Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion October 14 hike with Kurt Wedberg

On October 14th, Kurt will be in town and will be organizing a hike up Mt Baldy. Meet at 6 am at the parking area out in front of Manker Flats. for anyone who doesn't know Kurt, he is a local guide who owns Sierra Mountaineering International in Bishop, has hiked Everest twice, Rainier 120 times, Whitney more times than anyone can count and by more routes than most of us knew were there. And he's a heck of a nice guy. His hikes always attract lots folks on this board and on the WPSMB so it is a great way to meet the people who you know only on the net. I hiked this with him in October of 2008 and it was a blast.


If you are in town, he will be lecturing at Adventure 16's that whole week. Here is some text from Adventure 16's website regarding his presentations on Kilimanjaro:

DATES:
6:30 Happy Half-hour with light hors d'oeuvres & wine, 7:00pm Kilimanjaro Presentation
Monday, October 10: Adventure 16 Oceanside: 2002 South Coast Hwy., 92054 (760) 966-1700

Tuesday, October 11: Adventure 16, Solana Beach: 143 S. Cedros Ave., 92075 (858) 755-7662

Wednesday, October 12: Adventure 16, San Diego: 4620 Alvarado Cyn Rd, 92120 (619) 283-2362

Thursday, October 13: Adventure 16, Tarzana: 5425 Reseda Blvd, 91356 (818) 345-4266

Friday, October 14: Adventure 16, WLA:11161 West Pico Blvd, 90064 (310) 473-4574

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Kurt Wedberg has been a professional mountain guide since 1986 and has 81 major expeditions on his resume including two successful ascents of Mt. Everest in 1995 and 2008. In addition to many successful expeditions to Africa since 1996, he has climbed in Alaska, Bolivia, Ecuador, Europe, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Turkey, and the Himalayas. Kurt was a senior guide on Mt. Rainier from 1991—2006, has 120 ascents of this peak, and has been mountaineering in the Sierra for over 25 years. He is the founder of Sierra Mountaineering International and runs it in his hometown of Bishop, California along the base of the beautiful Eastern Sierra.

The 14th is a Friday and Kurt is scheduled for A16 in LA that night. You sure the hike is on the 14th?

Long drive for me from NorCal, but I used to live in Wrightwood and this would be a great excuse for a visit.

Yes, Kurt has done that in the past. Hike the mountain, then hustle down and do a presentation. I guess that's the way professionals do it.

Yes, hence the 6 am start on the 14th.

I think I'll attend his presentation in San Diego. Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like he'll be my guide for Ranier and a few other places when I get myself in better shape.

I was hoping for a typo and a weekend hike.

i'll be there for the baldy hike!

and am attempting mountaineers route this sunday! if you're bored you can spot track me - link on my website.

john

Bump. I have cleared my schedule for the Baldy hike on the 14th with Kurt Wedburg and hope to run into a few of you there. We will meet at the Manker Flats parking lot at 6 am. We won't set any speed records. Kurt always paces to the slowest person in the group and we take lots of breaks.

Brent

Larry and I will be scuba diving over at Catalina Island so have fun and wave to us from the summit

Cindy, if you're going to be in Avalon, check out my 7 foot Tuna Monument in front of the Tuna Club. It's on the way to the Casino. I love Catalina. Always wanted to get some time to hike it. Have a great time over there.

I am severely bummed, but it is looking very unlikely that I will be able to make it. I thought I had my day clear, but, life happens in the meantime. Happy trails everyone.

Brent

Thanks! We will be diving from a 80 foot dive boat out of Long Beach so we never set foot on land. I first day in the water with new scuba students is always exciting

A great day on Baldy! Thanks to Kurt, Doug, Richard and the rest of our gang!

Stacy & Curt

Waving back Great picture! Hey, who is that guy standing in the right back with the white t-shirt!?! Looks familiar

Sorry I couldn't make the hike, but I am grateful that Kurt took a few moments to talk with me on the road as you all neared the hike's end. I know some folks here IRL, but have been too busy with work to make it up north for more than a year.

I had to work Thursday til 9 pm, plus a 2-11 a.m shift Friday, raced out to Manker by 1 p.m., same as last week after the storm.

Promised Kurt I'd post some pics of the bighorns near the Ski Hut last Friday, and deer the week before, so here they are. A few extras of last week's rime ice landscape (mods, please delete or move if this bit o' thread drift overlap is inappropriate).

Wish I had the chance to hike with folks, but usually go on weekday afternoons, hike down in the night. Not complaining--see lots of wildlife that way, including a mtn. lion the eve i took these and other deer pics (lots more, and movies galore, many years worth).

Anyway, thanks for stopping for a brief chat (and a wave to Richard and Doug who were smiling nearby!).

Hope to see some of you folks on the trail,
kind regards








nonchalant and oblivious, feeding in this position for five minutes with me 20 feet away out of sight and sound:



"Are you lookin' at me?"





Seven days before the group hike with Kurt, Mt. Baldy looked like this, with 35 mph gusts at the summit, temp of 28 at 6 p.m.



Dreaming of winter:





The flag from 9-11 still stands, but soon will be too tattered to remain.







After a summit snack on home-made sushi, the six o'clock bell chimed time for descent.



Another view of winter's tease as I descend toward warmth, and dark





Deer at the ski hut two Fridays ago:










Hiking down after photos/movies of the deer:

Thanks Kurt for another fun day in the mountains.



More photos here:

http://s622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308...Hike/?start=all

I attended his presentation in San Diego. Funny guy. Didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I chatted with one of his guides, April, for awhile. Really nice and amicable gal.

They had some great pictures from Kili. He even got some pictures of three cheetahs as they stalked and killed a gazelle. Couldn't believe SMI brings their own port-a-potty for their clients if your didn't want to use the "public" ones on Kili. Awesome!