off_the_hook Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Trip: Sawtooth Peak - Northwest Ridge Date: 9/29/2007 Trip Report: With hopes of speed climbing Black Kaweah the following day, we ascended Sawtooth Peak to get a little acclimatized. I have not been above 9,500 ft in over 2 months, so this climb up to 12,330 ft was important in order to climb 13,680 ft Black Kaweah. We drove from the Bay Area, arriving at Mineral King in Sequoia National Park at 12:30 pm. The drive was gorgeous as we passed through several ecosystems, including a giant Sequoia grove. From the trailhead, we hiked to the top of Sawtooth Peak via the old Glacier Pass trail in 2:20 and then took around 40 minutes on the summit to enjoy the spectacular views and the very rare marine layer banked up against the lower slopes of the high Sierra. Unlike the cascades, the Sierra are hundreds of miles from the ocean. We descended the needlessly switchbacked Sawtooth Pass trail, arriving at the trailhead at 5:20 pm - just in time to eat dinner and get some sleep for the Black Kaweah! Columbine Lake from Sawtooth Pass. Sawtooth Peak. Views of the Great Western Divide from Sawtooth Peak. 7,000 foot marine layer banked against the high Sierra - a very rare sight. Columbine Lake and the Kaweah Range in the background. Black Kaweah is the peak at the left end of the Kaweahs. See enlarged panorama. See Black Kaweah Speed Climb story/photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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