The Palisades region of the Sierra Nevada is located west of the town of Big Pine. It includes some of the highest mountains in California, including Mt Sill (4,316 m) with its subpeak Apex.

There are three main approaches to Mt Sill for a day hike:

• From the Seven-Lake trailhead (north fork) west of Big Pine via Sam Mack Meadow.
• From the South Fork trailhead west of Big Pine via Scimitar Pass
• From the South Fork trailhead west of Big Pine via Glacier Notch

From Big Pine's Seven-lake trailhead

Directions from the Bay Area: take 580 east and then 120 east through Yosemite (follow signs for Tioga Rd and Tioga Pass). In Lee Vining (end of 120 east, Mono Lake in front of you), turn south (right) into hwy 395 to Big Pine (130 kms, about one hour). The total distance from the Bay Area is about 500 kms and should take about 5 hours (plus stops). In Big Pine, take the only road that goes west (right), Glacier Rd. The trailhead parking lot is almost at the end of the road (before Glacier Lodge). There is a campground about 200 meters before the trailhead.

From that campground drive up the road shortly and find the hiker's parking lot on your right-hand side (there are bear lockers right at the parking lot). The trailhead is behind the restrooms. The altitude here is about 2,000 meters.

This is the beginning of the North Fork route. And this is the popular "Seven Lake" trail.

The trail goes around a huge hill and coasts three of the lakes. It takes about 2 hours to the first lake. The second lake is at 3066m of altitude. About 1km after the third lake (3 hours into the hike, 3124m of altitude), turn left into the Glacier Trail (instead of continuing the Seven Lake loop).

The trail climbs up a canyon and reaches an enchanting place, Sam Mack Meadow (3280m), completely surrounded by mountains and waterfalls (3.5 hours into the hike, about 3200 m).

The trail turns left about halfway into the meadow, crosses the creek and ascends the ridge. As you ascend, you have a superb view of all the (eight) lakes. When the lakes are not visible anymore, the trail ends, and you simply ascend following cairns up boulders and slabs, until you reach the top of the ridge, which is actually the rim of the glacier. On your right, you have a view of the lake at the center of the glacier. In front of you the Palisades: North Palisade is the one in the middle (the third tallest mountain in California), Thunderbolt to the right and Mt Sill to the left (it looks like a closed fist). You are standing just below Mt Gayley.

The Palisade Glacier is not for the faint-hearted.

If you want to reach Mt Sill, you have to walk around the eastern border of the glacier, which may be icy, a very tiring and trying experience. If you get to the chute between Mt Sill and Apex Peak, see the description from Glacier Notch.

In august 2003, the left side of the glacier was still too icy to walk without crampons (and dangerous even with crampons). In september 2004, there was still ice, but it was possible to work around it. In fact, the ice was holding the rocks firm (thus minimizing the danger of loose rocks). It was nonetheless a tedious exercise to get to the bottom of Mt Sill. It took two hours to reach the base of Mt Sill from the moment i entered the glacier.

There is a serious chance of falling rock inside the glacier.

• Left the parking lot (2300m) at 5:30
• Reached the first lake at 7:30
• Reached the meadow (3280m) at 8:45
• 15 minute break
• Reached the glacier at 10:30
• Reached the snow patch at 11:30

• Left the parking lot (2300m) at 5:15
• Reached the first lake at 7:00
• Reached the meadow (3280m) at 8:45
• 30 minute break
• Reached the glacier at 10:15
• Reached the bottom of Sill at 12:15
• Reached the Apex Peak of Sill at 12:45

From Big Pine's South Fork to Mt Sill

An easier route to summit Mt Sill is via its southwest face. The southwest face can be reached from Big Pine by hiking the South Fork (not the North Fork). This South Fork trail starts at the Glacier Lodge (2300m) and reaches Willow Lake in 6.5 km at 2900m of elevation. Past the lake (often invisible in the summer, but there is a sign on the trail) is a good place to leave the trail and head west (right) following the unnamed creek that comes down from Mt Gayley.

The best way to coast the creek up from Willow Lake is to stay on its southern side, after crossing the tributaries coming down from the southern peaks. A use-trails appears and disappears on that side. The northern side of the Gayley creek is all talus rock and sand. At the second southern canyon you should reach a little pond and then a vast meadow. This is a good point to cross over to the other side of the creek, where a use trail leads through the now sandy terrain up the drainage.

There are three main ways to summit Sill from this direction:

• Glacier Notch. Head west all the way past the waterfall (probably the right/northern side of Gayley creek becomes more affordable). The use trail on the northern side leads to the lake below the Sill glacier. This is a bowl with many little ridges. It is best to coast it to the right (north) to avoid going up and down all the time. Basically, head for Mt Gayley and continue west up the saddle between Mt Sill and Mt Gayley. That is Glacier Notch. If there is no snow/ice, this saddle is a steep ascent on loose scree. Once on top of it (easily one hour), head south to the (very visible) L-shaped notch between Apex Peak and Mt Sill (the north couloir). At the top of this notch one has to reach the western ridge of Mt Sill by a series of non-trivial movements: first climb up (to a big cairn), then right on a scary ledge until you find a way to get onto the western ridge that takes you to the summit.
  
