Thunder Mountain
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In 1995, Kelly and I returned to the headwater region of the Kern River, an area I had first visited in 1988. We climbed Thunder Mountain (not to be confused with Thunderbolt Peak, further north in the Palisade region.) This climb was particularly exciting, as the final segment was along the edge of a vertical cliff. Ample hand and foot holds were available, so the climbing was not too challenging, but the consequences of a fall were severe as the ground dropped away probably a thousand feet or so below us. While I was becoming increasingly drawn to the technical challenges of a good climb, Kelly was becoming more uncomfortable with the risks of climbing so far from possible rescue.
We climbed one final peak on this trip. As a hiker reaches the top of Shepard Pass, a lone mountain rises sharply in the distance. This mountain, Milestone Peak, appears to stick up like one single finger pointing skyward, and has always intrigued me. Although it appears unclimbable, there is an easy walk up route from the far side. We climbed Milestone Peak, which turned out to be the last peak Kelly and I would climb together.
After this trip, Kelly's life took off in a different direction. He no longer went on extended expeditions into the backcountry, preferring instead shorter but more technically challenging climbs accessible by car. Although I could no longer realize my original goal of climbing all 15 high peaks in one year, I still wanted to eventually finish the remaining three peaks: Middle Palisade, Thunderbolt, and Starlight.
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