High Sierra Topix

If you cross Crystal Pass to Crystal Lakes, it is an easy class 1 walk up to the ridge separating Crystal Lakes from Monarch Lakes. The descent on the north side, however, is a different story:

I see a couple options in that photo but it's hard to say what I will face. I'm pretty sure that whole face will be snow covered since I will be going down it June 5th. On the left side of the photo it looks like it might make for a good place to glissade to the bottom if it is solid snow.

Worst case I will drop to Crystal Lake and take the trail around which is 2.7 miles.

I have a question about Copper Mine Pass. The route I always planned to take over it is the Copper Mine Old route that skirts around peak 12,345. I was also considering climbing to the top of that peak for a nice view. The newer Copper Mine Pass or Copper Mine Secor looks extremely difficult or impossible from the Western side from all the photos I have of it. What sort of experience have any of you had between the new and old and is there an advantage to taking one or the other?

Copper Mine Old seems to offer better views to the South for sure.

Rogue,

Where are you going to and from where when you go over Coppermine? Going really near the peak that divides Deadman from Cloud and the Kaweah drainage was almost always my option--there is an obvious trail From Deadman to the ridge and almost to the peak then down the ridge between Cloud and the Kaweah drainage a ways before dropping down into Cloud. there is about a thousand feet of vertical that I never had a sense of where the old trail is in Cloud because it was almost always covered in snow when I did the route. Going up Cloud I could easily follow the trail (but never bothered to) up canyon until I got to the grove of foxtail pines that sets on the west slope of the canyon. At that point I would cut across the trail and followed the switchbacks up thru the foxtails and then the traverse to the south until I got to snow. At that point I just aimed toward the ridge just s. of the High Point of the old Coppermine Pass trail. I don't know what Secor suggested as an alternative but if it is the saddle to the n. of Coppermine between Deadman and Cloud it is not hard but not nearly as much fun as the the "real" Coppermine Pass. Don't accept substitutes! Also there is a really cool mineshaft nearly on the top of the peak/pass. You can get to it by following the faint trail that goes north from near the highpoint of the pass. There is a wooden winch in it and a hole in the side of the top of the shaft that you can peek thru and see Upper Cloud Canyon. One of these days I'll have to go thru my slides and post a pic or two of the area.

Mike

Well I will first be coming up from Lion Lake and moving East to West heading for Horn Col. Then several days later I am going to cross Elizabeth Pass and go over Copper Mine again on my way across the Whaleback. Might try to bag Triple Divide Peak along the way. The time frame will be the end of June and early July meaning snow cover. Sounds like the route I was planning is the way to go even if I cannot follow the old trail.

The other Copper Mine Pass is listed as class 2 yet on it's West side all my photos show very steep terrain and major cliffs with little options to get around. At what point is terrain not considered class 2 without rocks? So steep your forced to use your hands to stop from sliding down? If Half Dome was dirt it would be class 2?

Rogue,

Both directions you are going I would take the real Coppermine Pass. I don't think there will be much snow this year when you cross the area and any snow should not slow you down too much. From Lion Lake Pass/col just drop down to the tarn just below then traverse up toward Coppermine Peak/Pass. When going e do the reverse then traverse around to Glacier Lake (unless you plan on going down cloud Canyon). I did Secor's route once and it was a piece of cake, but like I said not nearly as much fun as the real thing.

Mike

Sounds like that is the way to go. I can't wait to get back out there!

Interesting. I wasn't aware there were two Coppermine Passes. It's been a while since I was there, but Mike's description sounds like the way we used to go. Great view from all along that traverse. The pass itself is easy. I remember a crapload of loose scree on the West side. When we were there in 1998 there was a cornice on the East side and we ended up rapping down. But that was in early July of a very high snow year. Should be no problem.

I'm curious, where exactly is the "other" Coppermine Pass? Farther up Glacier Ridge?

I really love that area. Hoping to go back next summer.

By the way, killer itinerary, my friend. Love it. Best of luck.

Ah, I see. In light of that, my comments are regarding "Coppermine Secor" after all. The traverse refers to Horn Col to Glacier Lake.

Thanks for posting that.