May 9-11, 2014 Alta Peak again,(Only this time we make the top) with Chuck and Warren

Warren and myself lost in a fog

What kept us going through the trip

During a clear period on summit day

Warren with the summit of Alta Peak behind

Warren on summit of Alta

Myself on summit of Alta

After trying to get to the top on 3 different occasions and failing miserably, I talked Chuck and Warren into yet one more try. After having been back up here just a couple months ago and seeing the light snow pack, I had hopes for the conditions to be more mid July like than mid May like. And as our luck would have it, the nice warm weather that had been over the area for the few weeks before this trip had turned back to Winter time and it snowed about a foot or so just a day or two before we got here. I told neither Chuck or Warren this, as I didn't want to give them any reason for not trying one more time for the summit. The first bad sign was snow on the side of the road a ways before getting to Giant Forest, which is around 5,000 feet or so in elevation. Chuck and I spent the night at the campground at Lodgepole, expecting Warren to show up around midnight.
  Sometime around 7AM the next morning Warren shows up after a long nights drive and pulling over to catch a few zees. After getting all packed up we head on over to the lodge for breakfast, seeing how Chuck had never seen the place or enjoyed eating there. Breakfast was had and we soon hit the trail.
  Snow conditions were close to the same as when Warren and I had been up there 2 months earlier. Snow on the trail just below the Pear Lake trail junction and then all the way up to Panther Gap. Warren had taken off ahead of us in order for him to keep from falling asleep waiting on Chuck and my slow ass. Weather conditions were such that when I finally got to Panther, one couldn't see more than about 50 feet in any direction. These conditions were to stay with us for a majority of the next 2 days, with the exception of late afternoons and evenings. We make it up to Mehrten Meadow and decide to make an early camp and not over do it on the first day. We end up having to clear snow away to have semi dry spots for sleeping bags, but it is not the worst we have ever done. After a great dinner of cheese burgers and bourbon, we end up hitting the sack fairly early.
  Early the next morning we take off for the top with daypacks and the thought that even if we make the top, the view is not going to be what we hoped for, with the clouds building up in the canyon from early on. We make it up to the Alta Meadow trail junction and are having a great time even though we can't see much in the way of distance.
  About half way between AM trail junction and the switchback at 10,360 feet, Chuck decides to call it a day. Warren and I keep going , knowing that this time we will make the top, even if we can't see anything because of the clouds. After getting to a point where we are heading almost straight up the slope because out inability to find the trail, we finally get to the point where we can go no higher.
  We did it, made the top. On what for all intents is the fourth time trying, I am on top of Alta Peak. Because of the weather, pictures proving this are not really available, but anyone having been on top would recognize the surrounding area in our pics. After enjoying an hour or so on top, Warren and I head back down to camp, knowing we have a ways to go before being able to enjoy dinner and a cocktail.
  Back at camp, Chuck had tried to get a fire going, but wasn;t very successful. All the snow on the ground had made most of the wood pretty wet, not very good for burning.  After spending almost an hour on it, Warren was able to get one going and we enjoyed that for the rest of the evening. The next morning we head back to the cars early and get down to the parking lot in about 2 hours after leaving Mehrten Meadow. This trip was good in that we finally made the top, but yet another trip will be needed to get to the summit with viewing conditions to our liking. Thinking I might like trying to spend the night on or near the summit. Till then.