On September 16-17, 1961 myself, Vic Hett, Don Hamilton and Hugh Lantz backpacked into the Middle Palisade area. We had a nice hike and climb to 10,800' Finger Lake where we found several nice campsites at the west end of the lake.
Middle Palisade lies in the center of the highest continuous ridge along the Sierra Crest, stretching 10 miles from Mt. Agassiz in the north to Cardinal Mountain in the south (between Bishop and Taboose passes).
This ridge includes seven of the California 14ers and some of the finest climbing in the Sierra. This region was the center of Norman Clyde's adventures, with the summit of Middle Palisade visible from his cabin on the Big Pine Creek.
It was cloudy and cool - to bed at 6:30 p.m. - Up at 7:30 a.m.(temp 36°) after a windy night with some snow - Middle Palisade Peak was clouded in. Snow began in earnest about 10:00 a.m. so we hiked out.
