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Good to climb with you a few years ago on Alta. Hope your new location offers as many opportunities. Of the peaks you list, I would suggest ranking them as such:

North Palisade (which side?) - everything I've heard is that this is THE mountaineer's mountain.
Humphreys - Damned cool peak, prominently visible from so many places, and 4th class!
Williamson/Tyndall - I enjoyed this as a 3 day 2 night deal. The Rib on Tyndall was fantastically direct.
Bear Creek Spire - Love this peak, I did the North Arete, although you might come up from the col or take the NW Ridge
Sill - move this up if you do the Swiss Arete

. . .

Abbott - Would pick BCS over this. But, it is a relatively short, straightforward route, nice high peak, easy access.
Darwin (North Side) - don't know anything about this one, but if I were in the area, I'd say do Humphreys.

Matt Worster wrote:Good to climb with you a few years ago on Alta. Hope your new location offers as many opportunities. Of the peaks you list, I would suggest ranking them as such:

North Palisade (which side?) - everything I've heard is that this is THE mountaineer's mountain.
Humphreys - Damned cool peak, prominently visible from so many places, and 4th class!
Williamson/Tyndall - I enjoyed this as a 3 day 2 night deal. The Rib on Tyndall was fantastically direct.
Bear Creek Spire - Love this peak, I did the North Arete, although you might come up from the col or take the NW Ridge
Sill - move this up if you do the Swiss Arete

. . .

Abbott - Would pick BCS over this. But, it is a relatively short, straightforward route, nice high peak, easy access.
Darwin (North Side) - don't know anything about this one, but if I were in the area, I'd say do Humphreys.

Matt, thanks for chiming in! I think I am leaning towards trying North Pal in 2-3 weeks. Hopefully, more snow melts on the approach.
It was a nice hike we did together, was it not SIllimann though? Since then, I am hiking more with my daughter and mostly closer to home. Moving to Switzerland, so hopefully I will have some options there!

Bah, you're right, Silliman. I remember falling straight asleep in the car at the end -- 7 mo. old at home, sea level to peak in under 24 hours, no previous hikes that year. Glad to hear of your hikes, we're doing the same, newly outfitted with baby backpack for the current 7 mo. old. Switzerland, well . . . yeah.

Hiking with a 7 mo. old and a 4 year old is a great achievement! Thanks also for your comment on Leavitt to Miroslava. I won't carry her up Stanislaus though, it's loose and steep as far as I remember.

If I were you I'd just head over to North Pal. BCS is a great peak, but mostly for the technical routes on it. Mt. Abbot looks fun (from the N. Couloir) but kind of an undistinguished peak. North Pal is really a mountaineers' mountain if you will. Just be careful on the class 4.

Head on up to the Palisades and enjoy the good graces of Neemameeshee and North Pal, you won't regret it