Forbidden Universe
Paranormal => The Paranormal & Ghost Society => Topic started by: AngelOfThyCosmos on February 12, 2018, 08:35:32 PM
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Our Expedition On Nipple Peak & To Lost Lakes Adventure Report 09/23/17
Ill tell you what over the years I have been on some wild adventures whether it was encountering the paranormal or braving something that made it so the odds were stacked against us. I would say our trip to Nipple Peak and Lost Lakes were test us down to the bone. Their are no luxuries when I do bigfoot research this is a creature that is out in rain or shine in this case even snow.
You see on the last day of summer we had a snowstorm it nearly made its way down to 5 thousand feet where I currently live which means that anything above 8k would get a severe beating. I mean the last day of summer really you needed a jacket even gloves and a hat. The sierras get allot of freak weather and yes you can get snow in the summer these mountains are tall and vast alike. Freak storms are a regular thing here whether that is snow or 120 mph winds believe me. I was up for a big challenge dealing with the cold, snow and the fact that my DR did not get his Synvisc medicine shipment in so my knee shot was postponed and here I was climbing mountains. Lucky for us were from Buffalo so we can endure the cold were use to it lol.
I was excited to get on out for the day the thing is that I have not summated a peak in ages. Every year I try to climb a few major peaks then again some less known ones too. If your going to adventure below these mountains to ghost towns, corrals, historic sites etc it also is good to see them from above. In this case I would be hiking high above Summit City the ghost town we spent time working with in September on and off.
This is an area you get the best of both worlds you have your share of ghost down some of these old wagon roads and in this canyons. But you also have a fair share of bigfoot like creatures as well. So being that I am so into the paranormal ill take whatever I can get on any trip we do. But I never expect to find the paranormal I just bust my ass trying to find it so we had no idea what we would see but one thing is for sure we would go primitive no trails just climb into the wilderness and disappear from the rest of the world.
We entered Hope Valley I knew there was snow up here what I did not realize is the entire area was a winter wonderland. The trees had snow on all the branches, peaks were covered, snow on the valley floor and it was below zero. Here it is a couple days into fall and we were on a winter adventure months ahead of time. We dressed warm but we really did not expect it to be so cold or snowy up here. That wind chill at times would cut right through you. We could have dressed a bit warmer believe me but we decided to suffer a little because we really wanted to summit Nipple Peak which is a beast sitting in the heart of the valley believe me when I say that 9"400' of pure volcanic rock.
I love Hope Valley it has some of the more intriguing peaks in the sierras including Jeff Davis Peak which will be summating next year and is this giant pillar of rock. But this valley also has historic ranches that date back to the mid 1800's. Many pioneers traversed it to get to Raymond and Summit City two mining towns that boomed in the 1860's. Some of the ranching that transpired here lasted till about the 1970's even Dangberg had brought sheep and other livestock here in the warmer months. We did a paranormal investigation at his ranch a few years ago.
Its a pretty valley with allot of celebrities who come up here seeking retreat. But this valley has it all lakes, creeks, peaks everywhere and even bigfoot. I have not worked much with Hope Valley but I have gone thru it to work with Mount Raymond, Summit Canyon and Blue Lakes all notable areas full of scenic beauty but also history. So hiking above the valley is a real treat if your able to climb some of the peaks found here just keep in mind there are no trails its good old fashioned parking then making your own paths.
When we begin to head down Blue Lakes Road thru the valley we could see to our right Nipple Peak which is a geological formation which resembles a human body part or rather tit. My son thought I was lying to him or pranking but I am not lying this is the name of the summit. The past six years I have seen it climbing other peaks and on other hikes. I said six years ago to everyone hey that looks like a nipple found out that is what its called and why they call it. So I found humor in all of this of course but this peak is no joke to get to it requires a decent rugged hiking trail or going up the cliffs through the forest and up a canyon which is also very rugged but shorter if you have the know how.
We parked on the road in front of this mountain it sits back a good distance but there was this giant ravine or cliffs that went down to the bottom of the mountain then through the forest up over another ridge of steep rocks and into this canyon.. Climbing these giant rocks to get down below the road is treacherous especially covered in snow you fall once your dead trust me hiking the sierras is no joke and sometimes without trails you have to be that good because its a rugged wilderness.
