McGee Mountain

Overview

 McGee Mountain is a large rather flat-top scarp mountain in the Eastern Sierra south of Mammoth Lakes a few miles west of Lake Crowley. It is bordered by Convict Creek to the northwest and McGee Creek to the south and acts as something of a visual barrier to the higher peaks Mount Baldwin, White Fang and Mount Morrison from Highway 395 to the east. The locals have skied the peak for years and there is a quite challenging 4WD road that switchbacks up the north slope from Tobacco Flat to the large hanging valley a few hundred feet below the summit for the few who are rigged to handle the terrain. 
The northwest and south slopes are class 2.

Starting with the colorful Sevehah Cliff on the east face of Laurel Mountain there is an expansive view northwest emcompassing the Ritter Range and the big peaks west of Mono Lake. To the south is the impressive Nevahbe Ridge directly over Mc Gee Canyon. To the southwest the views include Mount Crocker, Red Slate Mountain, Mount Baldwin, White Fang and Mount Morrison.

Getting There

 Northwest slope from Convict Lake: From the junction of Hwy. 203 in Mammoth take Hwy. 395 south 4.5 miles to the Convict Lake Road. From Bishop go north 34 miles on Hwy. 395 from the junction with Hwy. 6 at the north end of town.
Turn southwest and go 2.3 miles to the Campground area at 7,700'.

Scramble south about 500 verticle ft. up a sagebrush moraine into the hanging valley between Mono Jim Peak (the dark brown peak in front of Mt. Morrison) and McGee Mountain. Hike about a mile south up the valley and ascend the northwest slope to the big upper hanging valley. Continue another 1.3 miles southeast to the peak.

South Slope from McGee Creek: From the junction of Hwy 203 and 395 go south 8.7 miles to the McGee Creek Road.
From Bishop go north 30 miles from the junction with Hwy. 6 at the north end of town.
At McGee Creek road go south 4 miles to Upper McGee Creek Campground at 8,100'.

Ascend the south slope 1.5 miles starting with relatively stable sandy sagebrush and on up to the plateau at 10,470'. Go east .5 miles to the summit.

4WD road up McGee Mountain: Trip report by Bob Burd

Red Tape

  The mountain is on the border of the John Muir Wilderness and the Inyo National Forest. No permits are required to hike this peak.

Camping

 



There is a campground at the end of the Convict Lake road at the northeast end of Convict Lake at 7,700'.
There is the McGee Creek Campground 1.8 miles in on the McGee Creek Road to the left at 7,600'.
There is also the Upper McGee Creek Campground 4 miles in at the end of the McGee Creek Road at 8,100'.

Current weather and 5 day forecast

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Etymology

Three McGee brothers, Alney, John, and Bart were pioneer cattlemen in Mono and Inyo counties. This McGee Creek was named for Alney Lee McGee. All these other "McGee" names probably are derived from the creek. The creek and the mountain are named on the first Mt. Morrison and Mt. Goddard 30-minute maps.,1914 and 1912 respectively. (Robert M. Harper, great grand nephew of Alney Lee McGee.) (INF)
Place Names of the SIerra Nevada by Peter Browning

Images

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