On September 2021, 1975 I joined Dale McCauley, Dan Curley and John Smallwood on their backpack into the Mount Mendel area which they planned to climb. My trip was 13 miles round trip.
We left Lone Pine at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday and after breakfast in Bishop hit the trail about 9:30 a.m. for Lamarck Col. We took the Lamarck Lakes trail and ate lunch about 11:30 at upper Lamarck Lake, then on to the Col. The stiff climb and 67 pound packs and being out of condition kept Dale, Dan and John down to a slow pace. We topped the Col about 4 p.m. after several rest stops, then down to make camp between the lakes just below the Col.
Sunday Dale, Dan and John were up about 5 a.m. and on their way at 6:30 to do an ice climb of Mendel. I got up at 6:30 and after breakfast and packing up headed up to the terminal moraine where I sat for two hours from 10:30 to 12:30 taking pictures as they climbed. Another party of two was ahead of them. When I left they had made good progress and were into the bottom of the right hand chute. I returned to camp and hiked out - topping the Col in 1.5 hours and down to my car about 6:45 just before dark.
LaMarck Col route map 1975
