Boundary Peak, Glass Mountain Ridge

1991

By: Fred Camphausen

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This got started when Gary Guenther and I talked about testing his new Ford truck up the Queen Canyon road. Nancy, Gary, and I went in 4 WD as far as the first snow patch and then parked about 400 feet below the crest. The ridge we followed allowed full view of Trail Canyon and the usual trail for climbing it from the Nevada side. We marveled at three ski tracks down into the bowl, either from a single skier three times or three skiers once.

We encountered snow above Trail Cyn Saddle and I put on crampons while Gary and Nancy stuck to the dry rock outcrops. The rock was faster. We had lunch at P12201 with the last 900 feet of Boundary in front of us, and then strange grey clouds appeared and the wind lifted to a gale. A full grey-out storm chased us back down to the truck, and we talked about coming back after more of the snow was gone.

Glass Mtn (11,123'), 11 June

Dick Jali drove over from Mammoth Lakes and met with Ski and I at the east road Junction for Sawmill Meadow. The road was found to be in very good condition, and ends after 10 miles at 9200' Just east of the mountain. The canyon was sluffy pumice so we went left and side-hilled on shale and patchy snow. When we could see the summit electronic site we went toward it, as it is the surveyed summit, but it contained no register. This was my third time on the peak but I forgot that the register is placed on the evidently lower, south summit. We did the summit circuit and then plunge-stepped down the snow chute leading north, making sure we didn't pass by the canyon back to the car.

Boundary Peak (13,140'), 22 June

Gary was busy in the Sierra this weekend so Ski and I set out to climb Boundary now that the weather was stable. We drove toward Montgomery Pass. then turned east up the well maintained Queen Canyon road just across from Janie's Ranch. After 5.3 miles we reached the Queen mines and went into 4 WD for the final mile to the saddle, where we parked.

A trail is picked up at the 'dozer-scraped prospect at the saddle, and this trail can be followed most of the way to the summit. We went along the ridge overlooking Trail Canyon this time with no snow to be seen except high on the mountain after 1.5 hours we were at Trail Canyon Saddle, and the rest of the climb went upward on heavily trailed scree. I reached Boundary at noon, after 4.2 hours, and would have gone over to Montgomery except Ski was nowhere to be seen. so I started back down. Stats are: -3.5 miles. 3300 feet of gain. The next thing I heard was Ski hollering that she was still climbing and I waited until she came up. We crossed over a small snow patch and went to the summit. We met another couple climbers who were coming up Trail Canyon. They were from Reno and had with them a young dog which quickly made friends with us as it romped over the scree and the sun-cupped snow.

A perfect day, with just Little clouds looming and the blue sky was almost purple overhead. and here I forgot my camera! Looking to the north, we could make out Mono Lake and even Topaz Lake, which allowed us to trace the travel route all the way to Carson Valley and Truckee Meadows. We saw White Mountain to the south, and could count the snow patches we could use to get water during the next week when eight of us will be doing the White Mountains traverse.


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