We have a parade of Le Conte hikers headed into the International Peak-Baggers Hall of Fame.
This is an honor bestowed by "Baggers Without Borders," a club based in the United Kingdom that recognizes peak-bagging milestones. The club's Hall of Fame recognizes those who have climbed the same mountain at least 500 times.
Le Conte has more Hall of Famers than any other mountain. Larry Russell made his 500th ascent on April 27. Also headed toward the Hall of Fame are John Northrup with 457; and Dewey Slusher with 433 after making two ascents in a 28-mile day on April 29.
The Hall of Fame already includes Ed Wright with 1,310, Dave Scanlon 982, Paul Dinwiddie 750, Margaret Stevenson 718, Ed Jones 524, and Paul Adams 523. Next year's update will include Ron Valentine, now that 1,250 of his climbs have been documented. Valentine actually made more than 3,000 climbs, but some of his records were lost in a 1999 fire.