Given it's short approach and reputation as a fun climb, Emerson seemed like the perfect start to the fall campaign. I was feeling the need to actually climb while out here and really hadn't done so since 2014. I spent the day wondering if I was off route, and while I can imagine there are many ways to do this route, I did hit the all important notch up at about 12,700' where the fun begins.
FIRST VIEW OF EMERSON FROM THE PIUTE PASS TRAIL
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE ROUTE ON THE SHORT APPROACH ABOVE THE PIUTE PASS TRAIL
MORNING VIEW OF CANYON OF THE PIUTE PASS TRAIL
GETTING CLOSE TO THE START OF THE SE FACE OF EMERSON
THE CRUX OF THE ROUTE AT 5.4 RIGHT OFF THE GROUND
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CRUX WATERFALL PITCH AT THE START OF THE ROUTE
LOOKING DOWN THE WATER POLISHED CHIMNEY ONCE I GOT BACK ON ROUTE
LOOKING UP AT WHERE THE CHIMNEY SQUEEZES OFF
EASY TERRAIN TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOP OF THE INITIAL CHIMNEY WHERE IT SQUEEZES OFF
TERRAIN TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHIMNEY, SE FACE, EMERSON
PLEASANT SOLID SCRAMBLING ON THE SE FACE OF EMERSON
AS THE CHIMNEY WIDENED INTO A GULLY I STAYED TO THE RIGHT ON NICER GROUND
LOOKING UP THE LINE I TOOK TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHUTE BEFORE EVENTUALLY BEING FORCED INTO IT FOR THE CROSSOVER
HEADED BACK LEFT INTO THE MAIN CHUTE JUST BEFORE THE CROSSOVER
STARTING THE CROSSOVER FROM THE TOP OF THE MAIN CHUTE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ARETE
LOOKING OVER AT TERRAIN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE NORTH FORK OF BISHOP CREEK FROM THE SE FACE OF EMERSON
NICE TERRAIN AT THE TOP OF THE MAIN CHUTE
FIRST VIEW UP THE FINAL PART OF THE CLIMB
VIEW UP THE FINAL PART OF THE CLIMB FROM THE UPPER NOTCH
ANOTHER VIEW UP THE FINAL PART OF THE CLIMB FROM THE UPPER NOTCH
LOOKING DOWN AT THE NOTCH FROM THE SAME POSITION AS THE PREVIOUS SHOT LOOKING UP
A SHORT BULGE GETS YOU STARTED ON THE UPPER ARETE FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED NOTCH
LOOKING DOWN AT THE UPPER NOTCH FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE REAL FUN ON THIS ROUTE
SAME VIEW DOWN THE INCREASINGLY NARROW RIDGE A BIT HIGHER UP
THE RIDGE GETS QUITE NARROW WHEN IT LEVELS OFF NEAR THE NOW VISIBLE SUMMIT
THE RIDGE GETS QUITE NARROW WHEN IT LEVELS OFF NEAR THE NOW VISIBLE SUMMIT
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE EXPOSURE ON ONE SIDE OF THE RIDGE BEFORE IT MERGES WITH THE SUMMIT SLOPES
THE SHORT BUT SWEET KNIFE EDGE TRAVERSE REPRESENTS THE LAST OF THE EXCITEMENT ON THIS ROUTE
A BETTER VIEW OF THE KNIFE-EDGE HAND TRAVERSE ONCE PAST IT
SUMMIT BLOCKS OF MT EMERSON
SOUTH FROM THE SUMMIT OF EMERSON TO DARWIN AND LAMARCK
THE CLEARLY UNINVITING DESCENT GULLY JUST WEST OF THE SUMMIT
AT LAST LEVEL GROUND AND THE PIUTE PASS TRAIL
LOOKING BACK AT PART OF THE ROUTE ON THE HIKE OUT
APPROXIMATE LINE OF MY ALTERNATIVE START TO THE SE FACE OF EMERSON
BACK IN THE MCGEE CREEK DRAINAGE FOR SOME REST DAYS