BLM Dispatch #24 - Granite Mountain Wilderness, California
I had it in mind to climb the mountain.
First week of July, first heat wave to knock on the door of the Eastern Sierra and sweep across the leftover snow like the opening of an oven. Even at eight thousand feet above the sea, temperatures flirt with ninety degrees. Sweat rolls down legs, out of armpits.
Winds at 1-2 miles per hour, imperceptible. Gnats bite incessantly.
Despite the heat, we decide to make a go of it. No trail to speak of. We meander around sage, switchback up steep sandy pitches, climb over sections of class 3 granite, and eventually summit in the early afternoon…
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