2021 - Trip Reports - Piute Mountain Trip by the Numbers
Piute Mountain Trip
by the Numbers
By Marian Johns
Photos by Ed Jack and Allan Wicker
So, let’s start off with a high number and work our way down to zero.
8,000 – feet; the approximate elevation on Piute Mountain where we camped Saturday night.
38 – degrees temperature at our camp site Sunday morning. Wow, was it cold!
11 – participants – who were: leader, Marian Johns; co-leader, Doc (Dave) Hess; Dave Burdick; Nelson Miller; Allan Wicker; Dave Nichols; Devi Farmer; Danny & Norma Siler; Pat Nelson; Ed Jack.
9 vehicles
9 frozen Saturday night campers – It was so cold we all tottered off to bed at 7:00 p.m. and didn’t get up until 7:00 a.m. That’s way too long to be in bed. Danny and Norma wisely had motel reservations down in Kernville.
4 potluck potato salads – we all had a good laugh when it was discovered that four people had brought potato salads. The only other potluck dish was baked beans. (There were also several snack-type contributions.)
4 Toyotas – belonging to Nelson Miller, Doc Hess & Dave Nichols & Marian Johns
3 Daves – Dave Hess; Dave Burdick; Dave Nichols
3 well-behaved dogs – belonging to Dave N., Devi, and Ed Jack
3 Ladies – Norma Siler, Devi Farmer & Marian Johns
3 Jeeps – belonging to Ed Jack, Dave Burdick & Danny and Norma Siler
2 Nelsons – Nelson Miller & Pat Nelson
2 miscellaneous vehicles belonging to Pat Nelson (Ram), Allan Wicker (Nissan)
2 photographers – Allan Wicker & Ed Jack
2 steep roads – one up Piute Mt. and one down; the one down has the best views which are spectacular.
1 Englishman – Pat Nelson hails from London.
1 archaeologist – Dave Nichols, archaeologist, works for the Mojave National Preserve.
1 doctor (retired) Dave Hess
1 professor (retired) – Allan Wicker
1 neat old abandoned rock cabin
1 old abandoned mine mill with cement walls that are covered with graffiti – some of it rather artistic
1 beautiful canyon – Caliente Canyon has a running creek that supports lush cottonwoods and lots of watercress.
0 trains on the Tehachapi Loop. We waited an hour and then gave up when no trains were in sight or hearing distance.
0 campfires - Not only was it miserably cold Saturday night, it was so breezy we couldn’t have a campfire to warm us up. ~ Marian
