Sierra Nevada - John Muir Wilderness

Split Mountain is technically one of the easier of the California 14ers, but still a serious effort requiring some 7,500ft of gain from the nearest trailhead. It lies along the Sierra Crest, at the southeast end of one of the highest portions of the High Sierra encompassing the Palisade range, home to 6 other 14ers. Split Mountain can be easily recognized from US395 by the East Couloir that splits the twin summits. The north summit is the high point. It is also easily identified from the Big Pine area and highway 168.

The easiest route is via the class 2 North Slope and Red Lake on the east side. There are many other routes to the summit of varying technical difficulties. There are snow/ice routes on the east side in the East Couloir and St. Jean Couloir. There are also extended arete routes that rival Temple Crag for the longest such climbs in the Sierra. The west side is a jumble of spires, aretes and gullies that make routes difficult to describe and impossible to follow.

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Hitting the trail up Red Mountain Creek

On October 22-23, 1960 I climbed 14,058' Split Mountain on a ten mile round trip with Jim Moore, Bill Thomas, Eric Beck, Don Hamilton and Henry Mandolf from the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club. I returned to the area in 1975 to climb Mt. Tinemaha. Some of the pictures here are from that trip.

We drove up Friday night from San Diego to Lone Pine. Saturday morning we drove to the Tinnemaha campground and up the usual road to the Red Mountain Creek/Red Lake trailhead and were on the trail at 9:30am.

NOTE: This "usual road" route to the trailhead crosses private land. In later years the owner blocked the road with a gate. For detailed information on the route to the trailhead as of 2015 click here. For excellent 2018 information on the road map here and route map here to the peak click here. For U.S. Forest Service information about the trailhead and trail click here.

The trip in 1960 progressed as follows:

Saturday on trail 9:30
lunch stop 11:15, on trail 11:50
lunch again 1:00, on trail 1:20
in camp 3:30

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Split Mountain over lower Red Lake 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Lower Red Lake 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Split Mountain 1975

Nice weather - cool. Some snow on mountains from first snow of winter. Hike in five miles from 6600 feet to 10,500 feet. Nice campsite on Red Lake.

Sunday up at 6:15, on trail 7:15
first ridge 9:05
on route 9:15
lunch 9:45, on route 10:05
summit 11:10
leave 12 noon
crest 12:30
camp 2:15
car 5:00

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Lower Red Lake 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Red Lake and Split Mountain 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Red Lake
and Southern Ridge of Split Mountain 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Split Mountain 1975

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Nearing crest between Split Mountain
and Mt. Tinemaha

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Bill Thomas - view south of Prater
and ridge to Split Mountain

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Mt. Prater
and saddle from ridge leading to Split Mountain

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Red Lake and valley from Sierra Crest
part way up Split Mountain

Split Mountaina - John Muir Wilderness - View down Red Mountain Creek from top of Split Mountain

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - View down Red Mountain Creek
from top of Split Mountain

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - South from top of Split Mountain
Williamson, Whitney, Junction, Forester Pass, etc.

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Northwest from top of Split Mountain
Upper Basin, Mather Pass

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness
North from top of Split Mountain - North Palisade, Mt. Sill, Middle Palisade

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Descending to Red Lake from Split Mountain

Split Mountain - John Muir Wilderness - Flowers along Red Mountain Creek 1975

Easy Peak - Class 2 - 3500 ft. climb on talus and ruble/scree. Fine views of Junction Peak & Forester Pass, Mt. Williamson, Mt. Whitney, Mather Pass, Goddard Peak, Mt. Sill, North Palisade, Middle Palisade. Mt Prater can be reached from here also - a 3 day trip preferred.