Does anybody know if the descent shown on the map below goes at a reasonable difficulty. Basically, I would like to drop off Kuna down towards Kuna Creek. Would like Class 3, or less, with maybe an easy, short section of Class 4 at most. Or, is there an even easier way to achieve this? Just hatching some summer Sierra dreams



Thanks!

Not overly helpful with the initial descent, but here's looking in that direction from the Kuna summit:

I've only been on Koip, not Kuna, so I can't help much with that ridge descent, but I can show you what Kuna Creek looks like when it makes the final drop down into Lyell Canyon:



It gets a bit steep. Forms a nice waterfall. This is the view from the JMT/PCT.

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Thanks guys. I should have mentioned, I just want to combine in a climb of Mt Andrea Lawrence (the peak in your photo fedak) and then would go back via Lost Lakes, etc. Won't actually descend Kuna creek. I think the ridge I was contemplating is just right of the FOV in your photo.

(Although Kuna Creek sure looks nice in that photo)

There's a gap between the summit of Kuna and the ridge you want to descend. You can see it just right of center:

This looks straight down into the first part of the downclimb into the gap (going from west to east). You're looking a steep ramp (lower right) that leads to a short class 3 exposed drop to the floor of the gap (not visible here):

From the same location looking across the gap toward Kuna Peak:

From below and to the south, the exposed overhanging nature can be viewed. From here, the gap is more of a notch:

Going down the ridge to the west is actually pretty easy and straightforward. I descended to the north off the ridge at one of the first chutes I came to (class 2):

From below, you can see 3 chutes dropping from the ridge crest- two on the white granite and one that defines where the granite meets the darker metamorphic rock on the left. I descended this latter chute.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your trip!

boyblue wrote:Hope this helps! Good luck with your trip!

This helped a bunch, thanks! You confirmed my suspicions, that something on the north side may go fairly easily. Glad to hear that's the case, should make for a fun loop

boyblue wrote:There's a gap between the summit of Kuna and the ridge you want to descend.

Do you find the whole gap (both sides) to be class-3, or class-4? The SP page says 3, Secor says 4. I'm also eyeing this one for the summer but it would be an out-and-back, so if there's class-4 I'll have to downclimb it (which I could do without).

tbaranski wrote:Do you find the whole gap (both sides) to be class-3, or class-4? The SP page says 3, Secor says 4. I'm also eyeing this one for the summer but it would be an out-and-back, so if there's class-4 I'll have to downclimb it (which I could do without).

Here's another look at the south side of the gap, what I would judge as straightforward class 3. The only trick was finding the start which wasn't obvious from the ridge above. It's just west of the more direct line that I tried first but backed out of when it went class 4-5.

tbaranski wrote:

boyblue wrote:There's a gap between the summit of Kuna and the ridge you want to descend.

Do you find the whole gap (both sides) to be class-3, or class-4? The SP page says 3, Secor says 4. I'm also eyeing this one for the summer but it would be an out-and-back, so if there's class-4 I'll have to downclimb it (which I could do without).

To me, it looked like the opposite side would have been class 3, as Bob states in his post. I turned back at the 'class 3 drop to the floor of the gap' from 'my side' due to the exposure which I wasn't mentally prepared for. I was going by Roper's rating (the most current one available at the time of my attempt) which simply said, "class 3 from Helen Lake." That was roughly the route I was attempting. I'd been on many 3rd class routes and only a few 4th class ones. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this was actually 4th class. But, as I recall, looking at it from above, it looked very short. Perhaps only a couple of moves.