GENERAL OVERVIEW: This pass facilitates north/south travel on the western side of the Le Conte Divide. It gives you access to Lucifer's Pass 2 which is a an easy connector to the lake basins to the south (or north).
CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 2
LOCATION: John Muir Wilderness; East and a bit south of Devil's Punchbowl Lake
ELEVATION: 11, 000 ft.
USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Mt. Henry; HST Map:HST Map
The photos below will embellish the verbal description that accommodates the icon identifying this pass on the HST map. In a nutshell, if you are keen to practice friction walking on big granite slabs, this is the place to do it. There are huge ramps leading down to (or up from) the little un-named tarn above Bigshot Lake. But, even when you run out of granite, there are nice meadows and fairly forgiving vegetation to wander through to get down to (or up from) Devil's Punchbowl. These photos are taken in order coming from the southeast:
- Lucifer's Pass 1 viewed from Lucifer's saddle (2).
- Heading down the granite slabs
- The "granite-slabs" part of the descent
- Un-named tarn above Bigshot Lake during descent from Lucifer's Pass 1
- The final descents to Bigshot, Little shot and Devil's Punchbowl Lakes