Middle Palisade, CA (West of Big Pine)

LVMC Trip to Middle Palisade, CA (West of Big Pine)

Pics by Harlan W. S.
Aug. 4-6, 2006

From route 395 in Big Pine, take Crocker Street (also called Glacier Lodge Road) W for14 miles. Overnight hikers must park at the lot ~1 mile east.

We were able to do the hike with minimal snow travel, and didn't use crampons or axes. We had 20' - 30' of high-angle snow traverse to reach the brown band route; Brad took a different route, and had quite a bit more freaky snow. Apparently, we benefited from the late July heat wave in CA; there had been much more snow, just a month before.

The NE face route has lots of good class 3 holds in the upper chute, but is full of loose rock. You may want to go onto the class 4 slabs just to minimize travel over the loose use "trail". A helmet is highly recommended for groups of more than a few closely matched climbers. In parts of the chute, parties can spread out laterally, to minimize rock fall dangers. When we were on the summit, we heard a huge rockslide take place on a SE peak.

Click on any image below to see a corresponding larger image. If you want to save the large image, right click on it (Windows) and choose "Save As".

Since the mid-19^th century, the Middle Palisade Glacier has been shrinking. However, the glacier was formed only ~700 to 500 years ago, during the inception of "The Little Ice Age". Immediately before that cold spell, this area probably had little permanent snow. When we visited, the snow extent was actually greater than shown on the topo map, probably due to the record snows in the Sierras the last two years.

GPS trace for last part of ascent. Up to ~12700, the hike is class 2.	Crossing the Big Pine Creek..	View SW. MP marks Middle Palisade and NC marks Norman Clyde Peak on the large image.

Howard comes up the switchbacks.	Orange columbines.	View W, just before the pass at 9800'.

At the pass. Middle Palisade is the peak at far left.

Bridge's penstemon. At first I thought these were Fuchsia, but the stamens are too short.	Mariposa Lily -- growing near a swamp!	Newberry penstemons -- see the "beard tongue"?

Ali at Brainerd Lake.	View S at Finger Lake, where we camped.	Larger map. The blue dots show the trailless section.

Our campsite at 10800', after sunset.	Next morn, yellow columbine at 11000'.	Bruce heads SW on snowfield, ~12400'.

View NE.	View W at ~12600'. One goes up the lighter pink-brown gully on the right side of the brown band.	Brad started out earlier, and opted for an approach on the left side of the central moraine (he's visible near the top of the snow, centerline of photo).

Up the brown band; rock here is very loose. View W.	View WNW toward the N lobe of the Middle Palisade Glacier. The purple flowers are sky pilots (G: polemonium).	Jim, now above the brown band.

Brad meets us as the chutes converge.

	Near the top, a window SE.	View NW. Sill and North Palisade are indicated on the large image.

Jim on top.		Jim gives tips for the last move to the summit.

Not up to my usual standards, but you would understand if you could see my left foot.		West toward John Muir Trail territory.

	Down we must go. View NE.

Sky pilot.		Can you see Jim?

View SE as climbers ascend the snow.	?redroot?	Shooting stars.

Jim near tarn at ~11500'.	Moonrise.	Next day, Jim pauses to reflect.

The pass at 9800'. View back to Middle Palisade (L) and Norman Clyde Peak (center).		Angelica, a member of the carrot family.

Larkspurs -- these were growing in dim light, under pines.