"Dick's Pass or DIE !!! " "Chad" and his bother-in-law made it up Dick's Pass. Where is Dick's Pass... ? Check the maps below and then watch the short video, proof that our friend "Chad" actually was there on the top... Congrats Chad !! And he lived to tell about it... See video clip ... in top frame of this page. If the video does not load for you... try this smaller file version opens in a new window. Since this is a Quicktime streaming video, you may need to download an upgrade for QuickTime. http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ You also might have better luck with Firefox 3.0.3 rather than Internet-Explorer: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ for free download of Firefox 3.0.3. Scroll down for map of Dick's Pass.... and Comments by "Chad".

Chad's Discussion Comments: as posted in a previous discussion.

I don't do ATVs, boats, guns, water skiis, fishing poles, or even water--unless I pump the water through a filter for drinking.

On my week's vacation in Lake Tahoe, I did the highest mountain pass in the Desolation Wilderness--six miles straight up and six miles straight down! My brothers-in-law and I spent all day doing it. I swear, that trail didn't have one flat spot in the entire length, mostly rather large, sharp rocks--lots of stepping up; in fact, endlessly. Yes, with a mile left to the top of the pass, the ol' muscle cramps took hold of the ol' legs; nevertheless, I walked through the discomfort (think intense and migratory pain) and made it to the top--9,350 feet; all the while repeating to myself, "Dick's Pass or die!"

What a view: the two major glacially-excavated valleys of the wilderness to either side, and thirteen visible, deep blue, mountain lakes; not to mention mountain peaks sticking up all around, especially Mt. Tallac (9,475 feet) and Dick's Peak (9,575 feet), within three-quarter mile to either side of the pass. The forested granite wilderness. The saddle of the pass itself, one huge and treeless meadow. Top of the world! Home of the Gods! Mike (42 years of age) simply stated, "What a bitch." Danny (57 years of age) grumbled, "Worst hike I've been on except for the Grand Canyon." Yours truly (ageless) chose the route. They wanted to approach from the south side: seven and a half miles; I chose the north side because it's shorter: six miles. Yes, I talked them into it. But later we all agreed, having hiked the south side on different occasions to within a mile of Dick's Pass, the south approach would have been much easier. But isn't all the fun in the agony?

Nothing like thirty long steep switchbacks up the face of a towering mountain pass to instill sheer joy in your heart-thumping bloodstream. By the way, when I attained the summit, I was the only person there--Danny was about ten minutes behind me; and then we hung out for a while. Mike, who had been ahead of us, was down at Dick's Lake soaking his feet. Yeah, if mountain climbing were easy, every old fool would be up on Dick's Pass (Dick Barter, a nineteenth-century hermit who lived in Emerald Bay, west side of Lake Tahoe). Time to desist... How's that for an epic short story?

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