Scary Climbs by Dawn

How I cheated death in the mountains DON GRAYDON

The secret to cheating death on mountain climbs? Do like I do. Go up the easy side.

That’s me, fearlessly scaling vertical rock (in this case, the east face of Mount Whitney). Usually I stay away from climbs like this — too scary. The best mountains have an easy side and a scary side and you’ll always find me taking it easy. But what does the scary side look like, I wondered. Read on and you’ll see the routes I wouldn’t dare go near. I’ll leave these to the mountaineers who love

Scary Climbs.

In thanks for a lifetime of adventure and beauty in the mountains, I dedicate this book to my brave and beloved climbing partners: Jonelle, Andy, Jim, Dan, Anita, William, Emily, Cocoa, Satchi, Dick, Neil, Anya, Beldon, Ben, Bill P., Bill S., Brian, David H., David P., Frank, Gil, Imbert, Janice, Jeff, Jens, Jim K., Jimmy, Joelle, John, Knoll, Kurt, Lonnie, Maggie, Mary Jean, Mike, Ron, and Warren.

Most of these photos are from the Internet, with credits. The colored dots at the top of each mountain show where I stood once upon a time, usually by climbing the easy side. Don Yellow Submarine Press Don Graydon Index, Washington 202

Mt. Baring Central Cascades Erwin Buske

Split Mountain High Sierra Dale Matson

Angel’s Landing Zion National Park

The Coxcomb Yosemite drewid

Mount Stuart Central Cascades Phillip West

Kyes Peak Central Cascades summitpost

Mount Tyndall High Sierra Ben Rohrs

Three Fingers Central Cascades Tore Ofteness

El Capitan Yosemite Nate Zeman

Black Tusk British Columbia Vincent Morand

Mount Daniel East Peak (at left), Middle Peak, West Pyramid and West Peak. Central Cascades

Columbia Peak Central Cascades kevinsa

Mount Pugh North Cascades John H. Scurlock

Mount Persis Central Cascades gimpilator

Mount Index Central Cascades Bradley Green

Chair Peak Central Cascades Rick Huff

Gunn Peak Central Cascades Peter Stevens

Mount Sperry North Cascades Josh Lewis

7 Fingered Jack North Cascades Steph Abegg

North Twin Sister North Cascades Grant Myers

McClellan Butte Central Cascades Chris Williams

Bear Creek Spire High Sierra

Sierra Mountain Center

The Tooth Central Cascades Danny Larsen

Mount Buckner North Cascades Josh Lewis

Mount Whitney High Sierra Geographer

Slippery Slab Tower Central Cascades Krishna Dase

Dragontail Peak Central Cascades Gil Aegerter

Hibox Mountain Central Cascades Michael Cline

Glacier Peak North Cascades John H. Scurlock

Silvertip Peak Central Cascades kevinsa

Cathedral Rock Central Cascades Walter Siegmund

Hanakauhi Mountain Haleakala, Maui Chris Archer

Unicorn Peak Yosemite

Steve Hymon

Mount Gabb High Sierra completebum

Silver Star Mountain North Cascades Andy Porter

Mount Fernow North Cascades Steph Abegg

Half Dome Yosemite diliff

Silver Peak Central Cascades Snidely Whiplash

Mixup Peak North Cascades Laurel F.

