South Sisiter Loop to Bonanza, to Meet Alda

pics by Harlan W. S.
June 10, 2009

Alda B was visiting from Canada, before a trip on the Haute Route. I was supposed to meet her in Vegas at 9AM, but there proceeded a bizarre comedy of miscommunication. In the end I did meet Alda, at the place indicated on the map, and we chatted for a few hours… and somehow I forgot to take her picture.

The first part of the route, N up a very steep gully to South Sister, then WSW on a ridge to the Bonanza Trail, is trailless. This is not the normal way up South Sister. In the past I’ve saved a lot of time by just dropping directly down to the Old Mill Drainage, rather than travel on the Scout Canyon Road, but Alda and I wanted to talk. As mapped, the total route is 8.3 miles, with about 2500’ accumulated.

I made it up S Sister in 1h 3m, with a 4m stop to send a SPOT location message. Though it’s only ~2 miles by this short path, the elevation gain is ~1700’, and the going is slow in the last steep talus. When I’ve gone with a group, we’ve taken ~2 h.

The gully I took up is a favorite Buffet Boys descent.	Tabulate corral fossil, much altered.	This is a view looking up the final 40° talus slope. Pass through the low point in the rock and turn L.
This is the last class 3 chute to the top (from an older trip). The only tricky part is right above Steve’s head.		View W and N; McFarland at L, Mack’s in middle, N Sister at R.
View E and S; Mummy at L, Charleston at R.		The obscure peak in distance is the highpoint of Amargosa Overlook Ridge (where we were last week).
Descending back down class 3, Charleston in distance.	Winkled Primrose.	Impressive pile of horse crap at low point between Sister and Bonanza Trail.
Vetch	Flax	Phlox
phlox	Sage	Now at Bonanza, here is view back E to Sisters.
View W to McFarland.	Mummy.	Almost back to the cars, the Sisters loom above.