290 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



Morning brings the third day, and while still the dipping 

 stars were winking and the shadows filling up the valley, even 

 before the highest point of Shepherd's Crest had felt the morn- 

 ing's breath, we were up and away. A climb of a thousand 

 feet brought us to Summit Lake and in full view of Thunder 

 Mountain. 



Here the ways divided, and while the bold spirits turned 

 their faces to the storm-defying heights, the slackers and a 

 large part of the commissary contented themselves with climb- 

 ing to Epidote Peak, and, dreaming in the sunshine, picking 

 out the various peaks and lakes, and watching through field 

 glasses the intrepids scale the frowning cUffs. 



Dunderberg is a mountain of multi-colored rock, steep as to 

 its sides, broken as to the rocks, and slippery, shifting, red and 

 hot as to the uncertain shale. It also has snow on the side — 

 steep, unclimbable snow — and on top, when you get there, a big 

 monument of more broken rocks. It is easy to come down, but 

 not exactly safe as to the coming. Rennie, the Mountain Goat, 

 makes a bee line down ravines of crushed shale and fetches up, 

 in a few thousand dashes, in something like twenty-three min- 

 utes, at the bottom. Others come more slowly, and with cau- 

 tion. After you have climbed it you are glad, and when you 

 get back to camp you are gladder still. Those left behind at 

 camp are glad, too, for they have kept dinner waiting, and they 

 show their joy by unusually friendly greetings, and by hand- 

 ing out dainties that you never knew existed, such as onion and 

 potato salad. I forgot to state that the elevation of this Thun- 

 der Peak is 12,365 feet. 



Do not be too hasty, however, in deciding not to climb Dun- 

 derberg. The real and most important reason for climbing any 

 mountain is the getting there and the things one can see from 

 the top. Measured by this standard, Dunderberg ranks sec- 

 ond to few in the entire Sierra. In fact it is the vantage point 

 of this entire region, and commands on all sides views which 

 are simply superb. Bridgeport Valley to the north. Monument 

 Ridge and Saw Tooth Ridge to the north and west, Dana, 

 Gibbs, Conness, Lyell, and many other old friends greet you 

 from a new angle. Saddlebag Lake, Virginia Lake, East Lake, 

 West Lake, Greek Lake, and innumerable others — even Hoover 



