Mount Dubois

15-Jun-68

By: Bill Hunt

none

Twelve climbers met on Nevada Hiway 3A on Sat AM to caravan westward along the certain dirt road approaching the northern White Mtns from the east (good directions ?). The Angeles bunch was represented by four people, while the remainder came from the Loma Prieta's Peak Climbing Section. We drove up about seven miles to the very poor jeep road leading up Middle Creek and got to the 8250' level. A land Rover made another eighth of a mile and 1000 gain with the packs.

We started up Middle Creek at 10:30 AM and by 2 PM we had reached our campsite at 10,100', about 1.6 miles NE of the Jumpoff. Some bushwacking was met along the way in but a route on the south side of the creek in the timber above the avalanche gullies avoided most of the brush. Reliable springs several hundred feet below camp and afternoon streams in some of the above-camp gullies afforded good. water. Camp was made on a steep slope from which the best spring gushed. Four in the party tackled Mt Montgomery Sat afternoon, making the round trip from camp in about five hours. Six more joined us from Loma Prieta latter in the day, swelling us to eighteen for the trip.

On Sunday, thirteen stalwarts made the 13,559 summit of Mt Dubois by various routes and two climbed Montgomery. Most went up DuBois by the more direct route, being a south heading from camp toward a saddle on the ridge which extends east from the mountain massif about half way between the Jumpoff and Dubois. From this saddle the main ridge wee attained and from this point it was a mile walk on the almost-flat plateau to the summit. The writer and his wife made the climb by a different route. We ascended the 2nd class 2800' ridge directly above camp and crossed over the jumpoff to the 13,300' plateau on the crest of the White Mtns. It was a 2.2 mile walk from there to the summit. It was enjoyable in the bright sun and cool breeze but the expected panorama of the Sierra across the Valley was slightly dulled by a light haze.

We were all back in camp by 2:30-even one party who did Montgomery and Boundary after having done Dubois! He traversed over to Montgomery from DuBois via the Jumpoff Point. The backpack out to the cars was hot, but happily short. Climbing Dubois by backpack is a good thought since a one-dayer is too strenuous. However, I'd. recommend it be done a bit earlier in the season when there would be some long snow slopes covering the talus and scree. This would be more enjoyable for those that prefer steep snow to scree scrambles.

An added interest to the climb occurred for the writer and passengers as they awaited at the cattle gate near the end of Middle Creek jeep road. There was what appeared to be a beaver dam blocking the creek. Closer examination yielded a total of four dams and much recent "lumbering" activity by the large rodents. Trees up to 16" in diameter had been gnawed down, some very recently as the leaves were still fresh and green. The eager ones must have been planted in the area, and have evidently found a happy home, but it certainly was surprising to see evidence of them in this desert area. This marks the last event of the current 1967-68 Desert Peaks Section.


Detailed information for visiting one or more peaks mentioned in this article can be found in the
Desert Peak Section Road and Peak Guides

DPS Archives Index | Desert Peaks Section