On August 21, 1947, two groups were formed under Paul Petzoldt and Ken Jones from the Thompson high camp. The Petzoldt group wentback to “Mt. Bush” to avenge their previous attempt up the north face. This time, they started up the scree field to the col west of “Mt. Bush” and traversed the ridge to the east but had to rappel into the final pitch.[1] Jones’ group of ten included Harriet Gallup, Howard Jones, Earl Carter, Don Sullivan, John Ebert, Mickey Thomas, Bruce Adams, Cal Wilcox, Russell Clark, and Cole Fisher. The Jones’ group climbed southwest out of high camp on a snow and scree slope to reach the same col at 9500 feet and started moving west on the ridge.[2] The first peak the group climbed moving west was “Harriet Knoll”, followed by “Bruce Mountain”, see photograph. It is assumed that “Harriet Knoll” is the first or second feature west of the col on the eastern shoulder of “Mt. Bruce”. “Mt. Bruce” is the prominent peak to the right of center in the photograph. After “Mt. Bruce”, the group of eleven was forced to downclimb the ridge to the southwest to bypass some difficult precipices but returned to the ridge proper and had lunch in the next col to the west. Following lunch, “Pattys Pinnacle” was ascended, which must have been the first spire to the east of the col in the photograph. At this point, three individuals (Gallup, Howard Jones, and Clark) left the group to return to the high camp in the basin while the other eight continued onto a peak at the western end of the cirque. They named this peak “Ede Peak” and considered it the most difficult ascent of the day.[3] To the north, lay their next peak, which they named “Mount Carter”, and then onto a rounded peak further north which they called “Carter Boulevard”.[2] From there, the group turned east and climbed Thompson Peak before returning to the high camp.
From L to R or east to west: “Mount Bush”, sub-peak of “Mount Bush” rappelled, col to gain ridge, “Harriet Knoll”, “Mt. Bruce”, lunch col from which “Pattys Pinnacle” was climbed to the east, and “Ede Peak or Schwarz Pinnacle.” Brian Westphal Photo
As a matter of clarification, it should be pointed out that the peaks for Jones’ group in order were “Harriet Knoll”, “Mt. Bruce”, “Pattys Pinnacle”, “Ede Peak”, and then “Carter Mountain and Boulevard” which differ slightly from those given in Lopez’ guidebook.[4] For the three prominent peaks shown in the photograph, it seems obvious which col the large group ascended and which col the group of three descended. While the exact locations of “Harriet Knoll” and “Pattys Pinnacle” are not as well known, the major peaks of “Mt. Bush”, “Mt. Bruce”, and “Ede Peak” are easily distinguished in the photograph. Using LiDAR analyses, the first feature west of the ascending col is approximately 9863 feet in elevation, has a prominence of 140 feet, and is assumed to be “Harriet Knoll” named after Harriet Gallup-Jones.[2] Also using LiDAR analyses on the first spire east of the descending col, “Pattys Pinnacle” has an elevation of 9902 feet with 23 feet of prominence and was named for the daughter of Don Sullivan. The name “Ede Peak” honors Ede Ebert who with John Ebert were the backbone of the Iowa Mountaineers organization. Given the climbing history of “Ede Peak”, the name was changed to “Schwartz Pinnacle” (sic) probably to acknowledge Hans Schwarz who in 1972 was a guide with the Iowa Mountaineers in the Sawtooths.[4-6] “Carter Mountain” was changed to “Mount Limbert” to honor Robert Limbert who originally built Redfish Lake Lodge in the late 1920’s and is credited with bringing the Craters of the Moon to prominence.[4] And finally, “Carter Boulevard” retains one of its first ascenders names as “Mt. Carter”.[4] James Earl Overton Carter, was a stalwart with the Iowa Mountaineers in the 1940’s and ‘50’s either organizing, leading, or just carrying heavy loads.
[1] Meier, Mark F., “Sawtooth Mountaineering”, The Iowa Climber, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1947), 16-24, 114.
[2] Log of the Mountaineering and Exploration in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, Iowa Mountaineer, Inc. (1947), 21-31.
[3] Liffring, Joan, “New Mountain Climbing ‘Firsts’ Set by Iowa Citians”, The Daily Iowan (August 31, 1947), 3.
[4] Lopez, Tom, Exploring Idaho’s Mountains, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA (1990), 134.
[5] Sandford, Robert W., “King of the Spiral Road: A Celebration of the Life of Hans Schwarz”, The Alpine Club of Canada, Canmore, AB, Canada (2001).
[6] Leaders tab, Iowa Mountaineers, https://iowamountaineers.tripod.com/leaders.htm.