R03 TR: 7/16-7/23 2004 Minarets

[Wandering Daisy]

Devils Postpile to Silver Lake Peak Bagging Adventures
July 16-23, 2004 8 days, 43 miles

Hard to believe I did this trip 20 years ago. 2003-4 was a slightly less than normal snowpack year. This is one of the trips I worked on this winter, putting all my trips in a consistent format. I do not think I have posted this before. I have a vague memory of posting this but really tried to find it to no avail. Sorry if this is a reapeat.


Day1. 7/16/04: JMT at Devils Postpile to Minaret Lake
6.7 miles, about 5 hours, 2315 feet elevation gain, 140 feet loss

I parked my car at the Mammoth Lodge and took shuttles to the JMT trailhead in Devils Postpile. The trail to Minaret Lake was good; mosquitoes were bad! I hesitated to stop so made it to Minaret Lake by 1:30PM.

View from trial, 10:30AM

Nearing Minaret Lake 11:50AM

Day2. 7/17/04: Minaret Lake to Tarn below Mt Ritter
3.2 miles, about 4 hours, 1340 feet elevation gain, 1030 loss

Yesterday I met a couple with a baby who had come back from a Cecile Lake day hike. Obviously they did not use the class-3 “slot” cited in the guidebook! I took their easier route to Cecile Lake and hopped a lot of rocks to reach the outlet of the lake. The descent to Iceberg Lake was scary on steep hard snow. Not sure why I did not put on crampons, but used my ice axe the entire descent. The wildflowers at Iceberg Lake were at their peak. A good trail dropped to Ediza Lake, where I ascended on a faint use-trail to the small tarn below the SE Glacier route on Mt. Ritter. From this point on I was high enough to avoid mosquitoes and set up camp.

Cecile Lake 7:35AM

Looking down to Iceberg Lake 8:30AM

The Minarets from Cecile Lake 8:40AM

Iceberg Lake 9:30AM

Flowers below Iceberg Lake 10AM

More flowers at Iceberg Lake 10AM

Day3. 7/18/04: Climb Mt Ritter
About 3 miles, 3120 feet elevation gain/loss

Come morning, I studied the route, got confused, and just followed my nose. A few class-3 stretches and much elevation gain I reached the edge of the glacier just in time for a huge rock to come sliding down ahead of me. No rest stops here! I picked one of the many variations up the chute to the summit plateau. Then it was a long slog to the top. After a rest on top, I headed down hugging the east side of the glacier. Rocks were shooting off the steep icy glacier as the sun melted the ice. I was back in camp by 3PM and took a quick refreshing bath and walked uphill a bit to photograph my route before it fell into shadows. Camp was becoming crowded! Another group wanted to discuss my route details. I went into the tent early for a bit of peace and quiet.

Sunrise on Mt Ritter 5AM

Mt Ritter Route

[Wandering Daisy]

More photos for Day 3

View from Mt Ritter summit 9:00AM

View from summit

Nydiver Lakes from summit

View from summit

Day4. 7/19/04: Tarn below Mt Ritter to Lake Catherine
4.7 miles, about 6 hours, 2175 feet elevation gain, 1175 feet loss

The next day I hiked over Whitebark Pass traversing the steep south side. In retrospect it would have been easier to drop to Nydiver Lakes and go straight up to the pass. The north side was icy and difficult. Thankfully Garnet pass was easy. The west side of Thousand Island Lake was soggy due to melting snow. A use-trail started up to North Glacier Pass but I missed the upper part and was lured too far north into horrible talus. Eventually at the pass, I started descending to the rocky north side of Lake Catherine and gave up trying to find a campsite. I walked back to the east side where I found a great grassy camping platform at 2PM. I bathed in the frigid lake, ate dinner and checked out the tricky traverse to the route up the Banner Glacier, which was now basically an icy snowfield. For some reason I failed to take photos going over White Bark Pass or of Garnet Lake, but did take some once I reached Lake Catherine.

Mt Ritter from Nydiver Ridge 7:50AM

Camp at Catherine Lake 2:00PM

Camp at Catherine Lake 2PM

Flowers near camp 2:05PM

Camp kitchen 6:15PM

[Wandering Daisy]

Day5. 7/20/04: Climb Banner Peak and explore Ritter Lakes
About 3 miles, 8 hours, 2050 feet elevation gain/loss

Rising early, I traversed a bit of tricky class-3 scrambling which became easy to the snow field where I put on my crampons, vindicated for carrying the extra weight. I was on top by early morning and spent an hour sunbathing. After descending, I continued to the Ritter Lakes south of Lake Catherine with a clockwise tour of unspoiled beauty. A few icebergs were floating in the deep blue. These lakes are well worth the trip. I returned via the outlet of Lake Catherine and walked the north shore back to camp. I took a bath and washed my hair. A fellow I met on Mt. Ritter walked by and we chatted; he would do Banner the next day; small world up here!

