Mount Humphreys, CA (13986')

Eric K of Las Vegas Mountaineers Club planned this as a dayhike (18 miles RT, over 5000' gain).  We took the "scramble" route with two short sections of class 4 (the latter one is exposed).  We started at 4AM by headlamp from the hiker parking east of North Lake campsite.  We had one hiccup that used about 1 hour, else it went pretty smoothly; I reached the parking at about 6:45 PM.

One 30m rope is enough for the two raps. We also had 75' of 15mm tubular climb-spec webbing, which was useful as a quickly-deployable handline. This route is often guided, so the anchors look pretty well-maintained. We found a few places where people had simply looped cordelettes or webbing over rock horns or even boulders; look for the two good anchors (had  rap rings, pitons in Aug 2015). The lowest anchor is above class 3 only.

Thanks to Mark M and others for beta.

Harlan W S, Jodie S, Eric K

Aug 15 , 2015

01map
From North Lake,
take a maintained
trail to Piute Pass,
then cut NNE to the
biggest lake near
Humphreys.
1map
Only this last part is
really rough, with
loose scree up to the
last 200'--300' of gain
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We're near Piute Pass,
view ESE, and the
sun has just risen
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Now we head NNE
from the pass to
Humphreys, over
reasonably easy ground.
Our route will be on
the L side of the peak.
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looking up at the peak
from near the last lake.
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The talus slog
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I'm looking back
at the notch right
before the last
climb
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There is an anchor at
the top of the class 3
crack, so I clipped in 75'
 webbing as a handline.
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At the top of the second
class 4; still exposed,
so I tossed down the
webbing handline.
Jodies helmet is visible
as she enters a crack
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View down from summit.
The last cl 4 is to R
of that rock horn.
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The other party
descends
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On top!
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View ~SSW; the
distinctive profile
of Sill can be seen.
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summit shot by Eric
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Heading down.
Pippers!
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Jodie catches me relaxing
before downclimb R
to top anchor
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Top anchor is to L
justa bit down.
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1st rap; a bit diagonal.
Pic by Jodie.
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End 1st rap; next
anchor is in back of me.
Jodie pic.
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Jodie comes down 2nd
rap; also a bit diagonal.
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Eric's pic
of Jodie
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heading back to notch,
at botom of class 3.
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View back UP. The
red is class 4
blue is class 3;
1st class 4 is barely
noticeable
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View UP
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The scree is nastier
coming down
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This is a little lake
where we rested
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One can see Jodie
and Eric at the
other end
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One last view back
at the peak
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Trail up to Piute Pass,
about 6PM.
I went ahead a bit
so I could get the car
and drive back to the
actual TH, and save my
buds a short extra walk.

  It turned out the others
were pretty close behind.