I went further down the road turned to the right started offroading in the forest below the mountain as if you continue down the road you descend then it becomes a flat meadow so you do not have to climb the cliffs below the road. Rather you can drive down some roads in the Toiyabe below the mountain then park anywhere to begin your ascension. Jarrod and I drove down some snowy roads we parked between some trees and brush. Then we hiked right up into the forest at the bottom of the mountain.
This is a mix of volcanic domes, rocky outcrops and a glacier carved basin. So you have giant rocky slabs carved out during the last ice age with patches of forest in between its really gorgeous and where we were at not many get to see. But as we worked our way through the forest we could see the nipple at the summit which is a small volcanic dome that lava once spewed out of. But once your in the forest you see very little just snowy cliffs around you, peaks through the trees and walls of rocks everywhere.
We hiked through the woods crossing multiple creeks some of them were not easy to cross some were quite wide with rushing icy water. But see we had to go down into the basin then descend to the bottom of the canyon and eventually ascend to a ridge below the peak. So within the canyon there were multiple creeks and trust me with it being below zero if we got wet we could have some serious frost bite even hypothermia so no room for errors not in these kind of temps. I found a track but it was in bad shape maybe bigfoot as it looked like there was toe impressions but because of the rains then the snow it was in to poor of shape to document.
The woods were dense the snow was at times a couple feet deep and we were hiking above multiple ravines. It can be scary because you know that if your hugging the side of a ravine one slip on ice or snow you are going to slide down to the bottom for 50' and at the bottom? Creeks with rushing water! We came across this one ravine it was almost a straight drop off we had to follow above it for 50' across a thick patch of snow till it leveled off further ahead of us so we could cross it. My left hand had to hung the side of the hill so prevent me from sliding down the bank into the creek and my index finger froze like a ice cube. My son gave me his glove it took 20 minutes to regain feeling in it boy was it painful.
There was a second creek I crossed while working my way down this snowy steep bank well I slipped sliding 8' down my entire foot and up to my knee almost landed in a creek of ice water. I was so worried about my finger I did not even pay much mind that my toes were just drenched in ice water. I guess at that point this is where I lost my GPS too it was in the mesh of my backpack so when I fell sliding it slipped out did not know it till a couple hours later and was like where the hell did it go then remembered I slid down the bank on my back.
The third creek we crossed was tricky it was very steep as we were diagonally crossing this canyon and also ascending gently at the time. We found a 50' hole with waterfalls in this cavern it was pretty but you fall down the hole that might mean death the water was pouring down the cliffs right down into this hole. I had to cross the creek right before the hole and it was one hell of a drop off. Not an easy task to do when the rocks are icy and wet. I had to take it really slow with precision to cross the final creek before we started climbing cliffs to the lower ridge of the peak. Jumping over ravines, rocks and slipper slopes along the creeks required allot of caution but its either that or you turn back there is no turning back once you get as far as we did. So rather we just had to cross these creeks and play some leap frog.
Across the creek in the woods up on a rocky outcrop we spotted a massive herd of deer mixed with fawns, does and yes even bucks it was amazing there was maybe 15 all standing on the rocks looking down at us and then we seen them on the move. There was no end to them it was deer after deer watching us as they walked between the trees watching us carefully from about 100' away. You do not get to see this kind of nature unless you go primitive but that also means hungry bear and mountain lions to.
This is like a lost world I cant describe it this is why I spend hours filming for you guys. I mean you have waterfalls, rock formations everywhere, massive trees, steep cliffs etc its really paradise but snow in the sierras kills people each year between avalanches, people freezing to death and other accidents. So our ascension was slowly probably a couple hours to the lower ridge about five hundred feet below the summit itself.
We turned to the west begin to climb up the canyon its almost straight up no more trees just cliffs everywhere with the summit high above us. Within the cliffs I found about three to four caves problem is its so steep some you cant access the ones you can it was muddy and wet. So if you even try to reach them if you slip you could get hurt. Id have to go in a much dryer season and I might go back because I am totally about exploring unknown cave systems. There are caves under the sierras that go hundreds of miles with underground rivers, lakes, caverns with crystals etc they do exist so do underground aliens, reptilians and even bigfoot like creatures they live in such dark places.
