Last Wednesday I drove 6+ hours to the eastern Sierra with big mountains on my mind, specifically Mount Sill and the Palisades. At 14,153 ft, Mount Sill is the sixth highest summit in California and the second highest in the rugged Palisades group. The peak is known as the best viewpoint in the Sierra with spectacular views in every direction. The route I chose was the North Couloir via the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. The route is neither the shortest nor the easiest, but arguably the most scenic. Along the 10 mile approach I passed through a chain of lovely alpine lakes with Temple Crag towering in the background and was treated to sweeping views of the Palisade Glacier, the largest glacier in the Sierra Mountains. The climb took 10:45 to complete (5:23 up, 27 minutes on top, and 4:55 down). There was a surprising amount of snow remaining, particularly an icy patch covering the exposed class 3/4 traverse section above the couloir which required attention. In addition, I didn’t get a chance to acclimate before the climb so I am sure the upper sections were more sluggish than they could have been. Check out the full trip report with many photos!
Here are a couple videos, the first from the terminus of the Palisade Glacier and the second from the summit of Sill. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out the complete trip report with many more photos here.
Leor Pantilat's Adventures 
I climbed Mt. Sill back in ’91 and had a blast. The way the wind cut the snow made for nice steps up the North Couloir. Great shots – brought back good memories.