Morning Star Peak North Cascades beaudaddy85

Picacho Peak Southern Arizona Don Graydon

Tres Virgenes Baja California Andrea Izzotti

Mount Ellinor Olympic Mountains YEM

Liberty Cap Yosemite David Chen

Ragged Top Southern Arizona Gannon McGhee

Merchant Peak Central Cascades gimpilator

Kaleetan Peak Central Cascades Jeffrey Pang

Lichtenberg Mountain Central Cascades Jeff Hansen

Graydon Peak Central Cascades Don Graydon

Vesper Peak North Cascades Josh Lewis

Mount Baker North Cascades John H. Scurlock

Mount Pilchuck Central Cascades Josh Lewis

Snoqualmie Mountain Central Cascades gimpilator

Mount Maude North Cascades off_the_hook

Del Campo Peak North Cascades Steph Abegg

Pinnacle Peak South Cascades peakbagger

Mount Rainier South Cascades John H. Scurlock

Little Annapurna Central Cascades elevencharles

Guye Peak Central Cascades Ron Clausen

Mount Hood Northern Oregon John H. Scurlock

Mount Shuksan North Cascades Wayne Wallace

Window Peak Southern Arizona Don Graydon

Mount Si Central Cascades Laurel F

Hidden Lake Lookout North Cascades Don Graydon

Unicorn Peak South Cascades Tim Patmont

Mount St. Helens South Cascades John H. Scurlock

Sahale Peak Central Cascades Laurel F

White Chuck Mountain North Cascades Steph Abegg

Colchuck Peak Central Cascades Laurel F

Trappers Peak North Cascades Roger Gervin

Mount Lassen Northern California USGS

Mount Washington Olympic Mountains mountainjeff

Mount Shasta Northern California Bubba Suess

The Brothers Olympic Mountains Ron Clausen

Lundin Peak Central Cascades yellowleaf

Mount Skokomish Olympic Mountains gimpilator

Enchantment Peak Central Cascades Josh Lewis

Gothic Peak Central Cascades beaudaddy85

Jumbo Mountain North Cascades kevinsa

Finger Rock Guard Southern Arizona Don Graydon

Kendall Peak Central Cascades Josh Bukoskey

The Thimble Southern Arizona Don Graydon

Eagle Peak South Cascades Josh Lewis

Red Mountain Central Cascades Jason

Thunder Mountain Central Cascades Martin Bravenboer

Mount Forgotten Central Cascades Sarina

Disappointment Peak High Sierra Rafee Memon

Esmeralda Peak Central Cascades gimpilator

Echo Rock South Cascades Terry Mataya

Mount Adams South Cascades kevinsa

North Ingalls Peak Central Cascades Laurel F

Stiletto Peak North Cascades Steph Abegg

Whistler Mountain North Cascades Kurt Smith

Black Peak North Cascades Jason Curtis

Cathedral Peak Yosemite Matt Smith

South Early Winters Spire North Cascades Steph Abegg

Liberty Bell North Cascades Steph Abegg

Mountain Sculpture Graydon Reserve Don Graydon

THE PEAKS ALPHABETICAL

BY PAGE NUMBER 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49.

Mount Baring Split Mountain Angel’s Landing The Coxcomb Mount Stuart Kyes Peak Mount Tyndall Three Fingers El Capitan Black Tusk Mount Daniel Columbia Peak Mount Pugh Mount Persis Mount Index Chair Peak Gunn Peak Mount Sperry 7 Fingered Jack North Twin Sister McClellan Butte Bear Creek Spire The Tooth Mount Buckner Mount Whitney Slippery Slab Tower Dragontail Peak Hibox Mountain Glacier Peak Silvertip Peak Cathedral Rock Hanakauhi Mountain Unicorn Peak (Yosemite) Mount Gabb Silver Star Mountain Mount Fernow Half Dome Silver Peak Mixup Peak Morning Star Peak Picacho Peak Tres Virgenes Mount Ellinor Liberty Cap Ragged Top Merchant Peak Kaleetan Peak Lichtenberg Mountain Graydon Peak

50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97.

Vesper Peak Mount Baker Mount Pilchuck Snoqualmie Mountain Mount Maude Del Campo Peak Pinnacle Peak Mount Rainier Little Annapurna Guye Peak Mount Hood Mount Shuksan Window Peak Mount Si Hidden Lake Lookout Unicorn Peak (Mt. Rainier) Mount St. Helens Sahale Peak White Chuck Mountain Colchuck Peak Trappers Peak Mount Lassen Mount Washington Mount Shasta The Brothers Lundin Peak Mount Skokomish Enchantment Peak Gothic Peak Jumbo Mountain Finger Rock Guard Kendall Peak The Thimble Eagle Peak Red Mountain Thunder Mountain Mount Forgotten Disappointment Peak Esmeralda Peak Echo Rock Mount Adams North Ingalls Peak Stiletto Peak Whistler Mountain Black Peak Cathedral Peak South Early Winters Spire Liberty Bell