But I found some caves one of them we passed close to looked like a giant hole then a crevice you can slip down into which probably is a cave. Nobody would know about this place because most folks take the Pacific Crest Trail which follows the road in Hope Valley a little then ascends to the ridge but rather we just decided to cut up a canyon with no trail and allot of rough terrain. Also my son was with me and mountain lions as well as bears live in these dens sometimes they are not caves but rather holes that go back a few feet where wild animals shelter at.
To get to the lower ridge there was a very steep muddy and rocky hill straight up almost no joke. At times you had to use all four limbs just to make your way up it. It was easily a few hundred feet up my son is lighter so he slipped a little but me I was sliding bad my pack weights 50lbs being I have bad knees etc you can imagine the struggle within me I faced. I fell many times with nothing to grab onto but an occasional rock it was muddy and on both sides of this steep bank were cliffs. Behind me there was snow covered volcanic cliffs so we could not climb them the steep incline was the only way to the top. But one wrong slip you could roll a 100' down the bank or even the sides it was dangerous believe me.
My entire front side of me was covered in mud I had these Fila sneakers on with chunks of mud hanging off the bottoms and they were completely almost brown. The last 20' was so hard it pained me because its straight up with nothing to grab onto you just have to use your leg strength. But for every step I took I slide a few feet back down. Eventually I was about 5' below the ridge line and this flat open area which overlooked Hope Valley and good views of Jeff Davis Peak along with the road behind us we drove in on. My son reached his hand out but I could not grab it he was to far so I started to slip and took both my hands dug in my fingers four inches into mud pulling myself up a few feet so he could grab my arm and I could gain footing. I was on my chest like a snake pulling myself up when I reached the lower ridge my hands had clumps of ice, mud and clay. You could not even see my rings and all of sudden frost bite was hitting my fingers each second it was getting worst.
I had my son take a bottle of water pouring it over my hands that way I could remove the icy earth from my hands. I did not even know what to do because I could not even move my fingers I was shouting in pain trying to shake the clumps of mud from my fingers then eventually we got most of it off with the water and I slipped my fingers into some warmer gloves. I had to blow hot air into gloves lost feeling in my fingers because of this. You see that mud I dug my fingers into was almost frozen completely so there was ice mixed in if I did not warm them up id had some frost damage.
When we reached the lower ridge just below the peak there was this massive flat area it was really nice big open views with a trail going right between some tall grass. We reached the Pacific Crest Trail and we saved some time taking this short cut but it was still difficult. The trail began's to ascend right below the peak then along Lower and Upper Blue Lakes. The trail begins to ascend just below the peak following the upper ridge till it means up with the upper ridge. We decided we would climb the upper ridge or straight up to Nipple Peak later moving on instead to Lost Lakes. We were very exhausted from our climb so we figured the trail was more level and we could rest up a little or warm up on it.
We had Blue Lakes to our left straight below us nothing but cliffs the trail only a foot wide covered in snow time to time. To our right we had Nipple Peak plus the upper ridge. In front of us we could see Round Top Peak which I climbed a few years ago then behind us Jeff David Peak and to the left behind Blue Lakes but adjacent Mount Raymond a giant extinct volcano we climbed. All them mountains around Raymond and Reynolds peak were drenched in snow top to bottom. Some peaks had over 5' of snow on them you could not even seen the rocks so you knew it was deep.
There was some giant rocks we could hide behind along the trail to warm up and break. The wind on this ridge was chilling and cold. Keep in mind it never got over zero degrees up here so we started at sunup and it was only 11am and we had only gone a mile or two. But we were over 8k at this point so we were definitely climbing. The upper ridge to our right begins to descend along the trail problem is that there is no way to get to it unless you rock/cliff climb and well where it ends are straight cliffs hundreds of feet down so we had to come up with a way we would get to the upper ridge on our way back.
We followed the trail on the ridge line along Blue Lakes wow what a view you could see the Evergreen Trail and Summit Canyon which we hiked in a couple times in September. The worst part of the trail is that it edges along cliffs and steep hills that go hundreds of feet down. We had to hung the side of Nipple Peak because parts of the trail had slick snow on it. Imagine what its like to cross a snow covered trail on the edge of a cliff if you lose any traction, trip, move to fast etc that could mean death. By the time the two ridges met we were on the other side of it descending down to Lost Lakes. You could see lower Lost Lake coming into view then as you follow this ridge you could peak over it and see upper Lost Lake too. So from the middle of the ridge descending down I could see both Lost Lakes and Blue Lakes. Four lakes surrounding us it was beautiful everything snow covered around us.
