Bitchenest Little Scramble

[fenderfour]

I would like to nominate Del Campo. I was up there on Sunday the pounding sun and you could see forever. The hike is nice, the basin is beautiful and the scrambling entertaining. It's a terrific day trip for more casual climbers.

[lunger]

i agree, a scenic and v. enjoyable route. depending on interest and time, you can also scamper over to Gothic and prolong the fun in that spectacular basin.

[EWolfe]

I am partial to the feta/red pepper/onion, with a bit of pesto...

[Ireneo_Funes]

Tofu scramble for this vegetarian.

 

Where's Del Campo?

[tread_tramp]

.

 

Where's Del Campo?

 

It's up Weden Creek from the road that connects Barlow Pass to the old Monte Cristo townsite. I believe it takes off just before the first bridge.

[fenderfour]

Yes, and yes.

[rbw1966]

Is there much snow on the ground around Monte Cristo?

[minx]

Could a reasonably capable small person (aka 10yr old) handle the scrambling?

[fenderfour]

I didn't go to Monte Cristo, but I can tell you that we didn't encounter snow until about 4,500'.

 

Kids would have a great time on Del Campo and Gothic. Both had very casual scrambles with no really big steps.

 

The route on Del Campo had some steep snow which is probably in bad shape now. Bare rock and heather would be better than crappy snow. Gothic should still be ok.

[Heavy_B]

Too funny. I was just thinking of posting a question about Del Campo yesterday to see if anyone has been up there. I was in there last year and couldn't even see the peak so we bailed. I wonder why they call it Foggy Lake and Foggy Pass.

[nolanr]

For a more adventurous outing try approaching from the opposite side. Start maybe 1/2 mi. up the trail to Headlee Pass, then veer off on climbers path following drainage of SF Stilly to basin between Del Campo and Morningstar. Numerous variations are possible and entertaining. That little valley is one of my favorite places. Doesn't get much traffic.

[Alpine_Tom]

Could a reasonably capable small person (aka 10yr old) handle the scrambling?

Depends how comfortable they are with the exposure. IMHO, it's an awfully long hike up thru the trees for a hundred yards of scrambling.

I tried doing it about this time of year a couple years back, and got turned back with terrible post-holing before gothic basin. It's a different year of course. For a kid that age, I'd try taking them up Pugh first.

[nolanr]

Pugh is pretty rough too, that's a lot of vertical gain (close to 5,000' isn't it?).

[chucK]

Doesn't Pugh have a corniced knife-edged ridge this time of year? I was turned back a couple of times in early season at the knob above Stujack Pass by the exposure of that ridge. Though that was a while ago, my mind's eye does not remember that as an optimal kid hike.

 

However, once the snow's all gone, things are much different (good trail to the summit).

[nolanr]

I agree w/ you Chuck, while Pugh is less distance, I think Del Campo from Gothic Basin is definitely more kid friendly.

[kenp]

I took my son when he was 12 (some 11 years ago) to Del Campo around the 4th of July. He had been rock climbing a few times and did well with the scramble...didn't care much for the hike in or out tho.

 

I think it's a great scramble and a fine place to introduce kids to the fine art of getting high