{"id":12371,"date":"2022-10-25T04:02:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T04:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehuntindaddy.com\/?page_id=12371"},"modified":"2022-10-25T04:07:43","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T04:07:43","slug":"mount-agassiz","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thehuntindaddy.com\/index.php\/peak-bagging\/mount-agassiz\/","title":{"rendered":"Mount Agassiz"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are looking for a giant pile of boulders, you have come to the right place. At 13,893 feet, Mount Agassiz is one of the highest peaks in California.<\/p>\n

Towering above Bishop Pass<\/a>, Mount Agassiz sits just inside the border of Kings Canyon National Park<\/a> overlooking the Bishop Creek and Big Pine Creek drainages.<\/p>\n

Getting There<\/h4>\n

Bishop, CA is your jumping off point for Cloudripper. Take Highway 168 to the west and follow the signs to Aspendell and South Lake. You will turn left following the road to the trailhead at South Lake.<\/p>\n

This pretty drive follows Bishop Creek and passes a couple resorts before terminating in a large parking area near the South Lake dam.<\/p>\n

From the parking lot, start heading down the trail towards Chocolate Lakes and Bishop Pass.<\/p>\n

The Trail<\/h4>\n

The first 5 miles of this trip are on a great trail. It follows through some aspens above the shore of South Lake and works its way into the John Muir Wilderness.<\/p>\n

Pass the junction to Treasure Lakes and then at the next junction, follow the sign to Bishop Pass. The left fork will take you to Chocolate Lakes.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the junction, the trail passes along the shores of Long Lake with Chocolate Peak<\/a> rising up to your left.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Long Lake and Mount Goode<\/p><\/div>\n

After Long Lake, the hike follows along above Spearhead Lake and then passes Timberline Tarns on your left and Saddlerock Lake on your right.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Spearhead Lake and Mount Goode<\/p><\/div>\n

If you haven\u2019t seen enough lakes, don\u2019t worry, Bishop Lake is just ahead.<\/p>\n

Once past Bishop Lake, start the switchbacks up to Bishop Pass.<\/p>\n

From the pass, it\u2019s all off trail from here. Mount Agassiz is off to your left, the giant pile of talus. The chute that you will ascend can be seen and shows the route you will take to the summit.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Mount Agassiz from Bishop Pass<\/p><\/div>\n

There is a large Boulder in the flats before the mountain. I used that as a guide to head towards the correct chute.<\/p>\n

\"Bishop

Large boulder I used as a guide.<\/p><\/div>\n

At this point, you are less than a mile away, however, 1,900 feet of boulder hopping awaits.<\/p>\n

The lower chute is mostly stable talus and rises up to a small shelf. I used a large flat faced rock on the left to guide us up to this point.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Large faced rock that I used as guide.<\/p><\/div>\n

This next stretch, the chute angles to the left a bit as it climbs a little steeper. There is a prominent outcrop on the right side, which will come in handy as a landmark on your descent.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Entering the next part of the chute.<\/p><\/div>\n

The last 500 feet is self-explanatory. Just climb to the highest point in the left.<\/p>\n

\"Mount

Almost at the summit. Lower point is in view to the right<\/p><\/div>\n

The Summit<\/h4>\n

Once you climb to the highest boulders, expect to be blown away. The views from here are breathtaking.<\/p>\n

The giant North Palisade and Mount Sill sit directly in front of you with the Palisades Glacier and Big Pine Lakes just below it.<\/p>\n

\"North

North Palisade and Mount Sill.<\/p><\/div>\n\"Mount\n

Expansive wilderness lies to the west and even Mount Whitney can be spotted down the line of the Sierra Crest.<\/p>\n

\"Palisades\"

The Palisades<\/p><\/div>\n

The Final Word<\/h4>\n

After all is said and done, this hike is absolutely worth it. The boulder hopping, while long and tedious, is not overly difficult. Fortunately, the rock is mostly stable and there is nothing over class 2 to contend with.<\/p>\n

This summit does get a fair share of traffic for an off-trail destination and Bishop Pass Trail is one of the busiest in the county, so don\u2019t expect complete solitude. However, you can expect amazing views, beautiful lakes, and an amazing day in the wilderness.<\/p>\n

As far as California 13ers go, I rate this as an intermediate adventure.<\/p>\n