In 1983 after a big snow year, Mary Erdei and I came to the area to climb the North Arete. After an epic approach during which one of our dogs almost drowned as she got carried away in the ragging horse creek and almost disappeared into a snow hole, only to be snatched from the jaws of death at the last second we soberly carried on and setup camp beneath the climb. This was another route we did back then where all slides and for that matter most memories are lost in time. This year (2018) I came back with the intention of seeing more of the area and climbing the peak by a route I could comfortable solo. The standard SW slopes has no appeal to me and only recently I read a trip report of a more suitable alternative being the West Ridge from Burro Pass. With that in mind, I put together what I hoped would be a nice scenic route there and back. Warm days and cold nights were standard fare for the four and a half days this trip took.
LOOKING BACK TO THE MATTERHORN FROM MULE PASS
FINALLY SOME SUN ON THE AMAZING MASS OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK FROM MULE PASS
HORS D'OEUVRES PRIOR TO SOME BORING FREEZE DRIED ENTRE
MORNING VIEW OF CAMPSITE AT SMALL LAKE JUST WEST OF MULE PASS, SAWTOOTHS
STARTING THE SHORT 500 FOOT RISE TO ROCK ISLAND PASS
ON THE WAY TO ROCK ISLAND PASS
SHORELINE VIEW OF SNOW LAKE AT ROCK ISLAND PASS
ANOTHER SHORELINE VIEW OF SNOW LAKE AT ROCK ISLAND PASS
EAST SIDE OF PEELER LAKE ON THE HOOVER WILDERNESS / YOSEMITE NAT PARK BOUNDARY, SAWTOOTHS
SMALL BEACH ON PEELER LAKE
GETTING CLOSE TO BARNEY LAKE AT THE END OF DAY FOUR
JEFFREY PINE CONES NOT FAR FROM THE TRAILHEAD AT TWIN LAKES RESORT.