naura - Jul 28, 2016 2:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2016
Fun, rewarding scramble. Is Gibson lake real?
Took the trail up from Granite Lake. When the trail started to leave the creek, we cut over to it and boulder hopped to a snowfield. We were under the impression there was a small lake (Gibson lake) further up the creek, so we kept alongside it. This eventually led us to a large snow field that matched the location given for Gibson lake. Hmm. Oh well.
We then headed up the rock to the left, which was the NW face of Gibson. There were a variety of class 2 routes up to the base of the pinnacles along the east-west trending ridge. We aimed for a low point in the ridge, thinking the far (south) side would be less steep and that we could access the summit pinnacle from there. We were dismayed to find, after a few exposed class 3 moves on crumbling rock, that the south side was even steeper! It took another couple of precarious moves to get back on the north side of the ridge. We downclimbed to the top of the snowfield below the pinnacles, and traversed between the melting snow and the rock to the base of the true summit pinnacle. From here it was easy class 3 to the very top. There's a USGS marker (no elevation marked) and a summit register going back to '04 (barely half full). Great views of the high Trinities, Shasta, and numerous lakes and drainages. Tiny and high, Lake Anna looked like an interesting destination.
We tried to descend along the NE ridge and drop down to the east, thus shortening the trip back to Granite Lake, but this was cliffy and we ended up dropping down west and following the ridge to the creek and then back to the lake. A day I will not soon forget.
colinr - Aug 3, 2009 5:41 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2009
Swift Creek-Granite Lake-Scramble
Meandered up Swift Creek Trail and lounged at Granite Lake. Scenic nature at its finest. Then Morg and I got ambitious and made it most of the way up to the summit of Gibson before heading back to the trailhead. I'll have to make it to the summit someday with that as part of the original plan...didn't see an obvious easy way to the very top from where we made it too, but I suppose waiting until later in the season could help.
naura - Jul 28, 2016 2:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2016
Fun, rewarding scramble. Is Gibson lake real?Took the trail up from Granite Lake. When the trail started to leave the creek, we cut over to it and boulder hopped to a snowfield. We were under the impression there was a small lake (Gibson lake) further up the creek, so we kept alongside it. This eventually led us to a large snow field that matched the location given for Gibson lake. Hmm. Oh well.
We then headed up the rock to the left, which was the NW face of Gibson. There were a variety of class 2 routes up to the base of the pinnacles along the east-west trending ridge. We aimed for a low point in the ridge, thinking the far (south) side would be less steep and that we could access the summit pinnacle from there. We were dismayed to find, after a few exposed class 3 moves on crumbling rock, that the south side was even steeper! It took another couple of precarious moves to get back on the north side of the ridge. We downclimbed to the top of the snowfield below the pinnacles, and traversed between the melting snow and the rock to the base of the true summit pinnacle. From here it was easy class 3 to the very top. There's a USGS marker (no elevation marked) and a summit register going back to '04 (barely half full). Great views of the high Trinities, Shasta, and numerous lakes and drainages. Tiny and high, Lake Anna looked like an interesting destination.
We tried to descend along the NE ridge and drop down to the east, thus shortening the trip back to Granite Lake, but this was cliffy and we ended up dropping down west and following the ridge to the creek and then back to the lake. A day I will not soon forget.
colinr - Aug 3, 2009 5:41 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2009
Swift Creek-Granite Lake-ScrambleMeandered up Swift Creek Trail and lounged at Granite Lake. Scenic nature at its finest. Then Morg and I got ambitious and made it most of the way up to the summit of Gibson before heading back to the trailhead. I'll have to make it to the summit someday with that as part of the original plan...didn't see an obvious easy way to the very top from where we made it too, but I suppose waiting until later in the season could help.