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14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:21 pm
by Massholeo
Does anyone know of a site with the information we have here at 14ers.com that is focused on the Sierras? I've recently had to make the move to CA from Denver (I know, I know....yes...crazy...I'll be back). I have only found one site, but it lacks much of the important information (at least thus far I can not find any) such as routes, ratings, maps, etc.
I suppose if I want it I have to work for it, but this site here was an excellent resource and I'd like to find similar for out here in CA.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:30 pm
by thebeave7
Different ethic in California, it wasn't til I moved to Colorado that I found step by step, turn by turn directions to getting up a peak. More often in CA its a general description of the route and aspect then requires a bit of route finding on your own part (except the Whitney trail). Probably one of the better sites is Summitpost.org though that's fallen out of favor in recent years. RJ Secor's High Sierras: Peaks, Passes, and Trails has good info on all the CA peaks or Porcella & Burns California 14ers if you just want a book for the 14ers.
If you have questions about specific peaks I've done quite a few of them, by various routes. Lots of good mountaineering options out there, much much better rock than you'll find anywhere in CO.

Eric

PS And Bob's site linked above is a great resource, the man knows the mountains and has climbed them all. If you're out there for the Sierra Challenge that's a blast, great group. I was able to participate back in 04-06.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:17 am
by boudreaux
Check out Cascadeclimbers.org

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:50 am
by hansolo35
The Above mentioned suggestions are all good ones. Here's hoping that a Cali 14er site never materializes, so that one can still have a personal exploration and adventure without a step-by-step guide telling you everything. Sometimes a little mystery is best!
Enjoy the immense granite sierra playground...

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:06 am
by tlongpine
I know I'm far from the first, but bumping to encourage Bill to incorporate west coast Fourteerers - mainly because noone else has been able to assemble a platform as elegant and, franky, navigable as this site.

I use MountainProject and SummitPost, but sometimes it's harder to find the resources you're looking for on those sites than it is to find the route up Maroon in the dark. They're terribly inefficient resources because they're disorganized, counter-intuitive and a years behind modern website conventions.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:23 am
by rickinco123
What about California's Cascade 14ers?

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:28 am
by bonehead
Somehow I managed to climb all of California's 14ers
and found my way around the High Sierras
long before the internet came along.

A few books helped:

"A Climbers Guide to the High Sierra"
Hervey Voge, 3rd printing, 1961

"The Climbers Guide to the High Sierra"
by Steve Roper, 1976

"Starr's Guide"
Guide to the John Muir Trail
and the High Sierra Region.
by Walter A. Starr, Jr.
10th and 11th revised editions
1967 and 1970

USGS maps were a tremendous help.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:23 am
by tlongpine
bonehead wrote:Somehow I managed to climb all of California's 14ers
and found my way around the High Sierras
long before the internet came along.

A few books helped:

"A Climbers Guide to the High Sierra"
Hervey Voge, 3rd printing, 1961

"The Climbers Guide to the High Sierra"
by Steve Roper, 1976

"Starr's Guide"
Guide to the John Muir Trail
and the High Sierra Region.
by Walter A. Starr, Jr.
10th and 11th revised editions
1967 and 1970

USGS maps were a tremendous help.
Kids these days, right? They'd rather be climbing and hiking instead of waiting for maps and books to arrive in the mail. Oh god, "long before the internet came along" I bet you had to walk to a library, uphill both ways - but then the buses and cars came along. Then, the newfangled internet. Now whippersnappers don't even have to know where a library is - they can google it on their future phones and arrange an Uber rideshare on twitter. That is, if they can't find what they're looking for paperlessly, for free, online. Sure, you can romanticize condescendingly how it used to be harder - but that's why grandma and grandpa aren't visited as much as they'd like to be.
bonehead wrote:Somehow I managed to climb all of California's 14ers
and found my way around the High Sierras
long before the internet came along.[
Somehow Steve Roper managed to find his way way around the High Sierras long before his book was commercially distributed, but he didn't judge you a lesser adventurer for relying on it. ;)

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:41 am
by tlongpine
Fletch wrote:
tlongpine wrote:I know I'm far from the first, but bumping to encourage Bill to incorporate west coast Fourteerers - mainly because noone else has been able to assemble a platform as elegant and, franky, navigable as this site.
True about the website. Incredible what Bill has done.

But I disagree about incorporating the California 14ers. First, the approachs are all beastly. They are sometimes more consuming that the climbing. Unfortunately, you need to think lowest common denomiinator here... Second, there is much more regulation (i.e. permits, wildlife migrations, parking issues, drivable roads, etc) that would need to be detailed and kept up to date. An increase in crowds could lead to increased regulation. Ugg. Third, how do you make a printout for Shasta and Whitney? Too much BS... Fourth, the beauty of the Sierras is that you can have them to yourselves if you want to... I shutter to think about what the crowds will be like on Whitney in a few decades... Lastly, (and I think it's been said), but Bill's handy-dandy printouts are great for hikers, but many of the CA 14ers involve actual climbing (including ropes)... I think you're better on your own. The only way to become a better climber (or hiker for that matter) is to work at the craft. Try a little route finding sometime... they are much more gratifying than the red dots paited on rocks... :-D
I agree w/ much of what you've said. It's not so much about the route-finding. It's about a planning console that consolidates the myriad information a climber/hiker would want/need including GPS, Trailhead locations, road conditions, interactive route maps, and on and on. 14ers.com stands in very stark contrast as an example of effective information management.

When climbing CO 14ers I've never had to use any other resource other than this site. When climbing in the Cascades and the Sierra I've had to dredge through SummitPost, MountainProject, CascadeClimbers, Everytrail, and Google to shepherd the necessary beta. There's no merit to that.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:51 am
by Dan Wiedrich
I certainly haven't found a California 14er website like Bill's 14ers.com. I've mainly used SummitPost and the Cal 14ers book mentioned above. I've have gotten 6 of the Cal 14ers under my belt. Each has been an adventure! It's kind of nice going out into the unknown a bit...

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:10 pm
by bonehead
tlongpine wrote:romanticize condescendingly
Somehow Steve Roper managed to find his way way around the High Sierras long before his book was commercially distributed
Who's the condescending one here.
I offered good guide book advice for those looking for information.
And Ropers book was just a more current update of Voge's book
copyrighted in 1954. So yeah, Roper had help like most of us since.
It's obvious I use this site, and I have no problem with the great information offered here.
But why throw the burden on Bill. If you want a site like this for the Sierras, create one.

Re: 14ers site for the Sierras

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:16 pm
by bonehead
Sorry, I double posted.
And I didn't walk to the library, I got to ride my bike.
You should try it.