Patterson, Wheeler in Sweetwaters (CA), plus Panum

Harlan W.S.
May 06, 2015

This was my 96th DPS (Desert Peak Section) summit. I haven't climbed Navajo Peak in Utah, and don't plan to unless the legality/morality issues change. So this was my "last" DPS new summit. I've repeated many DPS summits (currently up to 42 times for one in particular), and will repeat some of the more spectacular peaks.

Big thanks to Rebecca S-E for the beta on this route (especially the drive!), thanks to Laura M for heads up on weather.

1 year ago I was in the Sweetwaters at Lobdell Lake, about to climb Patterson, but thought I'd wait to join a friend in two days.  Well, a storm rolled in... and this time, I was just ahead of a big storm.

0pdmap
The road was somewhat
challenging; I could have
pushed the TH up to 10200'
but as worried about snow
drifts in the road.		 0phmap
The hike.		 DSCN0273
There were 35mph winds
all the time I was there,
and it was freezing at
night, so I parked at
9600' and slept in the car.
DSCN0276 DSCN0280_stitch
View from Wheeler to
Patterson. It was again
very windy, and never
got above freezing		 DSCN0283
Sierra in distance.
DSCN0285 DSCN0286_stitch DSCN0290
Looking at the normal
route up from Lobdell
Lake.
DSCN0291_stitch DSCN0295
View back at Wheeler.
Wheeler has ~380'
prominence relative
to Patterson.		 DSCN0296
DSCN0298a
On top of Patterson.		 DSCN0298b DSCN0298c
DSCN0299 DSCN0302 DSCN0303
It was often easiest to
cross the low-angle
hard snow.
DSCN0307 DSCN0308
Wheeler on way back.		 DSCN0311
DSCN0316
townsite of Belford,
about 10200'		 DSCN0317 DSCN0319
The road near 10100'
was clear, but I couldn't
see that the night before.
Still I would need to
stop and remove big rocks.
DSCN0320
It's hard to gauge the
steepness of road in
a photo.		 DSCN0321
There was no room to
move to avoid sharp
rocks, so I was glad
to have 10-ply tires.		 DSCN0323
DSCN0325
ridge to Wheeler
at left		 DSCN0327m
On way back to NV
that day, I stopped
at Panum Crater.		 DSCN0328_stitch
DSCN0330
Years back I slashed
a finger on a piece of
Panum glass, while
prepping it for
chemical analysis...		 DSCN0332
...and that cut took 6
stitches, 2 of which I
ripped out the next day
while digging a snow cave...		 DSCN0335
...I had cut my finger
before this trip, so this
was an ironic tribute.
DSCN0338 DSCN0339I was heading for NV
peaks the next day, but
woke up to 1' new snow!