I talked Rudy, my son-in-law, his brother Christian, and my son, Wes, into an “easy” Sierra Peak. Saturday morning we drove up together and got on the trail in the late morning. Temperatures were mild and the skies were cobalt blue – a perfect hiking day. The hike took us up to an easy pass, then along the Pacific Crest Trail for a few miles before we got to the mountain. From the PCT, we lost 500 feet of elevation before we left the trail and started up the peak.
Climbing the Steep Slope to a False Summit
The mountain is a straightforward steep slope up to a summit. Wes knew what to expect, but this was new to Rudy and Christian. They certainly had the fitness, but the mental part of climbing a seemingly endless slope started to fatigue them. When we finally reached the summit, we were all disheartened when we realized it was a false summit. I think the guys were pretty happy not to summit, but I couldn’t let it stand. They reluctantly followed me for another 15 minutes of scrambling up to the real summit.
When we finally reached the summit, we were all disheartened when we realized it was a false summit. I think the guys were pretty happy not to summit, but I couldn’t let it stand.
The Swifts
On the summit, we were greeted by several White-throated Swifts. This was the first time I had ever seen one. I didn’t know what kind of bird this was until months later when I found information about them online. Several of these birds flew past us at such high speeds that you could hear the air whistle as they blurred past us. It took a few passes before I actually saw one. During the first several passes, all I heard was a hissing sound, and I asked the guys if they had heard it. For a moment, I thought I was hearing things and had wondered if it was just in my head. These birds are shockingly fast.
Several of these birds flew past us at such high speeds that you could hear the air whistle as they blurred past us.
The Projectile-vomit We Can Never Unsee
On the way back, we lost, then gained, then lost elevation. The yo-yo effect of this, and the fatigue of the day, triggered some altitude sickness with Rudy. He suffered badly all the way back to the car. The rest of us ate at the Chinese restaurant in Lone Pine, while Rudy abstained. It all came to a head 20 miles south of Lone Pine. Wes was driving. Rudy yelled, “Pull over!” and projectile-vomited just as the car stopped and the door opened. Rudy immediately felt better and ate at the next gas stop. Needless to say, we all get a laugh out of this story as it has become part of the Feller adventure folklore.
Rudy yelled, “Pull over!” and projectile-vomited just as the car stopped and the door opened.
Surprisingly, within hours of his epic hurl, Rudy wanted to do another peak. Such is the call of adventure. It hurts us, but we always want more.
Elevation Profile
