It’s been a couple years since I climbed Mount Pierce (4,310 feet). Tuesday was warm with clearing skies over the mountains. Hiking friends were busy and I decided to treat myself to a New Year’s hike up Pierce.
I’ve written about Mount Pierce a number of times over the years, but I climbed it long before I started writing a hiking column.
kAmx E9:?< :E H2D `heg @C `heh H96? x H2D H@C<:?8 7@C E96 pAA2=249:2? |@F?E2:? r=F3[ @? 4@?DECF4E:@? 4C6H :? E96 wFE $JDE6>] %9@D6 @? E96 4@?DECF4E:@? 4C6H 2=D@ 7:==65 :? 2D 52JD\@77 9FE\3@JD[ 2?5 x H2D 2E |:KA29 wFE] ~?6 6G6?:?8 2 8C@FA @7 4C6H 2?5 8F6DED 4=:>365 _]h >:=6D @? (63DE6C r=:77 %C2:= 7C@> E96 9FE E@ E96 DF>>:E @7 !:6C46] x G28F6=J C6>6>36C E96 DF?D6E @? E@A @7 !:6C46 H:E9 52C< @FE=:?6D @7 E9@D6 :? @FC 8C@FA 2D H6 3682? E@ 9625 324< 5@H?]k^Am
kAmx’G6 @?=J 366? @? E92E D64E:@? @7 E96 (63DE6C r=:77 EC2:= @?46 D:?46 E96?[ 2 76H J62CD 28@ 5@:?8 2 H:?E6C =@@A 7C@> E96 E@A @7 !:6C46] %96C6 H2D D@>6 A@DE\9@=:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 :D 2 5:776C6?E DE@CJ] q6:?8 E96 @=56DE 4@?E:?F2==J FD65 EC2:= :? E96 4@F?ECJ 8:G6D :E 2 46CE2:? DE2EFD 2?5[ J6D[ A@AF=2C:EJ] xE :D E96 >2:? EC2:= E@ E96 DF>>:E @7 |@F?E !:6C46[ 2E b]a >:=6D]k^Am
kAmpE `]h >:=6D FA E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 @? E96 C:89E :D E96 |:KA29 rFE@77[ H9:49 4=:>3D E@ |:KA29 wFE :? _]f >:=6D]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 >J E:>6 H:E9 E96 p|r[ H6 A24<65 7C6D9 DFAA=:6D E@ |:KA29 wFE @? E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 2?5 E96 |:KA29 rFE@77[ 2 ;@3 E92E 4@?E:?F6D E@52J] ~?46 x 24EF2==J A24<65 `b_ A@F?5D @? 2 H@@56? A24< 3@2C5 FA E96 EC2:= E@ E96 9FE] ~3G:@FD=J x 4@F=5?’E 5@ E92E E@52J] xE’D 2>2K:?8 E96 C6D:=:6?4J @7 J@FE9] qFE A2CE @7 >6 :D DE:== E92E 286 :?D:56]k^Am
kAm%92E H2D 367@C6 2 C25:42= C6E9:?<:?8 :? E96 `hf_D @7 E96 2>@F?E E96 9FE 4C6H 4@F=5 D276=J 42CCJ @? E96:C 324<D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 DAC:?8[ H6 2=D@ 5:5 D@>6E9:?8 42==65 “3=2?<6E A24<:?8]” %92E H2D 42CCJ:?8 4=62?65 3=2?<6ED 324< E@ E96 9FE[ 4@?D:56C65 4962A6C E92? 7=J:?8 E96> 324< :? 3J 96=:4@AE6C[ H9:49 H2D 9@H E96J H6C6 7=@H? @FE :? E96 72==]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E92E[ x 42?’E C6>6>36C H96? x DE2CE65 4=:>3:?8 |@F?E !:6C46 FA E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 7@C 7F?] !C@323=J H:E9 r@?H2J’D q@3 v@C5@? 2?5 v:??:6 $>:E9] (9@ 42? C6D:DE E96 62D:6DE 9:<6 FA 2 !C6D:56?E:2= A62< @? 2 9:DE@C:42= EC2:= E92E :D 8C25F2=[ H:E9 2 ?:46 D2>A=6 @7 2=A:?6 EF?5C2 @? E@A 2?5 2 A=2E7@C> G:6H @7 E96 9:896C A62<Dnk^Am
