climb of Lamont Peak (7429').

From the saddle immediately west of the peak, an often-steep but easy-to-follow use trail led the party eastward to the rocky summit well before noon. A few patches of snow were observed on the north side of the ridge, but none remained on the climbing route. There still was snow, however, on the Kern Plateau and Olancha Peak.

Among those on the summit was John R. Robinson of Stockton, whose ascent completed his SPS membership requirements; and Li Ching Chuan of Fullerton, who was on her first SPS trip. Others included former SPS Chair Rick Jah; SPS list finishers Roy Magnuson and Mary Motheral; plus Shirley and Leon Galle, Eugenia Hathaway, Bruno Geiger, Frances Kwan, Carlton McKinney, Susan and Bill Livingston, Dick Miller, Rayne Motheral, Gary Schenk, Yvonne Tsai, and leaders Jerry and Nancy Keating.