Pico Risco Mexican DPS Peak From Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs

What:
  Pico Risco (4,987')
When: January 12th, 2014
Where: Mexico
Who: Matthew Hengst, Jack Kieffer, Jen Blackie, Gracia Delavida, Kristen Lindbergh, Neal Robbins
Pictures: [Matt]
GPS Track: [Map]
Mexican GPS Maps:  [Harlan]

After yesterdays extremely long day and somewhat disappointing peak behind a dump we were enjoying the Guadalupe Canyon Hot Springs much better.

While we didn't get up until late and we only had 4 or 5 hours of sleep it had certainly been worth it.

And now we had a much more scenic peak towering above us.

Cerro Pescadores Mexican DPS Peak

What:
  Cerro Pescadores (3,346')
When: January 11th, 2014
Where: Mexico!
Who: Matthew Hengst, Jack Kieffer, Jen Blackie, Gracia Delavida, Kristen Lindbergh, Neal Robbins, Mark Butski
Pictures: [Matt]
GPS Track: [Map]
Mexican GPS Maps:  [Harlan]

The Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section list has 4 peaks down in Mexico.  Due to the issues around the border the last few years these aren't done quite as much as the various peaks north of the border and as I completed more and more of the list I started to look at them more seriously.

I'd previously attempted Cerro del Pinacate during the last run up Baboquivari only to get turned around at the gate of the park due to "unspecified security concerns" that seemed rather oddly focused around the volcano itself.

With that peak apparently closed off (not to mention a long drive) there were still 3 others we could do and Jack, Gracia, and myself decided that would be a goal for the early part of 2014.  So we planned a two day for January to grab Cerro Pescadores and Pico Risco and a four day for May to get Picacho Del Diablo.

Garmin 650 Followup Review

My initial look at the 650 was positive but I had a few concerns.  This follow-up is both to address those and share what I think the actual strengths and weaknesses of the device after having spent a few hundred miles hiking with the device.

I have the Oregon 650 but most of the items below apply to the entire 600 series.  The Oregon 600 has less memory, lacks a mediocre camera, and doesn’t come with the rechargeable battery pack the 650 gives you.  The Oregon 600t and Oregon 650t are the same as the base unit but include a chip with maps preloaded.  I opt for buying the Garmin 24k topo maps and loading them by hand since the chips only have 100k maps.

The Oregon 450 is an inferior unit and I wouldn’t recommend anyone get it.  The money you save isn’t worth how much slower the unit is moving around on maps and how frustrating the touch screen is.

A Snowy Visit to Leviathan Cave in the Worthington Mountains

What:
  Leviathan Cave
When: December 14th, 2013
Where: Nowhere Nevada
Who: Matthew Hengst, Jack Kieffer, Rod Kieffer, Ron Campbell, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Matt] [Ron]
GPS Track: [Map]

While I spend a good portion of my time running up and down peaks I have a fascination with caves and mines that I don't get to exercise very often.

So when I happened across this trip report mentioning a rather neat cave requiring a 30 ft rappel / rope ascent sitting on the side of a 3rd/4th class peak in Nevada it was something I was eager to make happen.

Mount Tipton DPS

What:
  Mount Tipton (7,148')
When: December 2nd, 2013
Where: Near Kingman Arizona
Who: Matthew Hengst, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Matt]
GPS Track: [Map]

This was the 6th and final day of the 2013 Turktacular and rather than bum around Sedona for part of the day I wanted to grab a peak a little closer to home.

Tipton is in the northwestern corner of Arizona just north of Kingman but close enough to the California border where the drive home after was reasonable.  Also unlike many of the peaks on the DPS list there isn't anything obvious nearby to combine it with if you want to drive out there for the entire weekend.  (I've seen it listed with Spirit but I'd already done that with McCullough for last years Mustache Mosey)

Sledding The Dunes At White Sands

What:
  Sledding The Dunes At White Sands
When: November 11th, 2013
Where: White Sands, New Mexico
Who: Matthew Hengst, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Matt]

Similar to our quick tour of Biosphere 2 a few days back this was something I've wanted to do for some time now and had just been waiting for an opportunity.

White Sands is a national monument in New Mexico known for its strikingly colored sand.  In addition to the usual driving through and taking pictures the major activity for visitors is to go sled down the dunes.  Usually while screaming...

Guadalupe Peak Texas State Highpoint With El Capitan (and a side trip to Biosphere 2)

What:
  Guadalupe Peak (8,749')
  El Capitan (8,085')
When: November 28th, 2013
Where: Western Texas
Who: Matthew Hengst, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Biosphere2] [Hike]
GPS Track: [Map]

It's become a tradition the last few years to take advantage of the long weekend around Thanksgiving to get out in the wilderness somewhere.

Last year it was Valley of Fire Nevada (and some surrounding DPS peaks) and the year before that it was Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah.  This year circumstances allowed for a longer trip so I set my sights a bit further out and planned a 6 day long haul roadtrip that would include a tour of Biosphere 2 in Arizona, the Texas state highpoint Guadalupe and nearby bonus peak El Capitan, sledding the dunes at White Sands, two days roaming around Sedona with a peak or two included, and a finish on another DPS peak I needed on the way back called Mount Tipton.

Garmin Basecamp and the curse of the corrupted (-ish) .NET install

This is annoying.

Palen Mountain High Point DPS Peak Near Blythe

What:
  Palen Mountains High Point (3,848')
When: November 2nd, 2013
Where: Near Blythe, CA
Who: Matthew Hengst, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Matt]
GPS Track: [Map]

After yesterdays slightly overlong stroll up Granite #2 the plan was for the slightly easier Palen Mountains High Point followed by a leisurely drive home.

However the fact we again woke up a bit on the late side and our decision to camp near Granite #2 meant we had a good hour and a half drive to get to the Palen trailhead before we could actually start walking.

Good thing I like headlamps...

Granite Mountain #2 Out Near Blythe

What:
   Granite Mountain (4,331')
When: November 2nd, 2013
Where: Near Blythe, CA
Who:  Matthew Hengst, Kristen Lindbergh
Pictures: [Matt]
GPS Track: [Map]

Last weekend was a bit on the rough side as a quick two day to grab some interesting looking peaks out near Lake Mead ran a little late.  The cherry on top was a 5.5 *hour* delay to get through a 13 mile section south of Baker after a bad accident all but shut down the 15 until 3 or 4 in the morning.

So this weekend I decided to stick a little closer to my nebulously defined home and grab something off the dwindling list of Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section peaks I still "needed" (for list finish #1).