Surprise Canyon

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>Likewise, John.  Maybe next year we can get you out to Colorado!  I've
>begun thinking in earnest about assembling a very small group of "hard
>cores" (3 - 4) to attempt Surprise Canyon next Spring. Think you
>could/would "pave the way" with George for us?  I'll even offer to let you
>ride shotgun . . . <g>
>
>Bill Thebert

I'll take you up on riding shotgun if John L. doesn't offer me the 
passenger seat in his Patriot as we ascend. Certainly, I can/will pave 
the way with George. He has some stories about the attempted ascent by 
Scouts West, that I wish somebody from Scouts West who went up Surprise 
would clarify for us. 

It wouldn't be my intent to try to remember what George said and test the 
veracity of those statements, but rather just to find out how it really 
went. Our part of the country didn't have the new 4 Wheel Drive and SUV 
magazine last time I went to town, so I don't know if the ascent of 
Surprise is in there or not. 

Actually, Bill, you may not want a group. My son, John, as far as I know 
has the only single ascent and descent of Surprise since it really got 
bad. And that was in one of those other  vehicles. You would, if you did 
it, certainly be the only single vehicle ascent by a Scout. I should 
point out that Keith who mines up at Panamint City made a single vehicle 
ascent in his relatively unmodified Jeep, but that was a (according to 
Rocky) a 4 or 5 day ascent with the Jeep being pulled up the canyon with 
the hand operated winch that Keith and Rocky were using. 

I never observed any part of that ascent, but I have seen the hand 
powered winch in action. It is so unbelievably powerful that I had no 
idea a machine like that was around and in frequent use. George and Rocky 
were working their claim at the mouth of Goler Wash, and were stretching 
a cable for a tram bucket. The cable was steel, maybe an inch in diameter 
and was being stretched by that winch which they were moving with a 
cheater bar maybe 10 feet long. All of a sudden there was what sounded 
like a high calibre gun shot, and the end of the cable came back toward 
where they were working, went on past them and kind of cracked the whip 
75 yards behind them. 

George said to Rocky, in a kind of slow drawl that you and John L. would 
recognize, "Hell, Rocky, now we got to do it all over again". No visible 
signs of emotion at having just survived sure decapitation. 

Anyway, think of the glory of doing it solo. Easier for you than it was 
for my John, all other factors being equal, since your winch goes "both 
ways", so to speak.  (grin) It needs to be an overnight, I guess you 
realize. Hopefully, if you plan it as an overnight, it won't end up being 
an overnight, overnight, overnight, overnight, which may be what happened 
to the Scout West guys. Sure would like to hear what did happen. 

If you have some time options, John L. and I are planning on being at the 
ranch the week before Tulare. We'd be happy to include you in our deeds 
of derring do, or is it the other way around. 

John H. 
P.S. any word on my valve covers?
Gonna leave my sig file on in case anybody wants to see a Travelall make 
the ascent. 



John Hofstetter  "Ol'Saline's Web Site" www.goldrush.com/~hofs
"Perhaps more to remember than ever really happened"
Life Member, National Rifle Ass.     California Rifle and Pistol Ass.
Member, Sierra Macintosh Users Group and MacTwain Macintosh Users Group
Charter Member, FRIENDS OF DEATH VALLEY   Member, Blue Ribbon Coalition
Life Member, Association of California School Administrators
Owner of 79 Scout Terra "It's a legend"