The descent down to Lost Lakes was not easy it was steep the trail switched back all the way down past lower Lost Lake and onto the back side of Upper Lost Lake. We had entered the ElDorado National Forest hell the edge of the Mokelumne Wilderness. The lakes seemed so far away it took awhile to come down off the ridge hundreds of feet where we came across many dirt roads along the back side of the lake. This area got hit hard every green trees covered in thick snow, pot holes filled with muddy water, trail had a couple feet of snow. There was no more trail at this point we just decided to cut on over to the lake where we could have lunch on the shoreline below Lost Lake Peak behind us and to the right the cliffs of Nipple Peak and the ridge we were up on all covered in snow it was gorgeous.
So gorgeous that when I found out I had cell signal I begin to take photos then upload them live on my facebook a treat most of you rarely get to see. Not often where someone can go into the wilderness and start posting scenic photos live like that but my signal was good here. I was texting a friend during lunch and talking to other friends about the snow. My son and I had pizza for lunch but we had other really awesome treats to I brought along. Eating at the lake was colder then being up near the summit brrr when the wind came it brought some chill to us.
We did not spend allot of time at the lake I wanted to go to this land bridge around the lake to check out the lower Lost Lake but I just did not have time. You have to understand it gets dark fast out here that time of year once that sun is gone its night time up in these mountains. We still had a peak to summit then had to find a safe way down back to the truck both of which are time consuming. We took a few photos then I looked for tracks along the lake. I did not find any tracks most of the lake shore is a gravel not soft mud. Also there was some people camping back by the lake the road to get up here is not an easy one you start at upper Blue Lake and it climbs to Lost Lakes.
Problem is the road is all rocks no dirt and the other road that goes around Lost Peak was so steep this one guy could not climb out of it. There are ways back here though we seen three vehicles one was an SUV hell it may not even have had four wheel drive but you get a flat back here it will suck trust me. I almost hiked the road to Lost Lakes over six years ago at the time I thought the road was taking me to Summit City but after a mile we turned around you could barely hike it the rocks were so bad and its so steep. But man if you can get back here this might be some of the best camping in the world its gorgeous, serene, scenic and remote back here. The campers waved at us also I found a hidden pond in the woods with a muddy shoreline but not even so much as a bird track here.
I did notice when I was on the ridge seeing a few of these clear blue ponds surrounding the lake. There is one below both of the Lost Lakes on this cliff its amazing. If you can get to places like this and if I had more time I bet there may have been some good bigfoot tracks but we had to head back and did not have more time to explore more and I certainly was not going to sleep here for the night. Because once night comes you wont be going anywhere unless you want to get lost its vast up here.
So we began to ascend up on this snowy ridge on cliff revealed Lost Lakes the other side of the cliffs Blue Lakes its nice real nice. There is these cliffs surrounding the upper ridge no way to get to it accept you could climb then work your way up the ridge but then you deal with cliffs on every side and with snow up there yeah one slip its game over so safety first.
We made our way past the ridged cliffs following just below them till we almost were directly below the summit. At least below the summit rather you can use your leg strength and go straight up this rocky hill. Its steep believe me but if you fall you wont fall to your death its just volcanic rock which when you step on it the shit loves to roll and you can easily roll an ankle. But the summit is all volcanic loose rock with patches of grass that grow and some brush but for the most part no trees to grab onto it. Its a good four or five hundred feet straight up the side of this mountain.
Once we reached that ridge line we felt like we won because if you climb the ridge from Lost Lakes its cliffs straight up if you climb from the PCT its straight up above the trail cliffs that is. But if you hike to the summit going past it yeah its further of a hike to the upper ridge but its safer not as steep as cliffs. Sometimes shorter may seem wiser but short cuts are death defying in the sierras you might decide hey let me climb these cliffs sure the ridge is a 100' up but if you have drop offs a few hundred feet below and wet rocks its deadly because you can slip. So yeah it took a bit longer to get to the summit but man so much safer.
