Mount Tom & Rosy Finch (CA Sierra)

pics by Harlan W. S. & CP
August 29-30, 2009

This was a typical Blitzkrieg CP trip, with me acting as ballast. We drove in the dark up Buttermilk Road near Bishop, to set up camp near some inebriated fishermen on Friday night. Saturday morning we slogged up Mt Tom from 7600’; we made good time and CP even bagged a bonus peak. We stumbled back to the car, went to Bishop for drive-through food, then headed up to Rock Creek. A kind ranger took pity on me and let me throw a bivy sack in the woods near the trailhead. Sunday morning we were on the trail, hiking by headlamp ~5:15, and summited Rosy Finch by 8AM.

250k map with both hikes. While the mountains are fairly close, the entry roads for the trailheads are far apart.	24k map for the top of Tom. Consider taking the blue dot route to avoid the talus slog.	The gate, after climbing 600’. Tom, the great slag heap, is at R.
Horton Lake.	Onions everywhere.	At summit. View SSE by Basin Mt. Smoke from LA-area wildfires limited the view.
		Humphries in back at R.
View ~SW from top.	View ~ W.
Mine tram.		View N to Tom at ~11400’
	Horton L from ~11400’.	Slog slog
		Next day, Rosy Finch.
Sun hasn’t yet risen.		CP ahead.
This picture (CP is here, too!) illustrates the massive jumble of ready-to-tumble angular boulders.	Bear Cr. Spire.	View N back up Rock Creek/Mosquito Flats Valley.
	View ~S, Bear Cr. Spire at R.	Humphries in Distance.
The quasi-knife-edge is the best footing.		Note the slab R of CP looks like it is about to break loose. A few minutes later, I did some acrobatics to avoid riding another slab to doom.
View back at Rosy Finch (L), Pyramid, and Bear Creek Spire.