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Friday afternoon I drove up the long windy road to Mineral King in Sequoia National Park and slept in parking lot at the Sawtooth Pass Trailhead. It was cool outside when I woke up Saturday morning - you can tell that it's not summer anymore. I got going about 7 am and headed up the trail toward Monarch Lakes. I got to Lower Monarch Lake at just a little before 10 am and then headed toward Sawtooth Pass. It's a real sandy slog from Lower Monarch Lake to Sawtooth Pass. Just before the Pass I headed out along the ridge toward Sawtooth Peak. It took me 3 hours to do that short hike from Lower Monarch Lake to Sawtooth Peak, so a total of 6 hours to the peak from Mineral King. I looked in the register and saw that there had been two hikers on the peak earlier in the day and they had made it up there in 2 hours and 45 minutes (Bob Burd and Matthew Holliman) - that sure showed me how slow I was or maybe how fast they are. The view was great (although a bit smoky to the west) - especially from the top of the narrow summit block where I got a better view of Lost Canyon and across the Kern Divide. On the way down I spotted a good route directly down to Upper Monarch Lake and headed that way. It made the trip out a bit easier going that way and if I ever do Sawtooth again I'll probably go up that way.
I had planned to do another hike in the Mineral King area yesterday, but on the way out my big toe that still has a nail started to hurt pretty bad so I decided to head home on Sunday morning. On Wednesday this week I get my second big toenail removed - it's going to be so nice when both toes are without nails, but I'll have to find some press-on toenails for those occasions when I go sockless.
Those other two guys are just super-human, those are not times of regular mortals (rather amazing tho).
You took the same route I did when I was up there. The only other choice I considered was heading across to Crystal Lakes and down the Crystal Lakes trail. As you can imagine, that slog in the sand up to the pass took it out of me - and just to rub it in we were up there on a hot day.
I really enjoyed your pictures. Monarch Lakes look really low? And it would seem that the car killing Marmots left your vehicle alone?
Sawtooth was the first real peak that I climbed (as opposed to walking up a trail), so those pictures hold nice memories for me. Mineral King is a great place.
Shawn - The marmots were not hanging around the parking lot at all. I saw a few along the trail, but up at higher elevations and they looked fat and happy. I also saw 9 deer, 2 grouses, and one bear while up there.
Nice photos. That place brings back fond memories. I only visited Mineral King once. It was in 1969 for my 10th birthday the only birthday I ever spent bagging a peak (my dad would score several of those later, including Seven Gables on his 60th). Sawtooth wasn't easy, though, and I was one hurting little kid. I don't see anything wrong with 6 hrs to do the 4500' feet of gain, especially with that sandy scree toward the top. I remember that as being a real slog. I was so exhausted I fell asleep on the summit. I then awoke to ID all the peaks on the skyline to the other Sierra Club trip members (yes I was already a serious Sierrageek by age 10). We too found a direct route down to Monarch Lakes, but I'm not sure the direct route would have been so fun going up. It was some great scree skiing going down, though. I recall doing Mineral Pk the next day (and being taught how to use an ice axe for the first time) and thinking that Mineral King was the best thing on Earth as we left the place. It's very odd that I haven't been back in 37 years since. To this day, my 10th birthday ranks as one my two best ever (my 27th might top it; that was the evening I met my wife).
They bring back some memories for me. In my Monarch trip report, I talked about how all of my photos from a 1990 trip had been stolen. Among those phots were the ones I took in Mineral King, which included a dayhike up Sawtooth. I do remember it was a great peak with an incredible view--and your photos certainly confirm that. (I also remember the sandy slog up to Sawtooth Pass--ugh.)
I've done Sawtooth twice, once from the saddly above Ampitheater Lake and once from Sawtooth Pass. I love that view looking down on Columbine from the summit.
On another note, 2:45 from the trail head or 2:45 from Monarch. If they said 2:45 from the trailhead, they're lying.
I do remember it was a great peak with an incredible view--and your photos certainly confirm that. (I also remember the sandy slog up to Sawtooth Pass--ugh.)