08.12.2011 Pyramid peak 2011!

A few years ago, I would consider the hike up Mission Peak as a warmup for 'real' hikes like Half Dome or Mt Whitney.  After Evan's arrival last September, even Mission Peak has become a challenging hike!  So it was with a bit of trepidation (and excitement) that I attempted Pyramid peak yesterday.  It had been months and months since I had even tried Mission Peak, nevermind something as strenuous as Pyramid Peak.  In fact, the last time I did anything like Pyramid Peak was a year ago at Pyramid peak!  I was not sure that I could actually finish the climb this time around.  But I figured I will turn around if I really can't make it to the top. 

I ended up finishing the entire hike, with lots and lots of breaks. Finally getting back to the parking lot around 4:40 pm.  I had started at about 9am.  This is close to 2 hours longer than I would usually need.  I did end up spending quite a bit of time ascending a different route which (unbeknown to me) had several segments of extremely steep and loose terrain.  At one point, I had to throw my hiking poles up a few feet, get on all fours and struggle to find stable footing up a tinsy bit at a time.  The danger was the slaps of granite were not stable at all, they were resting on loose rock crumbs which were acting like lubricants among the larger pieces of rocks.   I got stuck at one point (reminded me of the chimney below Red Banks of Shasta) and could not move up and was afraid to try to go down.  I finally got past that point by getting as close to the ground (which was at some 50 degree angle anyway) as possible and basically 'crawling' up a little at a time while hoping nothing gets loose from above, below, or where my limbs were touching the terrain.

About 60% up to the peak, my calves started to cramp up and I immediately downed shots of Gu (concentrated carb/minerals gel) and Cheez-it to replenish sodium levels.  The cramps didn't get worse, nor did they get much better for the rest of the hike.  Summitting in such a state made me more appreciative of the view I was enjoying and as corny as it sounds, more appreciate of life and health as well.  I made it to the top just before 2 pm (1:50) and stayed for about 15 minutes before heading down via the Canyon Creek trail, which was still surprisingly abundant of snow.  I made it back home just after 8:30pm.  Here's a clip of the views from the top of the Pyramid: