May 22, 2020 - May 25, 2020

Length: 4 Days
State: CA
Distance: 62.0 mi
Gain: 19,650 ft
ROUTE: Map
Peaks: 9

Area:
Ansel Adams Wilderness
Sierra National Forest
John Muir Wilderness

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Day 1: McCreary Meadow to San Joaquin River

14.9 Miles, 4550 Gain

Peak
Elevation
Prominence
7,946 ft
433 ft
6,578 ft
1,099 ft
  • Piyau Dome
  • Starting from the McCreary Trailhead. The sign makes it appear as though the trail continues down the road, but it actually heads east down the slope.
  • Balloon Dome comes into view.
  • Reaching the Cassidy Trail junction.
  • Bridge across Granite Creek.
  • Granite Creek
  • Well constructed bridge over Granite Creek.
  • Trail junction for Miller and Cassidy Crossing. We took Miller Crossing on the way in and Cassidy Crossing on the way out.
  • Junction Butte comes into view.
  • Heading for Cattle Mountain.
  • Clouds forming over Cattle Mountain.
  • Summit of Cattle Mountain. There was a nice campsite on the summit.
  • San Joaquin River drainage. Later in the day we would camp near the river in the center of the picture.
  • Piyau Dome
  • Ritter Range and Minarets partially hidden in clouds.
  • San Joaquin River in the vicinity of Cassidy Crossing.
  • Descending the trail to Miller Crossing. There were many large trees along the way.
  • Old growth forest.
  • Massive ponderosa pine being held up by a thin strand of bark connecting to the trunk.
  • Junction Butte comes into view.
  • Carpet of ferns in the canyon on the west side of Junction Butte.
  • There was some enjoyable scrambling to gain the north ridge of Junction Butte.
  • Balloon Dome to the south.
  • North ridge of Junction Butte.
  • View east to the Middle Fork San Joaquin River.
  • View south to Balloon Dome.
  • View north to North Fork San Joaquin River.
  • Returning through the canyon at the base of Junction Butte.
  • More ferns in the canyon.
  • Unfamiliar flowering plant along the trail.
  • Nice campsite near Miller Crossing.
  • Middle Fork San Joaquin River. The river was flowing swiftly from the spring runoff and would have been unsafe to cross without the cable cars.
  • Cable car platform installed by Southern California Edison. The cable cars were showing their age, but were still useable.
  • Shelter near the river. There were holes in the roof and it looked like it had not been cared for in many years.
  • Sturdy platform on the north side of the river.
  • Starting across the river.
  • Middle of the crossing.
  • Finished with the crossing on the south side of the river.
  • Platform on the south side of the river.
  • Evening view of Balloon Dome.
  • Junction Butte
  • Descending back to the river after bypassing a shear walled section of the canyon.
  • Bear wallow near the river.
  • Rejoining the river upstream from Miller Crossing.

Day 2: San Joaquin River to Rattlesnake Lake

15.4 Miles, 4050 Gain

Peak
Elevation
Prominence
5,938 ft
328 ft
5,232 ft
278 ft
5,885 ft
385 ft
  • Brushy slope leading to Peak 5938.
  • Waterfall flowing off the upper slope.
  • Junction Butte
  • Open forest on the way to Peak 5938.
  • Optional Class 3 scramble below Peak 5938.
  • Final slope leading to Peak 5938.
  • On the summit.
  • View east from the summit.
  • View west to Junction Butte.
  • View south to Balloon Dome.
  • Small unnamed lake to the east of Peak 5938.
  • Following a game trail near the lake.
  • Log crossing on the approach back to the river.
  • Descending slabs near the river.
  • Remains of Alice-Lee Camp next to the river.
  • Old bedspring in the camp.
  • Sign that had fallen off the tree.
  • Plate used for food storage.
  • Peak 5938 from river level.
  • Middle Fork San Joaquin River
  • Ascending granite dome toward the highpoint of Peak 5232.
  • Peak 5938
  • Short scramble leading to Peak 5232. There was nothing more difficult than easy Class 3 on the way to the summit.
  • View south from the summit.
  • Confluence of the North and Middle Fork San Joaquin River.
  • North Fork San Joaquin River
  • Combined flow just downstream from the confluence.
  • Back at camp. We packed up and moved camp to Rattlesnake Lake in the afternoon.
  • Large ponderosa pines near the river.
  • Alligator lizard encountered on the way out of the canyon.
  • Peak 5938
  • Junction Butte
  • Balloon Dome on the approach to Rattlesnake Lake.
  • Entering Cassidy Meadows.
  • Bear grass in Cassidy Meadows. We startled a black bear that appeared to be sleeping in the meadow.
  • Rattlesnake Lake
  • Meadow on the north side of Rattlesnake Lake. We startled a mother and cub in the forest.
  • Nice campsite on the east side of Rattlesnake Lake.
  • Final slope leading to Peak 5885.
  • View west to Balloon Dome.
  • View south to the South Fork San Joaquin River.
  • View southwest toward the junction of the south and middle forks.