Once we were on the ridge we just had to head east along it rock climbing, walking along the narrow ridge line and traversing it for a few hundred more feet. We still could not see the nipple the ridge is all volcanic so you have to climb the crags if you do not like heights you wont like the volcanic crags lol. They are tall rocky pillars with cliffs in between them that go straight down for hundreds if not a thousand feet. The back side of the nipple is straight up cliffs you get to close start to slide its game over. So climbing the crags meant doing it safely because they overlooks these cliffs. You get over one crag then hike 60' and encounter another one. In between each crag are cliffs to the left and to the right of us is for hundreds of feet a steep mountain side with jagged rocks.
Eventually we climbed our last crag then hiked along the narrow ridge just open views 360 degrees around us of mountains. You had to be very careful though you get to close to the edge on your left you could fall so we had to make sure we moved along the ridge line carefully making sure we did not stumble or slip. The nipple was in front of us its just this dome like rock about 15' high and about 20' across at the end of the ridge line. Their is a ammo box its called Nipple Thoughts that we could not find. My son actually climbed the dome stood above me saying dad I found the box and he lowered it down to me. The box has memorabilia from other climbers and ledgers you can sign. I found a piece of paper then wrote an extensive letter to other hikers with our website who we were and about our subzero climb to the top.
It was around 4pm it was warm up here I actually took the gloves, jacket and hat on off. No wind either which is rare on a peak this high. This is the nicest view in Hope Valley really because from the top you can see Sunset Lake, Blue Lakes, Lost Lakes, Forestdale Divide, Pyramid, Thunder, Roundtop, Red, Jeff Davis, Reynolds Peaks. Hell as a matter in fact we seen at least 100 peaks with views that went a 100 miles in every direction. From the top you can also see Nevada, Ebbetts and the Carson Pass. Some mountains were covered in snow other ones were more bare. I mean you are in the middle of Hope Valley on this peak surrounding by mountains there is nothing around you but valley and forest floor its phenomenal really.
By accident I dialed 911 at the top of the peak on my phone they probably GPSed my phone and thought oh snap we need to get a helicopter we got an injured hiker lol. They called me back and I had to explain to them I was hiking and it called them in my pocket accidentally lol. I was like btw I am almost 10k up on a mountain and I did not mean to call 911 yeah that went over real well but shit happens I am not perfect and my phones camera button also calls the emergency number so you have to be careful. Its a feature built into the button on the side of the phone in case you do not have service or cant dial your phone just in a weird spot so yeah!
My son said at the top of the dome was a volcanic tube or hole so you could tell that Nipple Peak was a volcanic that erupted and the hole left behind was where lava shot out of forming this dome at the top of the peak. If you ask me I think that is very cool and we spent about two hours up here. I even took more facebook photos posted them as we ate dinner on top of the peak. But you could see the road we were parked near and it was far real far so we knew the journey was not over. Below the peak are these big open expanses, rolling hills and you could see the PCT go right through it all meandering till it faded into the forest. We would have to take this to descend back down onto the road problem was the trail was a couple miles to the south it does not cut right to the road but follows it then comes out much further then where I parked so we knew we were not going to get out till nightfall.
While at this time I did not find any bigfoot tracks from this peak I seen multiple areas that we found bigfoot evidence at or explored. So this was not a wasted trip every time we complete a new part of the sierras it connects to other regions we been to such as other peaks nearby. That way I can make a mental note which areas might have more bigfoot activity or even tracks while other areas might not have that it allows me to scope out new areas or even find new hidden unknown caves. I now hot link sites together on the website which are close to one another so when I get Nipple Peak on the site it will have hotlinks to Hope Valley, Summit City, Mount Raymond and other places we journeyed at that surround this peak so that is progress.
I will say this earlier below the summit Jarrod and I rested behind a rock he dozed off for about ten minutes I let him while I ate some good food. I heard some odd vocalizations they were not human nor any animal I know. We were the only ones up here yeah I seen a guy on the trail but he was descending into Hope Valley and that was at 10am in the morning around. Were not sure what these cries and screams were but it can be scary to be somewhere remote then you hear massive screams coming from some canyon nearby.
