COLBY PASS AND THE BLACK KAWEAH 



By James S. Hutchinson 



F many factors which determined for us the region for our 



V-/ summer's outing, there were three outstanding ones: First: 

 Mr. McDuffie had assembled for the trip a most congenial and 

 delightful party, and had told us of the beauties and charms of Roar- 

 ing River Basin and the Kaweah Peaks country. Second: It is eight 

 miles, as the crow flies, from the Whaleback in Cloudy Canon 

 across the Great Western Divide to Junction Meadow on the Kern; 

 it is sixty-five miles by the shortest trail between these same points 

 (via Turtle and Black Rock passes) ; it is seventy miles by the next 

 shortest trail (via Kings Canon, Bubbs Creek, and Shepard Pass). 

 Mr. Colby had said that, from the lay of the land, a pack-train 

 ought to go straight across and save two days between the Kings 

 and Mount Whitney.* Third: On many occasions, from the vicinity 

 of Brewer, I had viewed the Kaweahs — ragged and savage peaks, 

 dominated from every viewpoint by the unclimbed Black Kaweah. 

 There were plenty of other inducements, but what more were 

 required ? 



Our partyf gathered at Giant Forest on July i6, and there was 

 met by our pack-train, in charge of Ernest E. McKee, with Onis 

 Imus Brown assistant packer and cook. Later during the trip we 

 were to be joined by three other members.^ Before leaving the forest 

 we climbed Moro Rock and there obtained that most wonderful view 

 of the Kaweah region and the Great Western Divide, and, through 

 the notch at the head of Deer Creek (10,700 feet), the lowest saddle 

 north of Coyote Pass, got our first view of the Black Kaweah — in 

 the sunset light looking fierce, threatening, and defiant. 



On the morning of July 18 we left for Roaring River, taking the 

 "J. O." Pass trail and stopping over at Clover Creek for a trip to 

 Twin Lakes. Some of the party ascended Silliman, the most promi- 

 nent peak of the Silliman Crest and one commanding a broad and 



* See Sierra Club Bulletin, vol. IX, No. i, page 3. 



t Mr. and Mrs. Duncan McDuffie, Mrs. William Knowles, Mr. F. C. Torrey, Mr. 

 Charles A. Noble, Mr. Charles A. Noble, Jr., Col. W. H. Williams, Mr. J. S. Hutchinson. 

 t Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Elston, Mr. Vernon Kellogg. 



