Mid Sierra Musings: The Sierra Nevada Mountains: The Palisades

The Sierra Nevada Mountains: The Palisades

Dale Matson

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Clyde and Middle Palisade Glaciers

If it isn’t the sheep or the eagles, it seems like the mountain/lakes in general draw me back again and again to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In particular, I love the Palisades and saw and photographed them from a number of different locations each with its own perspective. I am a hiker and backpacker with only a few mountain peaks “bagged”, however I have no photographs of the Palisades from one of the peaks.

The Palisades were named by Josiah Whitney, the chief of the California Geological Survey and are the highest stretch along the entire Sierra range with several “14ers”. North Palisade in the 3rd highest in the Sierra and 4th highest mountain in CA at 14,249'. The mountains separate the California Central Valley watershed to the west from the Owen Valley watershed to the east. The Palisades contain most of the what remains of the Sierra Glaciers.

I viewed them from the south and southwest along the John Muir Trail (JMT) a few years ago when I had no idea what mountains I was looking at. It rained overnight at my campsite in Deer Meadow. As I began my morning climb there was a crispness and clarity to the air with a fog shrouding the Palisades. It was a mystical experience to climb up the “Golden Staircase”, the area above Palisade Lakes, climb over Mather Pass and view them from upper Basin. It was some of the most beautiful and rugged views I experienced along the John Muir Trail which I have hiked in sections over the years.

More recently I photographed them from over Bishop Pass, from the west in Dusy Basin. I have visited Dusy Basin twice now and was not disappointed either time in the views of the Palisades from the west. The 11,000’ basin provides a relatively treeless and uninterrupted granite viewing platform.

The last two years I have had an opportunity to photograph them from the North and South forks of Big Pine Creek. I included a photo from my Brainerd Lake hike along the south fork this past week. The string of beautiful green lakes in the Big Pine Creek Basin are fed by glacial runoff. Temple Craig, a favorite of alpinists, above Second Lake, remains one of my favorite photographs and requires an ultrawide lens to capture the total beauty. A telephoto shot of the Clyde and Middle Palisade Glaciers is available along the north fork trail before it turns north. There are wonderful views along Glacier Lodge Road and McMurray Meadows Road also.

There is an opportunity for “drive-bys” from California Highway 395 between Big Pine and Bishop CA. Depending on the viewing angle, Split Mountain is mostly hidden by Mt. Tinemaha or very evident as one drives along Highway 395. Most of the Palisade shots along Highway 395 require a minimum of a 135mm lens and are best taken in morning light. Finally, on a clear day, there is an excellent pull out viewing vista from the White Mountains to the east of the Sierra as one climbs the highway that takes you to the Bristlecone Pines. I would recommend a tripod, big lens to bring the Palisades closer. The vista also is a good video candidate.

I think the Palisades look their best when adorned with just enough snow to accent their lines but not enough snow to diminish the colors of the granite. I love the color in Split Mountain in particular. It was a difficult day hike that took us to the pond below Split Mountain last year. My best photo there required an ultrawide lens. I hope you will enjoy my photos of one of my favorite Sierra locations.