Crater Mountain, East Peak

[philfort]

Crater Mountain, East Peak, August 7-8 1999

The actual intended destination for this trip was the East Ridge of Jack Mountain. However, due to a longer than suspected approach, and the presence of thick clouds and lightning, we ended up camping just below the col between the two peaks of Crater.

A suggestion was made to go for Jack the next morning if the weather looked good. We awoke at 4:30, but things were still socked in. No go. Phew, it would have meant an epic day!

When we finally emerged from our tents later in the morning, anxious to do something, we decided upon the East Peak of Crater. No route was mentioned up this ridge in Beckey... probably because it is a very short climb. Nonetheless, it looked feasible, and the weather was improving, so we sauntered up there.

It turned out to be a fairly quick venture, and we were on top within an hour. Just a scramble along a narrow crest, with a short class 4 section.

After a few minutes of relaxing on the summit, I noticed a smushed soda can under a rock. Summit register? It was actually two soda cans seemingly attached with duct tape. Someone said pull it open... I pulled, the suprisingly well-designed contraption slid open smoothly, and out popped a tiny notebook. We opened it up to the first page. It said something to the likes of "To thoes [sic] hardy soles [sic] who climb Crater mountain East Peak". The entry was dated 1990. All the rest of the pages were empty. It is hard to believe that someone wouldn't see this thing on the summit... so we may very well have been the first party on top of this peak in nine years! We wrote an entry and placed it back inside the soda can capsule.

This peak is definitely not a destination unto itself, however, if you happen to be in the area, it's a nice little jaunt.