  
• East Couloir. Turn left (south) into the third canyon from Willow Lake (just before the waterfall) to reach Elinor Lake (3350m). As the condor flies, Elinor Lake is about 3km from Willow Lake. From Elinor Lake hike the ledges to the west to the Sill Glacier. Cross the glacier and enter the East Couloir. It is a lot steeper than it looks like. Again, the couloir leads to the southern side of Mt Sill. This requires only class-3 climbing, but there is a treacherous bergschrund at the beginning and often snow/ice inside the couloir.
  
• Scimitar Pass. This is sometimes described as the "easy" way to summit Mt Sill. In reality it is one of the most devastating day hikes one can possibly think of.
  
  Following the Elinor Lake canyon in the general southwest direction, one gets (one/two hours after the lake) to a "pass", Scimitar Pass (4019m, not really a pass, just the only climbable part of the wall around Elinor Lake). Finding the right way to climb Scimitar Pass is rather tricky. Coasting the lake on the east and south, one has to follow the ridgeline above Elinor Lake. The only human way to do this is to cross over to the other side of the ridge. The ridgeline bends right (east) as it approaches Mt Jepson (4081m). This is strenuous climbing for most of the way. As the condor flies, Scimitar Pass is only 2 km from Elinor Lake, but the elevation gain is significant.
  
  A shortcut is to take the second canyon (not the third one) and bypass Elinor Lake altogether. As you go up this canyon, gain the ridge to the right. Eventually you will see Elinor Lake down on your left. Keep going up heading for the left side of the ridgeline.
  Scimitar Pass leads (northwest) into a saddle created by Scimitar Pass itself and Mt Jepson (4081m). You cannot reach Mt Sill directly through this saddle because the northwestern face of Mt Jepson (the face that faces Mt Sill) is a steep wall of rock. You have to descend the saddle to the southeast via a dangerous waterfall. Just before the lake, turn right around the base of Jepson (you don't need to go all the way down to Potluck Pass) and ascend towards the pass/cirque between Mt Sill (northwest) and Mt Polemonium (west). Coasting Mt Sill to the south, one reaches its southwestern ridge, which is class 2-3 to the top. This route from Scimitar Pass to Mt Sill is about 5km.
  
  
  
  As the condor flies, Scimitar Pass (4019m) is about 2km from Elinor Lake (3350m) plus elevation gain, and Mt Sill another 5km plus elevation gain.
  2007 times and estimates starting from Glacier Lodge:
  Bridge: 30'
  Pass to Willow Lake: 1h30'
  Entering the second canyon (the Palisade Crest drainage) at the meadow: 2h45'
  Top of ridge of second canyon: 4h30'
  Crossing over to the eastern side of the ridgeline above Elinor Lake: 5h30'
  Scimitar Pass (4019m): 8h
  Saddle: 8h30'
  Mt Jepson (4081m): 9h
  Lake: 9h30'
  Base of Mt Sill: 10h30'
  Summit Sill: 11h30'

From South Lake to Bishop Pass to Mt Sill

See the description to Bishop Pass and Thunderbolt Pass. From Bishop Pass to Thunderbolt Pass to Potluck Pass the route is a parade of colossal boulders. If you think you've done bouldering before, think again. An infinite number of canyons make the route a test of will, as you constantly lose the altitude that you gain. The route contours the southern side of the Palisades. After passing the North Palisade, you see a high pass on your left. That's too steep for most of us who prefer to continue west to Potluck Pass, the pass that appears like an unpaved road. As soon as you can, start climbing up vertical north. You are climbing the southern ridge of an unnamed peak (4,255m) that i will call Chuck Berry Peak. You don't need to get to the top of Chuck Berry Peak but the Polemonium-Sill Glacier (your destination) is high enough that you almost need to climb to the summit. You can head right as you go up so that you can reach the western ridge and get an idea of where you stand. If you see Scimitar Pass and Mt Jepson, you are still too low and too west: move to the left and much higher. Eventually, you will see Mt Sill appear on the northern side of the glacier.

Find a way to get down and cross the glacier such that you don't lose too much elevation. Usually this means that you have to descend the northern side of Chuck Berry Peak heading left. In august the glacier is usually small enough that there is no snow/ice where you cross it: just boulders. Aim for the central chute of Sill. If you take the wrong chute, you might fail or even die. All the other chutes end in odd places that require exposed steep moves. (The southwest ridge is deadly, incidentally). This central chute requires some difficult moves towards the end but is the fastest and safest way to reach the summit.

• South Lake
• Bishop Pass 2h 40'
• Thunderbolt Pass 4h 30'
• U-Notch chute 5h 30'
• Start coasting the Peak 6h 15'
• Polemonium glacier 8h
• Mt Sill summit 10h

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