Jean, Drury, & Marion, 18 July 2001

To: schiker@yahoogroups.com
From: Karen Isaacson 
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 13:26:39 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [SCHIKER-So Cal Hiker] Marion/Jean/Drury, 18 July, an incomplete hike report

I was going to write up a hike report last week about the trip to
Marion Mountain, Jean Peak, and Drury Peak, led by Byron and Carleton.
But I'd barely begun writing when I decided I'd better start packing
for the San Bernardino Ridge trip.  So I never finished, and now I
want to write about San Bernardino Ridge instead.  I'm apparently so
infatuated with my own prose, however, that here I am, sharing the
little bit I did manage to put into words.  So, here's my incomplete
recollection of a wonderful hike in the San Jacinto Wilderness:

"This Bud's for you!"  (While doing a lovely cross-country tramp
between Drury and Marion, what should we find, but two cans of
Budweiser?  No water for camping anywhere near, but beer, hey, I like
this place!  Anyhow, in honor of George's birthday, we left them for
him on Marion.  George, we hope you enjoyed!)

"I'm going to have legs that look like Brian's!"  (Ingeborg, contemplating
that last pitch of tall thick brush between her and the trail back up
to Wellman Divide.)

"You'll have to try harder than that!"  (Brian, to Ingeborg, having
just landed on his back in the brush and added to his world class
collection of cuts and scratches.)

"Hey, I still have feet!"  (Me, upon surviving the hike and making it
back to the tram station.  Thanks again for all the foot sore advice
I received here last week.)

				* * *

Byron's already sent around the important information from last
Wednesday's hike to Marion/Jean/Drury, stuff about good new routes and
so on.  Here are a few additional informal impressions.

After consolidating at the Myrtle park-and-ride, two cars arrived at
the Palm Springs Tram Station well in time for the first (10AM on
weekdays) shuttle.  Besides our leaders Byron Prinzmetal and Carleton
Shay, there were Doris Duval, Ingeborg Prochazka, Kent Schwitkis, and
Brian and Karen Leverich.

Usually (at least for me) those first few thousand feet in elevation gain
are the toughest, but not this time.  Maybe they'll use our Adventure Pass
dollars to build trams up to all our peaks?  (Er, never mind, dumb idea.)
This does make for one of the more dramatic trailheads I've ever used,
for sure.  The views were incredible, we could see clear to the Salton
Sea.

Once we had our wilderness permit, we headed for Round Valley, then up
towards San Jacinto Peak, turning off cross country for Jean when only
three-tenths of a mile from San Jacinto.  Carleton navigated, and found
us a very tidy route from Jean to Drury (apparently the State Park people
call it Newton, knowing it well enough to be on a first name basis?) and
then through a level brush-free forest (though not Bud-free, go figure)
to Marion.  Nearly everyone except me rockclimbed their way up to the summit.
I contented myself with applauding them from below, taking a picture of
Kent taking a picture of everyone else ascending a crack.

Along the way, we were buzzed by a glider, which was interesting to
watch, but sounded eerily alien.  Atop Marion, we determined somehow
(I can't recall the logic for this at all) that Carleton is
responsible for the mess over in the Balkans.  

On our way out, we encountered lots of other hikers, not a one of them
attired quite like us.  Then, in a final terrific blow to our
self-esteem, no one would sit next to us in the waiting area for the
tram.  I don't think we were all that dirty, so it must have been our
untrendy attire.  People are so shallow!  (Brian and I are heading
back up tomorrow for the hike to Cornell Peak and Divide Peak.  What
to wear, what to wear?)