Wanted to get my fix of meadows. I got it. Also...did not want to do much cross country work through brush. Got it. Also...when you see a goat path...take it because it is usually the line of least resistance.
Klenke inspired me to do this. He did two weeks prior...but he did it in a day from Donegan Creek. I was not up for that. So in light of keeping this short, it was mostly meadow walking, sidehilling. Minor brush trees encounters. Some class 3, Nothing exposed. Traversing underneath some peaks allowed me to water up. I sometimes do not carry water to save weight.
Left Hannegan Peak trail at about 6000 feet and traversed in meadows below point 6135 to the false summits SE of Granite Mountain. Sometimes goat trails through the brush trees. Follow them.
Up Granite Mountain. Swung out westerly into meadows to avoid the brush trees. One class three section about 150 in elevation before the top.
Descended Granite Mountain on the north. Followed minor goat paths that leads to the col south of point 6154 through the steepest area. Minor class 3 in here.
Traversed on the awesome ridge to point 6544 where I made my camp. 6 hours from car.
Woke up in the morning at 5:30 and was moving by 6:00am easily up Chardonnay (7020).
Descended the west ridge of Chardonnay (7020) to the col and instead of traversing the ridge, I descended about 200 feet and then made slower descent going north where I was now in the basin east of point 6642. This avoids the buttress north end of point 6642.
After coming around a minor buttress directly east of point 6642 I started making a gradual increase to the ridgeline south of Noir (6839).
Scramble up Noir (6839) to the false summit and then a small class three scramble down to the notch and up to the summit.
Back to camp. And then out via the same way in. 11 hours.
I came across Grant M. and Keith on their way out and we had a pleasant time walking out together.
Note: Lots of flies approaching and leaving Hannegan Pass. Lots. Strangely....there were no mosquitos there...only mosquitos at camp.
Oh. And I rarely take pictures. I even took the dreaded mountain climbing selfie. Its a rarity for me.
Nice! Last time I was there (I think we just went to Granite) - a million blueberries and a handful of bears.
First time I've seen someone with my Lightsabre tent.
Thanks for the TR and great pix.
For Chardonnay in a day, do you have more info about the Donegal Creek route (i.e. the suffering index)?
I see a TR from Andy Boos going a little further east along HP trail before going up, that way looks reasonable but just a little longer.
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