East Face

Approach

Follow the Taboose Creek Road to the Goodale Creek Road and go left. Continue to the Goodale Creek Trailhead. Near the trailhead is a dark volcanic plug. The best route starts northeast (climber's right) of this plug.

Route Description

From the Goodale Creek Trailhead, start on the right side of the volcanic plug. Hike up a long, gentle ridge to an area of granitic outcrops at about 7000' elevation. Traverse left into a broad chute and climb through the outcrops into a jeffrey pine forest on the south end of Sawmill Bench. Pass below the "Beer Stein" (a fine subsidary peak at 11,300') and hike up the left side of the broad central chute. Near the top, bend left to the southeast ridge and follow this to the summit area. Class 3 scrambling leads to the summit.

This climb would be a very long day (I've attempted it 3 times but not succeeded). A good strategy would be to hike up to Sawmill Bench and camp, then bag the summit the next morning, then return. There is no water on Sawmill Bench, so bring your own or climb in late spring when there is snow.

Despite the difficulties, this route has some very fun sections, and the views are fantastic! Below is the Owens Valley, with a striking zone of dormant volcanoes at the foot of the mountain. Across the Ownes Valley is the Westgard Pass area, where the northern tip of the Inyo Mountains meets the southern tip of the White Mountains. You can see nearly all of both ranges at once.

This side of the mountain is also a botanical wonderland, starting in Great Basin desert and climbing through pinyon scrub into subalpine and alpine zones. Wildflowers and cacti are abundant low on the route, and jeffrey and lodgepole pines dominate the middle.

VERTICAL GAIN: 6600'
DISTANCE: 3.5+ mi.

Essential Gear

A good pair of boots.

Images

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