Vandever Mountain, Sawtooth Peak (N)

9-Aug-58

By: Tom Ross

From The Sierra Echo (Vol. II, No. 4), August 1958

MT. VANDEVER (11,918'), SAWTOOTH PK. (12,340'), Aug. 9-10 (1958)

By Tom Ross

Since the scheduled leaders could not make this trip, Burl Parkinson and I led these climbs.

It seems that instead of loafing around camp the majority wanted to climb Vandever on Saturday, so Burl and I led the group up to Farewell Gap in time to see dark clouds forming. We reached the summit as large raindrops came down and hail fell as large as peas. Thunder was booming in the distance but the storm soon passed and it was sunny again.

Vandever made Lois Stolaroff, a newcomer, her first mountain she had ever climbed! George Shinno climbed his 6th peak, making him a member of the SPS. Everyone who started made the summit.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, so at 7 a.m. Burl and I led the small group up the steep Glacier Pass trail to the pass, thence to Sawtooth Pass and on to the impressive summit of Sawtooth. The view was second only to Darwin's. Everyone again made the top. Sawtooth made Mr. and Mrs. Melts' 6th Sierra peak, giving us two more members.

Enroute home everyone again enjoyed a good dinner at Gang Sue's (in Porterville).

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Notes: The originally scheduled leaders were Miles Brubacher and Dick Mosley. The reference to the couple is to Harry and Siina Melts. Sadly, Burl Parkinson was to perish along with Francis Foley on Boundary Peak the following spring.)