Created 23-Jun-19
Modified 20-Dec-23
20190622 | Thunder Mountain | 2362 summit | 1119 TH | 9.6km | 1119m gain | w/ Peter
I had previously summited Thunder Mountain in April of 2009. On that occasion we had a larger group which was great because there was some significant postholing in snow. I recognized a few things from my last visit like "the boulder on the shoulder" and a particular dead pine in a Y shape, a memorable fall that had left me with a bruised/cut butt cheek - and the other notable memory from the last trip was a feeling of being utterly destroyed. Otherwise the basic route I remembered but not how we acended the headwall - the one bit of beta that would have been useful. Ten years though... what would you expect?
The numbers on this ascent hide the somewhat technical nature of this approach. Although still an easy scramble, nearly ever step must be calculated to avoid a spill or worse. Right away we tackled a minor headwall with steep wet mossy loam, rock, trees and other obstacles. Had we found what trail there was it would only have been slightly easier (although there is a scratch trail on the first leg with a few bits of flagging and cairns). In any event, breaking the treeline had us enjoying long views and some swirling low cloud giving way to a sunny day with high cloud.
A somewhat lengthy stay using the pad for the communications equipment as a picnic table we descended the same way and arrived at the truck with burned out brakes and a few minor scrapes for our troubles.
A stop at Hard Knox Brewery in Black Diamond rounded out the return trip. And for the record, yes, "This is a thing now" lol
© Clayton Ditzler