7 Fingered Jack 19 Angel’s Landing 3 Bear Creek Spire 22 Black Peak 94 Black Tusk 10 Cathedral Peak 95 Cathedral Rock 31 Chair Peak 16 Colchuck Peak 69 Columbia Peak 12 Del Campo Peak 55 Disappointment Peak 87 Dragontail Peak 27 Eagle Peak 83 Echo Rock 89 El Capitan 9 Enchantment Peak 77 Esmeralda Peak 88 Finger Rock Guard 80 Glacier Peak 29 Gothic Peak 78 Graydon Peak 49 Gunn Peak 17 Guye Peak 59 Half Dome 37 Hanakauhi Mountain 32 Hibox Mountain 28 Hidden Lake Lookout 64 Jumbo Mountain 79 Kaleetan Peak 47 Kendall Peak 81 Kyes Peak 6 Liberty Bell 97 Liberty Cap 44 Lichtenberg Mountain 48 Little Annapurna 58 Lundin Peak 75 McClellan Butte 21 Merchant Peak 46 Mixup Peak 39 Morning Star Peak 40 Mount Adams 90 Mount Baker 51 Mount Baring 1 Mount Buckner 24 Mount Daniel 11 Mount Ellinor 43 Mount Fernow 36 Mount Forgotten 86 Mount Gabb 34

Mount Hood 60 Mount Index 15 Mount Lassen 71 Mount Maude 54 Mount Persis 14 Mount Pilchuck 52 Mount Pugh 13 Mount Rainier 57 Mount Shasta 73 Mount Shuksan 61 Mount Si 63 Mount Skokomish 76 Mount Sperry 18 Mount St. Helens 66 Mount Stuart 5 Mount Tyndall 7 Mount Washington 72 Mount Whitney 25 North Ingalls Peak 91 North Twin Sister 20 Picacho Peak 41 Pinnacle Peak 56 Ragged Top 45 Red Mountain 84 Sahale Peak 67 Silver Peak 38 Silver Star Mountain 35 Silvertip Peak 30 Slippery Slab Tower 26 Snoqualmie Mountain 53 South Early Winters Spire 96 Split Mountain 2 Stiletto Peak 92 The Brothers 74 The Coxcomb 4 The Thimble 82 The Tooth 23 Three Fingers 8 Thunder Mountain 85 Trappers Peak 70 Tres Virgenes 42 Unicorn Peak (Mt. Rainier) 65 Unicorn Peak (Yosemite) 33 Vesper Peak 50 Whistler Mountain 93 White Chuck Mountain 68 Window Peak 62

Jonelle and Cocoa on the tippy top of Mt. Persis. Page 14 I’m at Shepherd Pass, going up Mt. Tyndall. Page 7 Jim belays me up the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. Page 97

My entry in the Whistler summit register. Page 93

David Henning and I share the summit of Mt. Index. It was a long day as we hiked to the top of Mt. Persis, traversed the ridge to Mt. Index, then dropped down to Lake Serene and out. Page 15

Jonelle standing tall on Angel’s Landing. Page 3

Warren Wilson leads the way 100 on Hibox Mountain. Page 28

I accompanied my boy Andy and his friend Jens up Mt. Baring. Page 1

Sitting pretty atop Kyes Peak are me and Ron Hobbs. Page 6

Michael Knoll and I on the Mt. Pugh summit. Page 13

Dick McConaughy, Ron Hobbs and I celebrate our ascent of 7 Fingered Jack, one of three major summits we climbed that weekend. Page 19

Satchi and I on our way up Silver Peak. Page 38

Jimmy, Maggie and I on Ragged Top, one of the peaks the three of us climbed near Tucson. Page 45

We got the best of Picacho Peak on my 70th birthday, December 13, 2008. Page 41

Bill Poulson and I on the summit of Mt. Buckner. Page 24 The happy Mt. Maude climbers with me are Ron Hobbs and Dick McConaughy. Page 54