This area of California is a bigfoot hotspot its not the first time I heard strange noises up here we heard them all month long hiking near Nipple Peak in September. It could be bigfoot its hard to know for sure but these creatures are up here my friends and they are real. They might be signaling to one another especially if were primitive and near one of their caves or shelters. I am a dedicated cryptozoologist so it is my job to find proof these creatures are real and in fact help preserve them through our work. But people need to be aware these creatures are masters of this mountain range they thrive and they are ten times more equipped to traverse the region.
As a matter in fact Alpine County is 97 percent wilderness and the other 3 percent is inhabited by humans. They compare this counties mountains with the Swiss Alps because most of the mountains are rocky crags, cliffs and snowcapped most of the year. There is nobody that will hear you scream and sadly folks vanish up here without a trace so one must wonder.
Near some crags on a mountain near Round Top Peak we seen this bright light it was hard to look at. But apparently the sun was reflecting off some solar or metal panel. At first we thought we were looking at a UFO because the reflection looked more like a ball of white light hovering on the peak. While filming it when the sun begin to set further to the west I seen a pole with a flat panel attached to the top so no UFO we solved the mystery. But still I was not taking any chances if we think something is strange will photograph or film it. Then will try to debunk it scientifically which it took us a half hour to try to do so but I had to know what it was and what was causing this light across the canyon at the top of this peak.
The sun was almost behind the mountains where the light was reflecting but the way it was caste look like a giant UFO it was not but man if it was it would have made great film. I mean I took some great photos up here really but I also did a long documentary covering the history of Hope Valley along with Jeff Davis Peak where miners from Summit City spent time at, showing off various peaks/lakes, talking about ghost towns in the area and showing our viewers how to summit this peak safely such as where to go and not to go. This might come in handy each year a small handful of folks climb this peak some have no idea how because even though the trail skirts it you have to find your own means to the top and some ways to the top are far more difficult then other ways.
We would make our decent it was steep again if you do not like heights you wont like this it looks straight down but it really is not its just a steep mountain side. The biggest pain was the loose rocks hundreds of feet of sliding, slipping and rocks rolling like crazy. It was a rough descent hard to get any footing coming down but eventually we did get back on the Pacific Crest Trail. I figured it would not matter if it had gotten dark because this trail eventually takes you out into Hope Valley to the road where the trail crosses the road so once we got to the road we could just find the truck from there.
I cannot think of a more perfect hike with Nipple Peak to our backs we were traversing open meadows, hills and the skies were gorgeous with hues of orange and pink. Sunset was turning to dusk fast the moon was coming out and just as we entered the national forest it was as dark as night. You see the trail resides still high above the road that cuts through Hope Valley with nothing but forest, rock formations and about a mile separating you from it. You cannot even see the road to your left and you have to follow the trail two miles southeast till it eventually crosses the road. But its an obstacle course the entire way and it was cold out as hell. I remember seeing icicles on some of the rocks and cliffs no joke!
It seemed like forever it took to do the two miles through the forest it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I heard some branches break a few times but never did we seen eyes or any animals. I thought oh great there might be bear or mountain lions pouncing us. You see this two miles of trail climbs and descends over granite shelves, between rock formations bigger then houses, marsh land and between trees. There are big boulders all over, cliffs and volcanic rock throughout the hike. But the trail slowly descends and switch backs to the road VERY very gradually as your work your way a few hundred feet to the bottom of the valley where the road passes through.
You cant see nothing the woods here are so thick and with rocks 30' high along the trails something like a mountain lion could easily jump right on top of you. At times the trail goes right between granite rocks sometimes it goes over giant rocks with a 20' drop off its really intense to do at night lucky for us we have some very nice lights so the woods was lit up like a Xmas tree for our hike back. I did come across a young blonde lady she was kind of cute camping near the trail she was alone not sure how safe that is if people knew the kind of monsters that roam these woods they would not camp here especially alone trust me. But she was just as worried as us I told her how far to the road because we had been on the trail at night for over an hour. The trail is rugged there are tree roots and other obstacles. My left ankle I sprained early because I tripped over a rock in front of a small hole. I hurt it again when I stubbed it on a tree root so at this point I was ready to warm up go home.
Once that sun goes down it gets really cold it was not winter but it was a winter day for sure. We came out on the road with relief. Man it was a good feeling to see the road which we had to now back track two miles to get to the dirt road my truck was parked on. On a good note as we walked the road there was not a single vehicle out we could see the Milky Way along with multiple constellations what a clear beautiful night but again it was below zero. It was quite cold hiking the road you could feel fatigue setting in, cold just cut right through us and I was getting hungry. I had some cheese, banana chips and dark chocolate once I got back at the truck.
We followed the road for two miles along the Carson River and you can hear it flowing. Actually allot of the hike is along this marshy like area with some very dense woods its a bit intimidating really anything could cross the road anytime or just reach out grab you. At night its intense here because anything could be hiding or watching you would not even know it. It kind of sucks that we could not just descend down off the peak then head east to the road but its not only dangerous with all the snow and mud but at night you wont even be able to see where your going.
I mean it sucks to have to take a trail that goes south for two miles then you have to walk the road back to the north for two just to get to your vehicle but it was a safe choice for Jarrod and I. Sometimes in the sierras you can shave a couple hours off hikes I once climbed Mount Raymond in less then a couple hours went straight up the cliffs instead of the five mile trail around it so if anyone has proven it works its me but short cuts do not guarantee safety so at night once we reached that road for us it was a win.
I was exhausted though a 50lb bag all day is hell to carry and my backpack is not resting right on my hips its all on my shoulders so I may have to use one of my other ones or buy a new one. Lucky for me my new tripod is ultra light but water, food, survival gear etc adds up. We found the dirt road below the summit and you could see it in the moonlight the summit that is. About three dirt roads later in the woods away from the main road we turned in at the truck awaited with heated seats and we were able to warm up quickly because by nightfall we were at subzero temperatures which is hard to be out in all day from morning till later at night trust me it takes allot of strength to do a hike like this in these mountains. My lungs were definitely feeling it especially at the peak in this cooler weather.
Let me tell you something this was a rewarding hike allot of good views, photography, filming, history, adventure etc. I actually put this backpacking trip together for my sons 16th birthday he wanted a real adventure in the sierras and I gave him one from morning till night. He has over the years helped me get some good bigfoot evidence and journeyed on my side. He might be a young man but he has given me his hand when I needed it most and looked out for me. Its never good to go into this wilderness alone if you break a leg, fall hit your head etc you may end up dying or nobody finding you. So I try not to do it sometimes I do but was lucky to have my kid with me and he did help me when I needed it. It takes allot of strength, patience, endurance, resilience etc to navigate these mountains trust me going primitive is for experienced outdoorsman this is the wilderness and in these conditions you can freeze to death especially if you get lost or worst fall to your death because you decided to take the wrong deadlier route so we had to be spot on all day long. My son is a tough cookie he loves bigfoot just like I do therefore we make sacrifices to gather the evidence we do on these adventures its not easy but what an amazing day.
When I had gotten home I watched Funhouse Massacre its a horror comedy while my four cats piled on top of me. I was so exhausted to think that I had to get up hours later suit up for football watch the Bills game and go see The Kingsman 2 there was simply no shortage of relaxation this weekend. I had the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos game to watch. Then my football game at the sports dome oh man woke up had a lumber jack breakfast from Denny's take out, drank chocolate milk for the sore calves, used prescribed pain cream, took an Epsom salt bath and had to stretch for about an hour. But it was a fine day the Bills won and I had a great football game despite the fact that the day before we hiked over 5 miles in the sierras. Hell we did it all rock climbing, going up cliffs, crossing ravines, creeks, scouring lake shores, hiking, exploring and everything else in between. One could see why pioneers and settlers like the Donner Party met their doom its wild back here and when the cold weather hits its brutal.
This will make a great addition on our site some of the media like videos and photos are just wow first intense bigfoot expedition of the year. What a great treat in the winter this area is closed off due to 20' of snow we had gotten to bring to our viewers and early winter wonderland treat lots of snowcapped peaks. Out of all the hikes I have done in the high sierras this was one that had million dollar views so it will always be within my top ten scenic hikes. Plus I had gotten to hike above Summit City two different worlds between being at the bottom of these lake basins or canyons as opposed to being thousands of feet above them what an exhilarating day. I also made my kid very happy a good old fashioned father and son bigfoot expedition which we wont forget anytime soon. It is good to be back out again journeying in the sierras after all that had happened I think were back in the game now and ready to chase that squatch its a good feeling!
Peace,
Lord Rick
PGS Founder
PS This is a rough draft subject to changes later down the road on our website