Camera left on approach to Merchant Peak

[Carolina Johnson]

I left a camera somewhere between the start of the trickier sections of the first gully and the parking lot on the South Gully route up Merchant Peak off Highway 2 today. It's a small Nikon in a grey case - I must have set it down and then ignored it as a rock. Let me know if any other crazy fools head up that way and find it. As encouragement, conditions higher up out of the gullies and to the summit were actually great.

[RocketJSquirrel]

I'm actually headed up there Sunday (3/7). If I see it, you'll get it back.

[RocketJSquirrel]

I was up there today, and spent extra time searching for it. No luck. I should've asked- two rock washes merge at the base of the first waterfall- did you leave it behind in the eastern one or the western one? The usual approach is via the eastern one, and I looked quite a bit. FWIW, I saw two other folks up there, they hadn't seen it when I left them, but maybe they found it. Good luck!

 

Snow conditions were absolute crap up high btw. Knee to hip deep slush on top of great snow. I saw your tracks in places, in many places, they were covered with fresh avalanche debris. I envy the conditions you had!

[Carolina Johnson]

Thanks for looking! Sorry to hear you had to fight through slush - if I had my camera I'd post photos to make you jealous Hope you had a good day despite the conditions. Any avalanche danger while you were there?

 

Oh, and I think I would have probably left it toward the east side of the first main gully just before the first bit of scrambling up a small corner followed by hauling on trees (wait, that could be anywhere!) - I'm not sure if that corner quite counts as a gully in your reckoning, it was the steepest bit right before the random rap station.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Carolina Johnson

[RocketJSquirrel]

I focused the bulk of my search in the wrong spot. I admit I didn't pay as much attention between the first waterfall and the subsequent rap station. I'm headed back up there soon, I'll find that camera if it's still there.

 

I heard one avalanche on the north side of Baring while I was up there. To tell you the truth, the avy danger on the south side of Merchant wasn't low, but for as high as I went, it was a risk I was willing to take. There was quite a bit of evidence of fresh slides, and in many places, your tracks were covered.

[Carolina Johnson]

Slow reply, sorry! Been busy, and abandoning camera hope. Let me know if you come across anything, but don't worry too much, it was due replacing anyway!

Although we had good conditions while we were up in the snow, after we descended we heard/saw some dramatic slides coming down in the afternoon... glad we'd got up and off the slopes relatively early! Anyway, have a good time with whatever you're heading out for, and thanks for looking!