San Joaquin Mountain

San Joaquin Mountain is among the best routes for high scenic reward for relatively low effort in the Sierra. It’s just over six miles each way from Minaret Summit to San Joaquin Mountain but reaching the peak is basically just the turnaround point as the views are tremendous virtually the entire way. In fact, the views are awesome right at the Minaret Summit trailhead and only get better as one ascends the ridge. The Minaret Summit trailhead is at 9,265 ft and San Joaquin Mountain is 11,601 ft, but there are a few humps along the way resulting in total roundtrip elevation gain of about 3,600 ft.

The first couple miles are along a 4wd track. After briefly passing through a fir forest, the track emerges into the windswept tundra with occasional clumps of hardy trees. This trail is exposed to the elements virtually the entire way so this is not recommended on a windy day which in all honesty would be brutal. It should also be noted that there is no water on the route so plan accordingly.  At the end of the 4wd track the route transitions into a usetrail that immediately descends to Deadman Pass, the most substantial descent on the way out and the biggest ascent on the way back. At this point the lovely geology of the region presents itself with passage through several different colors of volcanic rock from here to the summit. From Deadman Pass the use trail makes a series of short climbs followed by flatter sections. Most of the steep sections are loose with gravel and sand making the climbs not particularly conducive to running as an ascent but pretty fun for plunge step running on the way down. The trail reaches an intermediary summit (Pt 10,895 ft) with particularly nice views over the ridge with stunted Whitebark pines in the foreground and the peaks of the Ritter Range towering across the Middle Fork San Joaquin River canyon in the background. After the intermediary summit the use trail becomes faint in some sections of talus or weaving around krumholz Whitebark Pine patches, but it’s never in doubt to stay on the ridge. The penultimate climb to the summit leads to a high pass between the Two Teats which are a pair of prominent volcanic rock pinnacles. The view of Shadow Lake with the Minarets towering above is fantastic along this sandy climb. From the Two Teats pass one has a great view of the final stretch to the summit, which is closer than it looks. Along the spine of the ridge and especially on the east side are numerous interesting volcanic rock pinnacles. Descend to the saddle between Two Teats and San Joaquin Mountain noting that the trail sticks to the west side of the ridge through this part. From the saddle make a short climb to the summit where USGS placemarkers and a summit register can be found. Based on the summit register, San Joaquin mountain is climbed much less frequently than I would have imagined due its close proximity to Mammoth Lakes and outrageous views. In turns out this is one of many peaks in the Sierra that flies under the radar. From this vantage the heart of the Ansel Adams Wilderness is at ones feet. The view is so grandiose and expansive that it’s almost as if one were flying in an airplane. The most inspiring view to the west takes in the entire eastern front of the Ritter Range from Iron Cap Mountain to the jagged spires of the Minarets to the collosal massif of Mount Ritter and Banner Peak. Beneath the peaks and seemingly close at hand, Garnet Lake, Thousand Island Lake and a half dozen smaller lakes dot the granite landscape across the Middle Fork San Joaquin River Canyon. To the northwest are the distinctive summits of Mount Davis, Rodgers Peak and Mount Lyell. To the north lies Rush Creek Basin, Donohue Peak and Mount Andrea Lawrence. To the east the view takes in everything from June Mountain to White Mountain. The southern view features Mammoth Mountain and the Silver Divide. It’s an awesome spot to find a comfortable rock and admire nature’s creation. The view from San Joaquin Mountain is so great that I’m already looking forward to visiting again. It would be awesome to see the same views as a winter wonderland and make it a ski or snowshoe.