How to get there:
The approach is the same as to Mount Lindsey. See the description
under this mountain. Route description:
This is a direct route from the large
meadow just south of the Lily Lake trailhead.
Follow the Lily Lake trail across the meadow, then
as it crosses a small creek, start an ascending traverse
up to the right (west). This steep climb will cross a
distinct ridge that comes down from the mountain.
Do not follow the creek up the drainage north of this
ridge.
The terrain is grass and fine gravel with scattered trees.
Try
to reach the ridge crest approximately at the horizon.
From here, the steepness eases and you will see the
next horizon higher up. There is a small creek, possibly dry,
that comes down south of the ridge you are on, (to your left). Locate the
small saddle above at the horizon from where this creek
originates. Leave the ridge while climbing very gently and head up
on the right side of this creek. The terrain is steep, but not
difficult with grass and a couple of short sections of rock. Leave
the last trees behind and finish this climb up a nice grassy
slope to a small lake named Lost Lake. You are now in a
beautiful basin with California to your north.
From here, there are two fairly obvious routes. One can head
up this basin on grassy slopes, then climb to the low point of
the saddle straight ahead. From here one can follow a ridge
(to the right) up to the summit. We took another route which
will be described here. Head up the basin on grass, but arc right
and do not gain more elevation that needed to stay on the grass.
The route shall climb the long ridge that comes down from
California on the right (north) side of the basin you are in.
There is a fairly wide gully that cuts down from the ridge
just at the upper side of the talus slope that falls down along
the ridge to the very north side of the basin you are in.
This gully or cut is the key to ascending the ridge in a safe
and easy manner. In order to reach its base you must cross a short
section of talus. There is a faint trail crossing fairly
horizontally, try to locate it as it makes the crossing very easy.
Once at the base of the gully, ascend it for example along the
upper (left) side directly to easier ground and then proceed to
the top of the ridge. There is a small cairn there to make it
easier to locate the return route. Follow the ridge all the way
to the summit. This is easy hiking with a mix of stable rocks and
grass. The last part of the ridge is fairly level after merging
with the ridge that comes in from the saddle at the upper part
of the Lost Lake basin. Comments:
I did this climb with Arnt Flatmo. We started
at 0600 and reached the summit after 2:45 at 0845.
The view is very good, the Sand Dunes and the Crestones
to the north, Blanca, Ellingwood and Little Bear in the opposite
direction, Lindsey further east and the minor summits
with interconnecting ridges all around.
We started the descent at 0900 and returned to camp
around 1030.