Vogelsang Peak from the NE

Actually I have sampled the rock a bit the last two days. Last night I ducked out and hit this big boulder across the lake. It was wild rock, a rich golden-brown granite, gloriously covered by these golfball-size crystals. Then this morning I split off from the group and took a more scrambly variation up Vogelsang Peak via the North Buttress. A fun slabby connect-the-golfballs ramble followed by a nice rough-walled chimney got me to the crest. From there I was able to run the scenic ridge and rejoin my friends at the summit. All the rock here seems to be clean, sharp, and creatively featured. Monkeying around on it doesn't satisfy the urges as much as it fuels them.

Anyway, that was at least 5 hours ago and I'm jonesin' again. Doesn't take all that long when every vista (like this one [347 kb]) is heavy with huge complicated granite formations. This time I'm cutting out from the gang somewhere below the NW Face of Fletcher Peak. It's a boulder field down low leading up to what looks like some terraced slabs above. They look pretty gradual from here, and they've got these reassuring vertical stripes. Bruce bets me a dollar I won't make it.

I head up the boulders to the left of this steep smooth wall lined with a bunch of nice-looking cracks. Come to think of it, that's probably not a very good description, since I'm also headed up to the right of a bunch of nice-looking steep cracks. Anyway, some steeper scrambly terrain leads through bushes then to an alcove below a 15 foot headwall.

Hey look, that's me! NW face Fletcher Peak

Time to put on the rock shoes. Third time this trip and it's still fun. These things weigh maybe a quart of beer, but I am so glad I added 'em to the load. Ogling at this granite all day, it feels so good when the time finally comes to sit down and lace up. Energized with the eager anticipation of the climbing, slipping into the comfy scramble shoes gives me a buzz like that first morning cup.

Shoed up, I approach the sharp, blocky step. I can't see what's above the headwall but I think it's the stripey slabs. I'm wondering now whether they're gonna be easy enough to solo. A couple of overhanging but unexposed moves and I've got my answer. The slabs are speckled black and rough, in a frictiony-good kinda way. They're slashed by a smorgy of black cracks, all headed upwards. And of course, all around, liberally peppered at double bolt-ladder density, are those melted-crystal black-glazed chicken-headish golfballs. No worries about the soloability here. Three points of contact and your choice of hold-type, guaranteed! Even if this slab were mirror blank, it'd only be about 5.6. Inside my head that Flounder guy from Animal House is gushing, "This izzzzzz GREAT!"

views toward East

I pad up the slanty fields of golfballs, dropping into a crack whenever the slab feels the slightest bit insecure. Dividing the slabs are short steps. The crux step, though fairly steep, is rendered doable by a welcome addition to the hold-type selection. A splitter handcrack, just a bit steep, takes me a to a small overhang, which is covered with stick-shift-grip honest-to-goodness chickenheads. Grab, grab, pull! Ahhhhhhhh, I needed this.

The summit area is large, flat, and complicated. It's like a massive dune with rock outcroppings. I wander about and explore, but I don't think I ever do tag the true highest pinnacle. No problem, the views abound.

The golden-brown sand is the perfect consistency for descending. It's a plunge-steppin' knee-savin' air-cushion downavator for about 500 feet to the top of a pre-scoped passage through the lower steepness. I'm headed to the West with a mild autumn sun bringin' me down the hill.

This Vogelsang place is cool. Thumbs up. Life is good.

Pictures by Patrick Saunders