Trip Report

Drove the difficult Highway 58 to upper end of Lookout Point Reservoir, whereupon the leader's car abruptly died. After considering committing it to the depths of the lake, three of the party returned to Eugene for another car while the other three returned to a nearby store for a six-pack of beer. That minor obstacle out of the way, we had an uneventful ride to Diamond Lake. Ate dinner (of sorts) at the lodge, then car-camped for the night.

After 6:00 a.m. breakfast at the lodge, we hit the trail. The trail also hit back - this one goes straight up the darn mountain. No problems, though, and everyone reached the top easily. Harry Austin and Joel (?) met us near the top, and joined our ropes on the pinnacle. Near the summit register we noticed someone had constructed a concrete cube, its base embedded in the rock. Where one side had broken there appeared to be several objects embedded in it - Thought nothing more of the matter, and after a long relaxing break in the warm sunshine we descended the scree to the trail.

Here we met Dennis. Dennis was unhappy. Dennis was mad. Dennis was nutty as a fruitcake. It seems Dennis had heard that his pet project had been destroyed. "Did you see a concrete block on top, surrounded by styrofoam?", Dennis asked. Yes, we had, but the styrofoam was in small bits and pieces. "And did it look like someone had broken the concrete?" We assured him it did, and asked what it was. "It was going to be the most important thing, the most beautiful thing in the world," Dennis said. Er, right. "Precious stones - it has precious stones embedded in it and when it got struck by lightning it was to glow and be seen for miles around. It would have been the most beautiful thing in the world..." Uh-huh. We all stepped back. Dennis was now upset. Dennis was getting agitated. He stormed off down the trail. "I try to do something good for people and they destroy it. Now I'm going to work on deadly weapons instead." Goodbye, Dennis. I'm just glad I didn't surprise the guy on top of the summit pinnacle. We drove to Diamond Lake Lodge where we met Wes Prouty's Crater Lake group. Seems Emmy Dale had also run into Friend Dennis - in the back seat of her car (it's her story!). As we left to drive home, guess who was hitch-hiking along the road? We didn't stop. Near Oakridge we did stop to tow my car back to town (many thanks, Lee). Good thing it wasn't Rob Scherer's Buick, or it wouldn't have been worth towing back.

Climbers were: Tom Brikowski, Jack Ewing, Lee Hatch, Henrietta Richmond, Chris Russell and Bert Ewing, Leader.