Jonelle among the rocks at the Hidden Lake Lookout, where we spent two cold and snowy nights. Page 64

Ron belays me and Dick up the gorgeous granite below Colchuck Peak. Page 69

Up I go on Kyes Peak. Page 6

That’s me, way up on Little Annapurna. Page 58 Anya relaxes on the summit of Trappers Peak, with the dramatic Pickets in the background. Page 70 Tough mountaineer on his way up Vesper. Page 50

Ron climbs, I belay, on the 102 west ridge of Lundin. Page 75

Michael Knoll climbs the high point on Vesper Peak. Page 50

Two gnarly dudes summited the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. Page 97

Jonelle at the top of a steep field of hard snow, just below the summit of Mt. Pilchuck. We spent the previous night at a bivy site, unable to complete our Lake 22 to Pilchuck traverse that day. Page 52

On top of Unicorn Peak, in the Tatoosh Range near Mt. Rainier. Page 65

On the lip of the Mount St. Helens crater, Andy on snowshoes, me on skis. Page 66

On The Thimble: Jimmie, Maggie, Dave and me. Page 82

Andy working hard to finish the climb of Unicorn Peak, near Mt. Rainier. Page 65 I made friends (?) with a mountain goat on Mt. Ellinor. Page 43

Jonelle watches her footing on Angel’s Landing. Page 3

Brother Jim belays while I climb the original east face route on Mt. Whitney. Page 25

After our climb of Mt. Washington, in the Olympics. Andy, Rob McConaughy, his dad Dick and me. Page 72

Neil atop Trappers Peak, the Pickets in view. Page 70

Maggie nears the top of Ragged Top. Page 45

Celebrating the ascent of 104 Peak. Page 69 Colchuck

I’m on my way up Merchant Peak. Page 46

Brothers Don and Dan after their 150mile hike down the Muir Trail, ending with a climb of Mt. Whitney. Page 25

That’s me going up Cathedral Peak in Yosemite. Page 95 No fear: Jonelle climbs Picacho Peak. Page 41

Jonelle in a whiteout on our exploratory hike prior to climbing Mt. Index. Page 15

Jim Kjeldsen and I atop Red Mountain. Page 84

Neil, Mike and Imbert ascend Silver Star Mountain. Page 35

Jim enjoying the clean and climbable rock on the west ridge of Mt. Stuart. Page 5

Dick McConaughy smiles on our climb of The Tooth. Page 23 Dick McConaughy in a whiteout on Mt. Daniel. Page 11

With Maggie on top of Window Peak. Page 62

My boy Andy scrambles up the steep rock of Black Peak. Page 94

Our climbing group takes the final steps to the summit of Gunn Peak. Page 17 Here we are atop Del Campo Peak during a thunderstorm. Thank goodness we left our metal ice axes down below. Page 55

Dan stands atop Split Mountain — another of 106 our 14,000-foot peaks in the Sierras. Page 2

Up Pinnacle Peak: Andy, me, Jonelle, Dana. Page 56

Anita clambers up The Coxcomb. Page 4

Atop Merchant Peak. Page 46

The summit of Mt. Rainier with climbing ranger Steve Brown. I hauled my 60-pound pack up to Camp Muir, with no climbing partner, but luckily Steve asked me to finish the climb with him the next day. Page 57

Warren and I are two happy hikers on Snoqualmie Mountain. Page 53

Dick, Ron and I on Dragontail. Page 27

Up the final rocks to Mt. Pilchuck. Page 52 Ron Hobbs and Warren Wilson on Mt. Shuksan. Page 61

Jim and I on Mt. Stuart after a memorable climb of the west ridge. Page 5

Dan nears the summit of Disappointment Peak in the Sierras. Page 87

Jonelle and I on Echo Rock at the base of Mt. Rainier. Page 89

Neil Modie negotiates a ridge on Esmeralda Peak. Page 88 Jim Kjeldsen and a mini-crevasse on the summit of Red Mountain. Page 84

The boys and I on the Sahale Peak summit block. Page 67 Whiteout on Mt. Daniel. Page 11 108

