Blue Canyon Pass

Member descriptions, photos, and map locations of Cross Country Passes in the High Sierra. This forum is for information only - discussions should be kept in the appropriate categories.
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tomba
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Blue Canyon Pass

Post by tomba »

Blue Canyon Pass

GENERAL OVERVIEW: Crosses White Divide. Connects Blue Canyon with a basin of unnamed lakes above and west from Goddard Creek.

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 2.

LOCATION: Kings Canyon National Park. HST Map

ELEVATION: 11,480+ ft.

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Mt Goddard.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: I visited this pass from north, but didn't cross it, on 2012-09-13, a low snow year. I climbed from the lake directly below the pass. It is easy to stay on solid granite "lobes" and avoid talus almost all the way up. The south side looked easy - see photos below.

PHOTOS:

Click on images to see larger versions.

Blue Canyon Pass from about half way up the ridge with knob 11493', between the pass and lake 10232' to the north. Finger Col is on the right.
IMG_7800-IMG_7805-bc-pass-far.jpg
Zoom in.
IMG_7803-bc-pass-far-zoom.JPG
View from the lake below the pass. It looks less steep from here.
IMG_7817-bc-pass-med.JPG
Top section, north side. View from slightly west from the pass.
IMG_7826-bc-pass-close.JPG
South side. The pass is on bottom-left.
IMG_7827-IMG_7832-bc-pass-south.jpg
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tomba
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Re: Blue Canyon Pass

Post by tomba »

RoguePhotonic posted another view similar to the last one:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3729&start=888#p77227" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Blue Canyon Pass

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Traversing from Blue Canyon Peak is a long tedious and often loose mess of talus. On the North side I dropped down a bit and then hooked left across some slabs to pick up easy terrain down to a small lake that then drops you down to the larger one. Going straight down may be possible but is far more complex.

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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Blue Canyon Pass

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I did this pass in a high snow year. From the lake below the pass, I actually got up onto the bench above the lake by first going north on slabs, and then circling south, mostly on slabs, ending pretty high so that the actual approach to the pass was nearly level. There was snow, which actually made it easier. You are correct, that the south side is very easy. The only thing to consider on the south side is that it is difficult to traverse to Dykman Pass; you will run into talus and a cliffy section if you stay too high. It is actually better to drop to the lower lakes and then approach Dykman Pass from the Lake directly blow the pass.
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