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Peak(s):  Mt. Wilson  -  14,256 feet
Date Posted:  08/16/2011
Date Climbed:   08/13/2011
Author:  mattpayne11
 Mt. Wilson and the new Rock of Ages   

Our group hit the new trailhead for Rock of Ages and it was glorious. The trail is pretty easy to follow but there were a few spots that had us confused. All-in-all it is a long day from the RoA trailhead! Thanks to Terry Mathews for the beta he posted last week - it was helpful.

Check out the full trip report:

http://www.100summits.com/trip-reports/item/217-mt-wilson-rock-of-ages.html

Image
Mt. Wilson and El Diente

Image
Gladstone Peak



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2


Comments or Questions
tommyboy360
User
Great report
8/17/2011 6:50am
I enjoyed the details and reading about the ups and downs of the full trip. The San Juans are mighty and your photos captured it. Those stormy pics with the greens and blues at the end of the report are simply stunning. Congrats on the summit.


mattpayne11
User
Thank you
8/17/2011 1:04pm
Appreciate it tommyboy! The San Juans are my favorite... too bad they are so far from home haha. By the way - apologize if I offend anyone about those guys in the report. I think we all deserve a little roasting from time time.


lordhelmut
User
San Juans
8/17/2011 2:21pm
are best enjoyed without photoshop and facebook. All I've gotta say about that.


mattpayne11
User
lord helmut
8/17/2011 4:51pm
Thank you for those gems of wisdom!


JA_son27
User
nice TR!
8/17/2011 7:30pm
Loved the pics!


djkest
User
Nice
8/17/2011 9:24pm
Great photographs. This reminded me why a camera with a polarizing filter would be excellent to bring on a 14er trip. Sad to see all that work without bagging Gladstone or El Diente, but it's probably for the better.

Nice report on the new trail BTW.


WillV
User
Best Trip Report!
8/18/2011 12:33am
Best trip report I've read on here, and it's not because I'm in it. Or is it?

I had a great time Matt, thanks again for putting this together! Mom and family back in AZ really enjoyed it!


mattpayne11
User
Sweet
8/18/2011 1:53am
I'm glad you dig it Will. It was great climbing with you man - anytime!

djkest - I KNOW! I guess my third trip down there will be for Gladstone and El Diente. No worries though. I don't count El Diente in my 14er completion list.

Thanks for reading.


Kitten
User
Nice report!
8/18/2011 2:15am
As always, it is enjoyable to read your trip reports! I did not know you were looking for partners to do Mt.Wilson. We will be attempting those 2 plus El Diente next week. If you are up for El Diente you are more than welcome to join us.
Yeah, those dudes look like something with their tennis shoes and arm cast... I guess they made it safely up and safely down


mattpayne11
User
I'd love to but...
8/18/2011 2:52am
I can't! Good luck though - I think you'll do great! I hope they made it OK but one has to wonder...


The_Godfather
User
The Helmet
8/18/2011 5:01am
I think what Helmet meant was....”Its better to view them in person than third party”

Lets be honest almost every image you see, portrait or landscape, if published is photoshopped (or similar programmed) before being ”final.” If your image is jpg out of the camera, its manipulated already, and RAW needs manipulation to view online. Now can some be over done, yes without question. But its up to the ”artist” if they want that or not. I gave up a long time ago judging others in their photographic skills or lack there of. This site though has many many judges who are very outspoken, yet the overall theme for any kind of image is ”its a great image” even when its clearly not going to win awards. I'd rather everyone read reports for content, but now a days everyone is a photographer so everyone ”can do better”

Keep on climbing Matt.


mattpayne11
User
RAW is right
8/18/2011 5:22am
Thanks for affirming what I wanted to say Jason. I shoot 100% RAW, so I *have* to push all of my photos through Lightroom, or they look completely flat. If you shoot RAW you know what I mean. Do some of my photos look totally fake or manipulated? Duh. It is my artistic/creative touch. Some like it, some don't. Climb on!


The_Godfather
User
re: Matt
8/18/2011 5:43am
No problems dude, as an artist, to stand out you have to be different. The main thing is that you like your style and so do others. There will always be those who don't and the purist who still think that in the film days photography wasn't altered. In reality, since the beginning of photography there has been alterations. In film, it was the chemicals in the darkroom. Ansel did it a lot. Yet when someone digitally enhances some, its like the world came to an end and the Apocalypse is upon us.

but....Meh....its the world we live in. Whats your plans for after next weekend climb wise? Summer in mexico = no climbs so far. Epic fail


vorticity
User
Best Trip Report Ever!!
9/6/2011 3:41am
An amazing trip report. I will refer to it again and again when I finally get around to climbing Mt Wilson. Thanks very much. Vort.


mattpayne11
User
Thanks Vort
9/8/2011 3:17am
Appreciate it. I hope you can get down there soon - its a really awesome area!



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