kAmq24< :? E96 `he_D E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 DE2CE65 24C@DD }]w] #@FE6 b_a 7C@> E96 @=5 rC2H7@C5 w@FD6[ ?@H E96 w:89=2?5 r6?E6C] %@52J E96C6 :D 2 ?6H6C A2C<:?8 =@E 7@C E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 =@42E65 @77 E96 |@F?E r=:?E@? #@25[ 2?5 2 EC2:= 42==65 E96 rC2H7@C5 r@??64E@C E92E 4@??64ED E@ E96 @=5 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 2 D9@CE H2J FA :E[ ;FDE 27E6C J@F 4C@DD 2 3C:586 @G6C v:33D qC@@<]k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J[ 4C@DD:?8 E96 3C:586 @G6C v:33D qC@@<[ x =@@<65 FADEC62> 2E 2? 2>A=6 H2E6C72==] xE H2D 2? 6I46AE:@?2==J >:=5 52J] x 5:5?’E >:?5]k^Am
kAmx DE2CE65 FA E96 rC2H7@C5 !2E9 2?5 H2D C62==J 8=25 x 925 >:4C@DA:<6D] %96 C646?E 9:DE@CJ @7 >:4C@DA:<6D :D E:65 :? H:E9 >J 6IA6C:6?46 @? E9:D EC2:=] x E9:?< x FD65 :?DE6A 4C2>A@?D H2J 324<] %96J 925 c A@:?ED[ 2?5 H6C6 D64FC65 H:E9 2 =62E96C DEC2A]k^Am
kAm~? E96 7:CDE 92=7 >:=6 @7 EC2:= x H2D 2=@?6[ 3FE x H@F=5 >66E E96 G242E:@? H66< 4C@H5 7FCE96C FA E96 EC2:=[ 3@E9 56D46?5:?8 2?5 A2DD:?8 >6 @? E96:C H2J FA] }62C=J 2== 925 >:4C@DA:<6D @7 G2C:@FD 4@=@CD]k^Am
kAmx>28:?6 E96 H9@=6 AC@46DD:@? @7 A2DE 9:<:?8 6BF:A>6?E @? E96 EC2:= 8@:?8 324< E@ E96 EC2:= 36:?8 3F:=E E@ |@F?E !:6C46 :? `g`h]k^Am
kAmpE `]h >:=6D x D2E 2?5 C6DE65 2 3:E 2E E96 ;F?4E:@? H:E9 E96 |:KA29 rFE@77] !6@A=6 DE2CE65 4@>:?8 FA E96 EC2:= 7C@> 36=@H] x 4@?E:?F65 2?5 E96 ?6IE `]a >:=6D E@ E96 DF>>:E 925 @442D:@?2= EC277:4 3@E9 H2JD] xE H2D 7F?] |@DE H:?E6C 9:<6CD 2C6 6IF36C2?E 2?5 8=25 E@ 36 E96C6] w@=:52J 4966C H2D :? E96 2:C]k^Am
kAm%96 6G6C8C66?D 8C6H D>2==6C 2?5 E96 G:6H H6DE 2?5 ?@CE9 @A6?65 FA] %96 s2CE>@FE9 #2?86 E@ E96 H6DE H2D >@EE=65 H:E9 =:89E] %@ E96 ?@CE9 E96 E@A @7 |@F?E t:D6?9@H6C H2D DE:== :? E96 4=@F5D 2?5 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? H2D 9:556? 2D E96 >@C?:?8 4=@F5D D=@H=J C@D6] x ?62C65 E96 ;F?4E:@? H:E9 E96 (63DE6C r=:77 %C2:=[ E@@< 2 C:89E @? E92E 2?5 4=:>365 FA @A6? EF?5C2 2?5 DEF?E65 DACF46 7@C _]a >:=6D E@ 2 D>2== DF>>:E 42:C? H96C6 E96C6 H2D ?@ H:?5 7@C =F?49]k^Am
kAmp 8C@FA @7 E9C66 H@>6? H9@ x 925 =62A\7C@8865 H:E9 @? E96 H2J FA 2=D@ 925 =F?49] p >2? DF556?=J 2CC:G65 @? E96 @E96C D64E:@? @7 E96 (63DE6C r=:77 %C2:=[ 92G:?8 4@>6 FA 7C@> E96 9FE] x 2D<65 :7 96 925 A@DE\9@=65 @? E96 H2J FA] “*6D[” 96 D2:5[ x H:D9 x 925 3C@F89E D?@HD9@6D]”k^Am
kAm“(6==[ J@F 2C6 96C6 ?@H[” x D2:5]k^Am
kAm“*6D[ 6I24E=J[” 96 4@?4FCC65[ =@@<:?8 @FE 2E E96 ?62C3J G:6H @7 EF?5C2 2?5 4=@F5D]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.