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Read the page on Mt Williamson for details on
how to get to the trailhead and up to Anvil Camp.
Mt Keith shares with Mt Tyndall and Mt Williamson the curse of one of the
worst trailhead and trails in the eastern Sierras.
Mt Keith (4260m) is a tough one, involving a much longer approach and a much longer ascent than most of the eastern Sierras. The few people who summit it usually do so from the gentler northern side. This can be approached either from Kearsarge Pass (a very long way, hardly feasible in one day) or from Shepherd Pass via Forrester Pass (a bit shorter, but no less devastating). The only sensible way to hike Mt Keith in one day is to hike from the infamous Shepherd Pass trailhead to Anvil Camp. At Anvil Camp leave the trail and head for the mountain to your right, which is Mt Keith. The problem is that Mt Keith has dozens of peaks. Orientation is not trivial. If you leave the trail just before Anvil Camp along the dry creek bed, keep heading left (west) as your climb. Mt Keith is the leftmost peak, that you cannot see from Anvil Camp. If you leave the trail past Anvil Camp just before the creek crossing, head up the mountain (lots of scree), then coast it to the left until you can enter a canyon. That canyon (that separates Mt Keith from Junction Peak) eventually splits: a wide chute opens on the right. Climb that one (class-2 but lots of scree) to the very top. This chute is about 800 meters long. You will reach the eastern summit. From there a saddle takes you to the real summit (the western one) in a few minutes. You can also ascend from Pothole via the old John Muir Trail. Again, enter the wide chute to the right of the canyon. Coming down, you can slide down the chute that begins at the saddle between the two peaks. It is a very fast way downhill. Once you reach a plateau, you can continue straight down to Pothole (lots of bushwhacking) or coast the mountain to the left (east) and head for Anvil Camp.
Milestones: Trailhead: (1920 m) First creek crossing: 15' Fourth creek crossing: 30' Saddle: 2770m, 5 kms: 2h 30' Sixth Creek crossing (never dry), 2620m, 7 kms: 3 hrs 15' Last creek crossing before Anvil Camp, 3130m (dry in summer): 4.5 hours Eastern peak: 8h Mt keith (4260m): 8.5 h Anvil Camp (3130m): 10.5h Saddle (2770m): 12.5h Trailhead: (1920 m): 14.5h Junction Peak (4233m) is only 1km from Forrester Pass (4017m), which is on the John Muir trail, not far from Shepherd Pass (3672m), but easiest is to cross-country hike through the Diamond Mesa after Forrester Pass. Topomap (click on SOUTH and you will see the trail coming from Shepherd Pass) Note that the unnamed 4000m peak just north of Shepherd Pass is not Junction Peak and it does not communicate with Junction Peak: there is sandy gulch that separates the two. Both this unnamed peak and Junction Peak border on a canyon that hosts the old Junction Trail (apparently, this was the original John Muir trail). The trail, that starts at the Pothole, is in terrible conditions (and not marked on most maps) but it does lead to Junction Pass, which is between Junction Peak and Mt Keith. 
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Pictures
Directions from Pleasanton to Independence: Take the I-580 east towards Stockton Take I-205 east towards Stockton Take the I-5 North exit and follow signs for 120 east After entering Yosemite, turn left on Tioga Rd Drive through Yosemite until the end of Tioga Rd (Lee Vining) and turn right into US-395 Drive south on US-395 until Independence From Hwy 395 in Independence, turn west on Market street, drive 7 kms to Foothill road, turn left. The first parking lot (2kms on Foothill Rd) is the stock trail. In theory, only 4WD can go beyond this point. If you want to reach the hiker's trail, keep going on this very dusty road, and turn right at the next two forks. It's about 2 more kms than the stock trail, which means that it saves you 2kms of hiking. It easily takes 30 minutes from Independence to the trailhead. There is no campground, but one can just pitch tent at the trailhead and leave the car there.
The total is about 500kms from Pleasanton to Independence.
Links:California Highway Conditions Mt Keith weather Highway 395 |
