Morrison, Conness or Dana

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moresnowplease
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Morrison, Conness or Dana

Post by moresnowplease »

Hi all...I recognize some of you from some other forums...Im glad i stumbled onto this site. I've been researching around a bit and plan to do my first peak bag within the next couple of weeks. I've done a bit of BC skiing but hav'nt hit anything over 11k or hiked higher than 11,500 (2500) vert. I did that all pretty well. Altitude has not been much of an issue so I am ready to go a bit higher.

I've got the gear and have practiced or used it including crampons and ice ax though I dont think i will need it over the next couple weeks.

With that said it seems Dana is just a walk up mainly. Conness on which I've visited the pass but tnot the peak seems like a good day hike around the east side but I think I could hike up the talus near Greenstone Lake (which I did in July with Alpine Ski boots and crampons) but didnt quite hit the top.

I'm most interested in Morrison though. For some reaon that one has found me rather than me finding it.

The elevation of Morrison is lower than Dana. Just as easily hiked if not easier due to the close proximity of my condo in Mammoth lakes and the parking lot next to Convict. You pretty much start the assent right out of your vehicle.

Any thoughts or advice on this subject would be amazing...and again...I'm stoked I've found this forum.
Marry it then.
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Snow Nymph
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Post by Snow Nymph »

Hi Mike!

Welcome to High Sierra Topix!

I've done all 3 peaks, so you can find the photos on my website. I think there's probably an easier way to do Morrison than the way we did it. Awesome peak!

I'm always up for hiking! Let me know when you're going!
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free . . . . Jim Morrison


http://snownymph.smugmug.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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moresnowplease
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Post by moresnowplease »

I'm a prolly head up one of those darn peaks on Saturday of this weekend.
Marry it then.
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Post by giantbrookie »

I've also done all three and here is how I would compare them. Dana is the easiest (class 1 and it really is class 1), clearly the easiest to do in a dayhike, and probably has the best view by virtue of the fact that it is very high in elevation relative to surrounding peaks. Morrison, in my opinion, is the hardest of the three, because the steep metamorphic talus can be a bear. Morrison's north face is very appealing, but the peak itself is sort of a small bump on the north end of a long ridge. The metamorphic rock that makes Morrison such a pain to climb also makes the Convict Canyon area beautiful because of all the rich reddish hues (along with the fantastically folded rocks). Conness is hands down the most alpine ("best looking") of the three; it is a very cliffy rugged looking peak from all angles. It is a long dayhike to do it but it's not as nasty, in my mind, as Morrison owing to the fact that it is composed of massive granite and the talus and scree that must be climbed is much firmer. Conness, although class 2, has this unique summit knife edge (with an engineered trail), that has a bit of air in places, so if you're highly acrophobic, it may not be for you. Overall a Conness dayhike from Saddlebag to me is hands down the most fun climb of the three. Thus all three have something to be said for them, but there are big differences in terms of degree of difficulty and what they offer.

If you choose to do Conness, note that I seem to recall (haven't checked in awhile) a note that I made on the "revisions to Secor" page on the climber.org site regarding the route from Saddlebag. The official east ridge is rated class 3, but I believe it is really class 2 if you choose the best route from Saddlebag, going directly over peak 11239 (gain and lose a bit more elevation but preferred to sidehilling on talus), traversing class 1 and 2 benches on the south slope of the east ridge, surmounting the steep but class 2 headwall at the top of the east ridge, then following the "standard" class 2 route up to the summit up the south ridge.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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