John Muir Wilderness
Overview
Peak 3994m (aka UTM722049) is an unnamed California Thirteener about 1 mile NNE of The Thumb. From comments in the summit register, it appears that this peak is most often climbed by spring skiers.Getting There
The broad cirque northeast of the peak is easily accessed from a point where the Birch Creek Trail crosses a tributary of the creek (~3300m). Several gullies descend to the cirque from the class 2 N Ridge.Please see the approach notes for Birch Mountain and “Ed Lane Peak”.
I highly recommend R. J. Secor’s The High Sierra, Peaks Passes & Trails (now in its third edition). This is the definitive climbing guide to the Sierra and was the source for many of the details on my SummitPost pages.
Red Tape
Like most places in the Sierra, you need a Wilderness Permit for overnight camping in the summer. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to get a permit for the Birch Lake Trail, even given its small quota of eight hikers per day. (This may have something to do with the cows and willows.)Detailed information on permits, regulations and trailhead access can be found on Matthew Holliman’s excellent Eastern Sierra logistics page.
Camping
Although it is possible as a day trip (particularly in excellent spring skiing conditions), I would recommend staying the night at Birch Lake. The other three thirteeners surrounding the lake can easily be climbed on the same trip. Again, please see the camping notes for “Ed Lane Peak” and Birch Mountain.Images
 |  |  |  |