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justinjohnsen - Oct 11, 2007 12:53 pm - Hasn't voted
Approximate mileage and gainRJ Secor, in "The High Sierra," gives a distance of 9 1/4 miles and an elevation gain of 3,323' by trail from Big Pine Creek trailhead (7,677') parking lot to Sam Mack Meadow (11,000').
Checking out the area on Topozone, I can see the routes from the Meadow to Agassiz Col (13,100') climb 2,100' cross-country over 2 miles. The final stretch from the col to the summit (13,893') climbs 793' over 0.4 miles.
Total: 6,216' net gain (with a tiny bit more gross) over 23 miles round-trip.
sierradiscgolfer - Oct 19, 2007 11:14 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Approximate mileage and gainHey Justin, thanks for the info. It really sounds pretty imressive the way you lay it out. I did it in two days making a base camp at the cut-off to Sam Mack (before Fourth Lake)
Sebastian - Aug 21, 2014 4:31 pm - Hasn't voted
Approaching Agassiz col from WestWhen approaching the col from the West, the correct chute is easy to see from the floor of Dusy basin. It is just straight up.
However, when traversing from Thunderbolt pass, you will be too high to identify this chute with certainty. The main, lower chute forks and there is an alternative left (north) option, and from the Y you cannot see which one is correct. It is the right (south) one, the one having red rock on the top.
The left one ends just below the summit in some class 3. Without a backpack, it might work as a summit route, but it is not the col and is much harder and higher.