Day 3: Rube Benchmark, Pincushion Peak

15.9 Miles, 5600 Gain

Peak
Elevation
Prominence
8,322 ft
302 ft
9,301 ft
681 ft
9,818 ft
678 ft
  • Morning at Rattlesnake Lake.
  • Open slope leading to Peak 8322.
  • Broad summit of Peak 8322.
  • Pincushion Peak in the distance.
  • Rube Benchmark from the west.
  • Ritter Range and Minarets to the north.
  • View south to Pincushion Peak from the summit of Rube Benchmark.
  • Approaching Pincushion Peak.
  • View north from the summit of Pincushion Peak.
  • Silver Divide
  • View south from the summit.
  • Final slope leading to the summit.
  • Old quartz mine on the west side of Pincushion Peak.
  • Remnants of the quartz mine.
  • Crossing the old road that led to the quartz mine.
  • Forest Service cabin near Heitz Meadow.
  • Front door of the cabin.
  • Some holes in the roof. The back door had been left open.
  • View inside the cabin.
  • Heitz Meadow
  • Cabin and supply shed.
  • Crossing Rube Creek on a downed tree.
  • Trail leading back to Rattlesnake Lake. The trail has not been maintained in many years and was difficult to follow in places.
  • Back at Rattlesnake Lake.
  • Campsite by the lake.
  • Sunset from camp.

Day 4: Rattlesnake Lake to McCreary Meadow

15.8 Miles, 5450 Gain

Peak
Elevation
Prominence
6,879 ft
1,419 ft
  • Crossing Cassidy Meadow in the morning.
  • Pleasant cross country on the way to Balloon Dome.
  • Balloon Dome. The Class 3 route goes up the left skyline.
  • Initial slab leading to the ledge.
  • Ledge leading to the start of the route.
  • Scrambling up the initial slab.
  • View from the end of the ledge.
  • View south toward Peak 4684 and the confluence of the Middle and South Fork San Joaquin River.
  • Starting up the south ridge.
  • Large ramp leading up the dome.
  • Good friction slab.
  • Steeper section.
  • Starting up the steeper section.
  • Boulder blocking the obvious line. Friction climbing on the right or a squeeze on the left.
  • Approaching the boulder.
  • At the boulder.
  • Squeezing through the crux section.
  • Tunnel leading to easier slopes above.
  • Granite Creek flowing into the Middle Fork San Joaquin River.
  • View north toward the Ritter Range and Minarets.
  • Descending Balloon Dome.
  • Balloon Dome from nearby dome that we nicknamed “Bubble Dome”. It appeared like there was an old helicopter landing area near the summit.
  • Following the trail toward Cassidy Crossing.
  • Cassidy Bridge
  • Middle Fork San Joaquin River flowing swiftly.
  • Cassidy Bridge from below. We stopped for a quick swim before starting the climb out of the canyon.
  • Sign reads: “Constructed 1957. Structural steel was transported by helicopter. Cables were packed by mule train from Bear Meadow to canyon edge then slid down trail to bridge site.”
  • Black widow with a recently caught bumble bee. This is the first black widow I have seen in the wild.
  • Balloon Dome
  • Balloon Dome from one of the switchbacks.
  • Granite Creek
  • Granite Creek from the bridge crossing.
  • Balloon Dome from near the trailhead.

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