Mt Banner Glacier 7AM

View from Banner summit 8:20AM

Thousand Island Lake from Banner 8:20AM

Thousand Island Lake and Garnet Lake

MT Ritter from Banner 8:20AM

View towards Ritter Lakes from Banner

Catherine lake 11:10AM

Catherine Lake 11:30AM

Snow in Catherine Lake near outlet 12:30PM

Ritter and Banner from Catherine Lk outlet 12:30PM

view from camp 3PM

View of Catherine Lake from camp 3:30PM

[Wandering Daisy]

Day6. 7/21/04: Catherine Lake to Upper Marie Lake
7 miles, about 8 hours, 2140 feet elevation gain, 2125 feet loss

Next day, I headed back over North Glacier Pass, still not able to find a “good” route. I chose to travel cross country around Thousand Island Lake to reach Island Pass. Once on the trail going down to Rush Creek there were hordes of folks hiking the PCT. I was again back in wilderness once I turned onto the trail to Marie Lakes. The trail ended at the lower Marie Lake. I crossed the outlet and worked my way to Upper Marie Lake and camped on a scrubby flat at the outlet. The plan was to climb Rogers Peak the next day. I was totally alone! Unfortunately my camera battery ran out late afternoon. I would not have any photos of my misadventure on Rogers Peak!

Banner from Thousand Island Lake 8:55AM

Island Pass 10:25AM

Koip Ridge from near Island Pass 10:25AM

Upper Marie Lake 3:30PM

Marie Lake from Upper Marie Lake 3:20PM

Mt Rogers and unammed peak I climbed 3:30PM

Flowers at Marie Lakes

Unfortunately my camera battery now was dead so I did not get any photos on the next day's climb



Day7. 7/22/04: Climb unnamed peak and move to Davis Lake
6.6 miles, about 9 hours, 1940 feet elevation gain, 3210 feet loss

Off at dawn, I circled north around the lake, up snowfields, and 3rd class up a slab face to a knife edge ridge. The view into the upper Lyell Fork was awesome as I continued to what I thought was Rogers Peak. Well, I was on the wrong peak! I had climbed the hump just north of Rogers Pass. The route finding was challenging on my little unnamed peak and the ridge was very exposed and exciting!

Back at camp, I packed up and headed down to camp on Rush Creek at a string of ponds west of the trail junction with the PCT. It was early so backtracked to Davis Lakes for a fabulous sunset. My camera batteries gave up before my climb of the wrong peak, but I can definitely recommend both the Marie and Davis Lakes for some good adventurous climbs and great camping.

Day8. 7/23/04: Walk out to Silver Lake Trailhead
About 9 miles, 4 hours, 300 feet elevation gain, 3000 feet loss

The next day I walked out to Silver Lake where Dave rode his motorcycle to meet me. It was my first ride ever on the back of a motorcycle! Perhaps this was the most exciting part of the trip! We first stopped at the motel in June Lake to drop of my pack, and then continued to Mammoth Lake Lodge to get my car. Back at the motel I had a hot bath and drank lots of wine.

Note: Camera times are PST.

[balzaccom]

What a great report, Daisy. Thank you. Looks like you hd nearly perfect weather for this trip--and I am glad to know that I'm not the only one who sometimes ends up in ugly talus or on the wrong ridge by mistake!

[Gogd]

The east side of the Ritter Range is my favorite spot in the Sierra, yet I have been there only a few times, most of them ski trekking. Something about the horizon silhouette the massif strikes, and the views one gets from different angles that captivates me. My favorite location for a base camp is Cecile or Iceberg Lakes. The terrain is easier to travel when covered by snow, making the entire range, and then some, day trip assessable on skis. The images you share capture the full glory of the east side of the Ritter Range. Good work!

I also found myself bumping into the same people on trips there, more so than other venues. It feels remote, regardless the JMT Express Way is scant miles away, often in eyeshot.

Ed

[narc1370]

BOOM... What a great report and even better trip! Thank you!

[Pietro257]

Thanks for this. That area is one of my favorites in the Sierra. I have been past Lake Catherine a couple times on my way to Bench Canyon. Beautiful photos!