Satchi takes a snooze after hiking up the icy Mt. Pilchuck trail. Page 52

Lisa and Paul relax on top of Thunder Mountain. Page 85

Andy and I scrambled Eagle Peak, near Mt. Rainier. Page 83

Maggie nears the top of The Thimble. Page 82

Jonelle photographed me on this rock outcrop on our way up Enchantment Peak during our four days in the upper Enchantments. Glorious solitude! Page 77 Snow aplenty as Satchi and I head up Silver Peak. Page 38

Beldon at the Hidden Lake Lookout. That grayness in the background is smoke from forest fires. Page 64 Dick makes his way up to me on Merchant Peak. Page 46

Brother Jim rests on a ledge at the base of our climb of Liberty Bell. Page 97

Jim on the summit of Mt. Shasta as I rush to get in the self-timer photo. Page 73

That’s Mt. Stuart behind Jim Kjeldsen as he sits on top of North Ingalls Peak. Page 91 I’m standing on the crown of Columbia Peak. Page 12

Our group climbing Mt. Baring. Page 1 110

Andy on the summit of Gothic Peak. A tough day climb. Page 78

A lunch break on my way up Whistler Mountain. Page 93 Jonelle on the summit of Mt. Index, 3 days after her 60th birthday. Page 15

Our Mountaineers group tops out on Jumbo Mountain. Page 79

Cold and cloudy on the summit of The Brothers. Dick signs the summit register. Page 74 Jeff and I on Tres Virgenes with guides Miguel and Gilberto. Page 42

It’s January on Mt. Si. Page 63 Jonelle and Satchi on Silver Peak on a cold and windy day. Page 38

Cocoa relaxes in the snow during a climb of Mt. Persis. Page 14

Dick on his way up Mt. Fernow, across the glacier and up the steep terrain. Page 36

It’s a loooong way down. A climber on our Mt. Shuksan team peers into the abyss of a glacier crevasse. Page 61 And on the lip of the St. Helens crater, I’m only three steps away from the last glissade of my life. Page 66

Climbers high on Mt. Stuart: Maynard, Andy, Jonelle and yours truly. Page 5

Del Campo steepens; Jonelle presses on. Page 55 112

I’m climbing the gully route on Mt. Maude. Page 54

Paul Graydon is nearly to the top of Bear Creek Spire, belayed by Dan as Bill Poulson and I watch. Page 22

Brother Dan checks the climb ahead on Hanakauhi Mountain. Page 32

Jonelle and Andy climb the red rock of North Twin Sister. Page 20

An outcrop on the way up Colchuck Peak was too tempting for Ron. Page 69

Jim Kjeldsen rappels off North Ingalls Peak. Page 91 Our climb leader ponders the next move on the route up Mixup Peak. Page 39

With me atop Mt. Adams are Rob and Dick McConaughy and Andy. Page 90 My mom takes it easy on the highest rocks of Half Dome. Page 37

Andy and I and Dan on Hanakauhi. Page 32

Relaxing on Glacier Peak are Dick , Nick and me. Page 29

Daddy Don and son Andy on top of Mt. Lassen. Page 71 Whiteout on White Chuck — both times we climbed it. Page 68

114and I are proud and happy on the summit of Sahale Peak. Page 67 Andy

The Bear Creek Spire register, with me and Dan signed in. Page 22

High atop Mixup Peak, struggling to keep up with a guy who was training for Denali. Page 39

Dick on our ascent of McClellan Butte. Page 21

Up a series of ladders to reach the top of Three Fingers — exciting! Page 8

Jonelle swims in Stiletto Lake after our climb of the peak. Yes, that’s a chunk of ice. Page 92

My boy Andy and my girl Jonelle and I on North Twin Sister. Page 20

Happy mountaineers on South Early Winters Spire. Page 96 Dick and I looking strong on our climb of Mt. Hood. Page 60

Andy on Vesper Peak. Page 50

My dad and I on top of El Capitan (Page 9)

. . . and Liberty Cap (Page 44)

. . . and Mt. Whitney (Page 25).

Nick Lake 116