Recently a UCSD computer music alum and I did a three day backpacking trip in the Eastern Sierras. For whatever reason, I had never driven through the Owens Valley, despite having lived in Nevada and California, and having worked in the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest just north of the Owens Valley. There really isn't another place in the U.S. like the Eastern Sierras - 10,000 ft of vertical gain from the valley floor to the summits. There are even some sizable remnant glaciers clinging to some higher peaks.
Mount Sill from Big Pine. The snow field on the right side of the tooth is the L couloir.
Our goal was Mt. Sill, 14,154 ft, via the L couloir, approached from the Palisade glacier. It was a mixed snow and rock route, with a 4th-class crux in the last 250 ft of the route. It would require a base-camp at either Sam Mack Meadow or near the Palisade glacier. We chose the former.
Mount Sill from near Black Lake.
On the summit day, travel over the Palisade glacier, the largest remaining glacier in the Sierras, was awesome in the cold morning air, with crampons and ice-axes sticking wonderfully on firm snow. However, we should have optimized our route to get on the snow quicker - the talus field at the base of Mt. Gayley was a nightmare. On the glacier, no crevasses were present except for the bergschrunds.
Palisade glacier in the morning. Terminal lake in bottom right corner.
On the Palisade glacier leading to Glacier Notch.
Once off the glacier, to get to the L couloir we had to ascend a steep 3rd class rock chute called Glacier Notch - the first move of which was extremely difficult with backpacks. Loose rock in the notch was nerve wracking.
Looking out of the notch toward North Palisade.
By the time we reached the L-couloir, the snow was in a different condition: we post-holed up the entire way, because it had already been in the sun for quite some time. This slowed us down, and by the time we got to the crux it was already mid-afternoon. We roped-up and simul-climbed because of the steepness of the couloir, although the snow was easy to self-arrest on.
Me following on the L couloir.
To get to the crux required walking over some seriously exposed 3rd class ledges - we chose the bottom ledge, but due to steep snow obstructing the rest of the route, we zig-zagged our way up to the highest ledge, which felt safer and got us to the base of the 4th class. The 4th class terrain was insanely sketchy: a jagged wall of rock protrusions, or 60 degree snow on top of loose scree and mud, and a ton of loose rock.
The vertigo inducing exposure looking out from Sillpex notch (top of L couloir).
To the left is the start of the 3rd class ledge system.
My partner and I both ascended a little bit of the left 4th class option (right behind the rock on the left in the picture below) and nearly fell after pulling out basket-ball sized chunks of rock out of the wall. We started setting an anchor and belay up but realized that if we fully protected the route, we would need another two hours, putting us getting back into camp well after dark. So we decided it would be safer to turn back.
Snow covered high-angle scree obstructing route to cleaner 4th class rock.
But it was still extremely enjoyable. The Palisades are certainly the most Alpine sub-range of the Sierras. If I did Mt. Sill again, I would move the base camp up to the slabs next to Mt. Gayley (near the first views of the Palisade glacier) to get an earlier start - although it would be hell to ascend the moraine with heavy backpacks, it would be worth it on the summit day. If you are careful you can ascend around the moraine and walk on mostly trail or mostly slabs to get to the highest camp sites. We camped at Sam Mack Meadow, which was very nice, and I didn't feel like plowing up the to the glacier after making to Sam Mack.
Don't be suckered into staying in the Shangri-La of Sam Mack Meadow.
Go all the way to the glacier!
But that was probably our biggest mistake. I would also not try this until mid-July, when most of the snow on the crux has melted, and the freeze-thaw loosened rock has fallen out a bit more. Much more of the route would look 3rd class by that point. For the time being I'm moving my sights to Middle Palisade, which is not as exposed (apparently), but is still enjoyable and has some glacier travel.
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