Some photos

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah

It is NOT a hike: it is a BIG mountain!

Two years ago (in April 2015) two of us went for a multi-day snowshoe Lake Magog trip . We stopped at visitor center in Lake Louise, Alberta and Vera (who is very short) went to get mandatory backcountry permits. A ranger, just to make sure she got it right, asked Vera "Where is your trip leader?" By that time, Vera already has climbed ten technical peaks, including Mt. Whitney, Mamquam, Garibaldi, Baker,  Rainier, Joffre, Slalok, Rethel. Things apparently have not changed much since then: this time a Zion NPS ranger, looking down at very short Vera, skeptically replied, after she asked about the route to Mt. Kinesava:
"It is NOT a hike: it is a BIG mountain!".  So here we go - we are going to climb it! It will become Vera's 50th technical alpine ascent. 8)

PHOTO: East face of Mt. Kinesava that two of us climbed


Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

Just aim it!

We never saw Mt. Kinesava before and that's why Vera went to ask the ranger. The reply was "Just aim it!". Now we see it for the first time and it is looking good! 8)




Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2917.03.30 BCMC Trail

California Climbers' Salute at the top.

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

East Face is likely the easiest route up Mount Kinesava, but that does not mean it is easy. While it is not technical, there is a steep, brushy approach with loose footing, and that approach is tiring. After the approach is over, there is still well over 1000 vertical feet to climb in less than a mile, much of it on Class 3-4 terrain.

http://www.summitpost.org/east-face/711793

After Angels Landing the previous day, this was quite a change: for the entire day we saw no people. 8)




Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

vera

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.







Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

Springdale is a town in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 529 at the 2010 census. It is located immediately outside the boundaries of Zion National Park, and is oriented around the resulting tourist industry...Springdale was named one of the 20 'prettiest towns' in the United States by Forbes Traveler in 2008.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springdale,_Utah

Zion National Park is one of the best parks to visit because of the adjacent city of Springdale - it is as cute as Lone Pine, CA (Mt. Whitney area). Market with reasonable food prices, and laundromat too. It has large free overflow parking. No overnight stay ranger harassment so typical for Yosemite NP. The visitor center has free fast WiFi. 8)

PHOTO: Entering the ramp. Time to gear up, just in case, or it could be late.


PHOTO: Entering ledge system of the east face of Mt. Kinesava. City of Springdale at the far back.


PHOTO: typical "airy" class 3 terrain: must take care of slippery surface (surface sand and debris can easily turn into "steel bearing")



Last steps before the summit are the sweetest. Springdale far below. 8)


Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

vera

2017.03.17 Observation Point, Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

大大地被Angels Landing的“549”这个数字激动了一下，快到TH时River walk又给了我们一个惊艳（此时的光线下，Angels  Landing超棒！），兴高采烈地搭了shuttle，继续在班车上的半小时再回味消化一番，我们返回到游客中心的停车场。接下来做什么？吃东西、上网（Vis Ctr有wi-fi）、整理gear、小憩，然后决定下午去哪里。

我一直心心念念的是Mt Kinesava，书上写的是往返8km，可是我再怎么念叨，博士也不为所动（事后证明我错了），他屡次提到的是这个Observation Point。顾名思义，view一定好。再看看Guide上的说明，来回12.8km，拔高650m，这些数字可比Angels Landing的多多了，除了这是Class 1的徒步路线，其他的似乎不太符合博士将它归于“小搭配” 的这一类。另外，它的TH在shuttle bus的#7 （Weeping Rock TH），末班车大约在晚上8点。我大约计算了一下时间，放宽点，预计5小时，便对博士说，我们最好不要迟于下午2点出发，这样3点就能起步，那可以赶末班车回来。

两三个小时很快就过去了，因为不知道trail的朝向，担心晒得太热，便多准备了水, 我们又一次坐上了可爱的shuttle，目的地是Angels landing TH 的下一站。果然，大部分人都在#6下了车，去当天使了。#7到了，也有很多下了山的人在等车，看来这里也很流行。

没几分钟就分叉了，左边是几百米就到的weeping rock（大众光顾的景点）。再一些zigzag之后，向右就是去East Rim的，见到些去那里背包露营的人。我们向左，渐渐上升，正好一半处（2mile），经过Echo Canyon（昨天才知道它的名字），一下子阴凉起来，风景的味道也变了，有人说，如果你不想去那么长的Observation Point，那这里就是最佳的转折点。整个trail，这里是我最喜欢的地方，除了两头窄窄的通道，周围尽是陡峭的高耸的石壁，而峡谷的中间却是另外一番天地，像避风港，也像世外桃源，是个休息的好地方。

既然这是轻松的徒步，只管向前走就行，trail都是现成的。第一次来的一大好处就是，只有走到底，才知道目的地到底是什么样子。没错，Observation Point也不例外，我们走啊走啊，我猜最后差不多走到了Rim level的高度了，大大的plateau后，继续，走到悬崖边了，博士说，到了！（再走就自由落体了）

哦，原来这里就是Observation Point，沿着边缘，人们分散着，从不同角度欣赏着Zion。看，Angels Landing，顺着博士的指向，它长长的俊秀的山脊是你怎么也不能错过的（那么多山，我却只认识它一个）。我在想，等我多来几次Zion后，如果有一天再有机会来这个Point，那我一定能点出很多名字来吧？期待！







Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

A good intuition is very critical in alpine, but a combined intuition is fantastic - as in our case: sometimes we use my intuition and sometimes we use  Vera's. How do we choose whose intuition is "better"? - By intuition! We both feel whose intuition is "more right" - and it has worked so many times, miraculously - Cathedral Peak in Yosemite is classic example when I was "sure" we had to turn right and Vera suggested to go left - I felt for some reason she was more correct - and it turned out that it was the only correct "right". Of course, most of the times we both feel the same intuition - when we even don't discuss, like on Mt. Rainier when we went for a walk just to check out conditions meaning to summit next day, and actually climbed to the top - when we both realized we "walked" so close to the top that we just should do it..8)

With Kinesava it was that Vera wanted to climb it right after Angels Landing saying the route was a lot shorter than twice longer Observation Point trail (even our guide book said so), but I dismissed it as it didn't sound right to me. We never argued over it, just went to Observation Point. Next day we climbed Kinesava which required full day - nine hours from car to car...

The route that we climbed: East Face of Mt. Kinesava


View from the summit of Mt. Kinesava, Zion National Park, Utah


Permalink: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

California Climbers' Salute at the summit of Mt. Kinesava, Zion National Park, Utah. Springdale below.


Mt. Kinesava was Vera's 50th technical alpine ascent:
===================================
1        Crown Couloir
2        West Lion
3        Slalok
4        Baker
5        Mt. Rainier
6        Rethel
7        Castle Towers
8        Rainbow Mtn
9        Matier
10        Wedge Attempt
11        Mamquam
12        Garibaldi
13        Mt. Whitney
14        Joffre Peak
15        The Camel
16        Hanover
17        Crandell - attempt
18        Mt. Temple
19        Crown Couloir
20        Matier
21        Mt. Shasta
22        Rainier
23        Mt. Athabasca
24        Tenaya Peak
25        Lembert Dome
26        Conness
27        Half Dome
28        Mount Broderick
29        Puppy Dome
30        Echo Ridge
31        Echo Peak #5
32        Echo Peak #8
33        Echo Peak #7
34        Mount Muir
35        Independence Peak
36        University Peak
37        Kearsarge Pinnacle #12
38        Kearsarge Pinnacle #11
39        Kearsarge Pinnacle #10
40        Kearsarge Pinnacle #9
41        Cathedral Peak
42        Columbia Finger
43        Echo Peak #3
44        Half Dome
45        Mount Niblock
46        Forks Peak
47        Runner Peak
48        Elephant Butte
49        Navajo Knobs
50        Mount Kinesava



Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.

Mount Kinesava, Zion National Park, Utah







Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

vera

2017.03.18 Mount Kinesava via East Face, Zion National Park, Utah - contd.




East face of Mt. Kinesava, Zion National Park, Utah


At the top


downclimbing class 4


Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah

Lady Mountain is the monolith with a sheer cliff on its north side located across the road from Zion Lodge in the majestic and colorful Zion National Park (home of big wall climbing). It was named after a section in the climb that resembles a woman’s face over Emerald Pools. Most of the mountain is covered in Navajo Sandstone from the Mesozoic era. Lady Mountain used to be called Mount Zion. Interesting as well is the fact that this was the first of the trails up to the rim or to the top of any monoliths in Zion. It was constructed by the NPS in 1923. Due to deaths and bothersome rescues, two ladders and 2000’ of cable hand line that used to exist on this route were removed in 1978. The summit gives way to tremendous 360 degree views of the canyon including, Red Arch Mountain, the Great White Throne, Deer Trap Mountain, Cable Mountain, East Temple, West Temple, Canaan Mt, Three Patriarches and Castle Dome.

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/154127

According to the park's ranger, Mt. Kinesava is "A BIG Mountain, NOT a hike". Well, Lady Mountain turned out to be even bigger than  Mt. Kinesava - and we have the proof. 8)



Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

If Angels Landing is easy to spot from the shuttle bus stop, to see Lady Mountain one must turn head straight up: it is BIG (and we are going to climb it!). 8)

PHOTO: East face of Lady Mountain, Zion National Park (Angels Landing can be seen on the right side)



Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

This is not the crux yet, just some class 4 moves..8)


The east face of Lady Mountain.


It used to have chains and ladders build back in 1923, but then removed in 1978: even with chains and cables people kept hurting themselves and falling to death.


Sandy ramps like this are common and very slippery - and therefore are dangerous, one must take special care climbing. Although we carried them in our backpacks, rock climbing shoes here are of very little use, hiking shoes actually provide better grip.




Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

Elevation: Total elevation gain is 2675 feet in 1.9 miles. Once you begin the ascent up the mountain, you will climb 2345 feet in only 1.6 miles.

There only flat part of the route is the pavement from the bus across Virgin the river, and the short summit ridge, the rest is exposed and steep.  8)






Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

vera

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

Lady Mountain from bus stop




Angels Landing




Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

vera

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)









Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167

PanShiBo

vera
..

This part is the first crux of the route (called chimney) and is a rock climbing rated YDS 5.4, we decided that I climb it first without backpack and pull up our packs after (common alpine practice), but pulling the packs turned out to be hard - they kept getting stuck on the way. So Vera decided to climb this with 2 backpacks on (hers and mine)! She also had to remove the cam I placed for protection - you need at least one hand free. I am still not sure how she did, but she did!  Wow! 8)

PanShiBo

2017.04.01 BCMC Trail




58:14

vera

2017.03.19 Lady Mountain, East face (YDS 5.4) - Zion National Park, Utah (contd.)

Second crux (YDS 5.4)










Summary: https://www.crossna.org/forum.ph ... post&pid=177167