Silverton and Monte Cristo Area. This area contains many minor summits with routes of moderate difficulty which provide enjoyable early season climbing. “Sawhorse Peak” (6880 feet) is located at the intersection of the ridge running east from East Wilmon Peak and the ridge extending north from Columbia Peak. On June 8, Terry Stoupa and I made the first ascent via the southwest face in four leads of F3-F4 rock. Several other route possibilities exist, the easiest being a short climb of the southeast corner which can be reached by a snow gully. Just west of “Sawhorse Peak” is a short rock tower named “Independence Tower” (6500 feet). Scott Masonholder and I on July 5, 1969 climbed the vertical south face using aid on the first pitch. A short rib on the north side probably offers an easier route to the summit. East of Long Mountain are two rock summits named the “West and East Viking Horns” (4800 feet). These two summits can be easily approached by using the Deer Creek road. The first recorded ascents were made in May of 1969 by following the ridge from Long Mountain. On June 13, Scott Masonholder and I climbed the 300-foot north side of the “East Viking Horn” in four leads of F2-F4 rock, which is quite rotten in places.

East of Devils Thumb a sharp-ridged peak can be seen which on the Silverton Quadrangle is marked as peak 5445 feet. On June 20, Dave Dixon and I climbed this peak from Independence Lake, starting with an 800-foot buttress east of the lake (F2-F4) and continued up an easy wooded ridge to the west side of the peak. Ascending a dike gully for about 150 feet, we followed the west ridge (F2) to the summit. (The first ascent was made by C. Pera, A. Miller, and K. Carpenter in 1963 from the southeast side. — Editor.) To approach Independence Peak, road 3006 is taken from near Big Four Campground.

Mount Dickerman has an easy 5-mile trail to its summit. However, the north peak has sheer rock walls and buttresses on its north side. On August 21, Dave Seman and I ascended a north side route to the 5600-foot north peak. From Perry Creek trail at 3200 feet, brush and talus are ascended to the base of a snow gully. This gully is climbed for about 1000 feet and averages 35°. At 4600 feet, the gully ends and entrance is made into a rock gully where one short F3 pitch is encountered. Above, a vertical wall blocks further progress in the gully, so a broad ledge on the right is taken to easier rock. About 500 feet of easy climbing leads to the northwest ridge. This ridge (F2-F3) is followed to the pointed summit.

On July 19, 1969, Scott Masonholder and I made the first ascent of the 1800-foot north face of Wilmon Peak. The climb begins at a rock finger projecting from the base of the face. About 250 feet up, a brushy, vertical pitch and right-hand traverse (F5) is made to easier rock above. From a large ledge, an ascending traverse left is made for 100 feet and then directly up over easy rock and heather to a snow patch. The key to the ascent is a 800-foot narrow rock gully which begins above the snow patch. The rock in the gully is quite solid and ranges up to F5 in difficulty. Above the gully about 500 feet of F2 to F3 rock are climbed on the northwest side of the summit pyramid. From a ledge about 120 feet below the top, a climb on well-broken F4 rock leads to the summit.

Dallas Kloke