Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
The name “Palisades” means posts or pickets but in the case
of the Palisades of the Sierras, they form a jagged high ridge along the Sierra Nevada crest between Fresno
and Inyo Counties. Water on the east side flows to the Owens Valley and on the
west side, the water flows to the great Central Valley.
Three years ago I
headed out for four days and three nights from Florence Lake to Road’s End in
Kings Canyon. I was completing one of my last sections of the John Muir Trail.
I picked up the JMT where it intersected with the Florence Lake trail as the JMT dropped down from the Sallie Keyes Lakes. Not far from there the JMT enters the
north end of Kings Canyon Park, follows the San Joaquin River and then climbs
up to Evolution Valley following Evolution Creek. My first day out was quite a
push. I spent the first night camped at Evolution Lake. The next day I climbed
again and topped out at Muir Pass. I then descended to a campsite in Deer
Meadow along Palisade Creek. There was some rain overnight and I could hear
distant thunder.
In the morning, I heated coffee and drank it in my tent to
avoid the final raindrops of the light shower. I broke camp and headed up the
trail in the mist following the overnight rain. As I began to climb the trail
section called the Golden Staircase (a section added later to the JMT) I could see the Palisades begin to emerge above
me to my left. It was a mystical view with the Palisades shrouded in fog.
Although the climb to the lower Palisade Lake is over 1,500’, I had fresh legs,
a cool morning and a wonderful view. The Palisades are in view all the way to
Mather Pass (12,100’). When I arrived at Mather Pass, I sat for a bit and
thought how nice it would be to see the Palisades from a closer perspective. I
also thought about the fact that these mountains still towered above me even at
Mather Pass.
Lower Palisade Lake
Looking Back To Upper Palisade Lake
Last summer, my older son Ben and I had an opportunity to do
an overnight in Dusy Basin. This is less labor intensive with the trailhead
coming in from the east side of the Sierras at South Lake west of Bishop. The trailhead
is above 9,000’ and while there is a climb over Bishop Pass (just under
12,000’), It is an easy destination for one day to Dusy Basin. When you arrive
at the Pass, there is not much of a view but following the trail south, the
Palisades come into view east of the trail.
Mt. Agassiz (13,899’) is the
northern end of the Palisades and comes into view first. There are four peaks
above 14,000’ including Split Mountain, Middle Palisade and Mount Sill. North
Palisade is the highest of the Palisades at 14,248’ and is the third highest of
the Sierras behind Mt. Williamson (14’380’) and Mt. Whitney (14,508’).
According to Wikipedia, the Palisades “make up about six
miles of the Sierra crest”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_%28California_Sierra%29
There are other views one can get by going from Dusy Basin
over Knapsack Pass or Thunderbolt Pass and dropping into Palisade Basin.
Another route would be to take Glacier Lodge Road to the end and hike in to a
view of the Palisades from the east. There are glaciers on the east side of the
Palisades, including the Norman Clyde and Middle Palisade Glaciers. There are
wonderful books about the legendary Norman Clyde and another mountaineer named Orland
Bartholomew. Their stories are inspirational.
Mountaineers enjoy the challenges of bagging the peaks of
the palisades. My hope for this coming summer is to have another opportunity to
view this wonderful section of the Sierras from one of the latter perspectives.
Ben On Last Section Before Bishop Pass
Author At Bishop Pass
LTo R Agassiz, Winchell, Thunderbolt, North Palisade
Far Right Isosceles Peak
Columbine Peak To The Right Of Isosceles Peak
