High Sierra in Early June?

Howdy!  

I'm planning on spending a week or two in Yosemite as I road trip back to Oregon, but I'm also really interested in knocking out a few High Sierra classics.  I'm thinking about shooting over Tioga Pass after my stint in the Valley, probably the first week or so of June.  Is it reasonable to attempt some of these classic routes listed below, or am I totally out to lunch?  

• Red Dihedral and/or Positive Vibrations 
• Harding Route 
• East Butt (Whitney)
• Mithril Dihedral 
• Third Pillar of Dana
• Clyde Minaret 
• Dark Star

I know there will be snow on all the approaches, but I'd rather not have to deal with it on the route or during a technical descent.  Does anyone have experience climbing any of these routes early in the season?  What are current conditions like now?  Will axe and pons be required on all of these approaches/descents?  If I could only do one of these routes (and I very well might only be able to do one), which would I have the best chance at ticking?  Basically, which of these will be more "in?"

Any and all beta/information/heckling is welcome and appreciated!

East and south faces should be good-to-go in June, with some possible snow on shady portions of the climb. I have no heckling to offer at this time, but will reserve the right to do so! Bring DEET.

Edit: Getting a permit could be the crux for any of the climbs.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Frank! Looking forward to getting out there and seeing for myself soon enough!

If you could only do one of these routes in early June, which would you do?

Frank:  I am aware that there is a permit system for much of the High Sierra, and I know that it is quite loathsome.  That is about the extent of my knowledge.  Since I don't know the exact date(s) when I will be passing through, I guess I'll have to go with the least popular or least restrictive area. 

Will Maness wrote:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Frank! Looking forward to getting out there and seeing for myself soon enough!

If you could only do one of these routes in early June, which would you do?

Will,

I'm not a strong enough climber to do all those. I have done the EB on Whitney and the SE Face of Clyde, both excellent. Both getting good sun.

I think Whitney is pretty classic, easier climbing, but getting a permit for the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek could be hard. Are you familiar with the online permitting process for the Inyo National Forest? The Harding Route would require the same wilderness permit as Whitney and also have favorable sun exposure.

Hey Will, 

Much of the stuff on your list should be melted out and totally reasonable by then given the dearth of snow, with the Hulk being the only exception given the snowpack there was a bit deeper than further south in the Range. I would say from your list, trying to camp around Iceberg lake to climb Russell/Whitney routes, and camping around the Hulk to explore it, would give you some of the real classics of the range. Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions, happy to help! 

Will Maness wrote:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Frank! Looking forward to getting out there and seeing for myself soon enough!

If you could only do one of these routes in early June, which would you do?

Frank:  I am aware that there is a permit system for much of the High Sierra, and I know that it is quite loathsome.  That is about the extent of my knowledge.  Since I don't know the exact date(s) when I will be passing through, I guess I'll have to go with the least popular or least restrictive area. 

Another option is the South Face of Charlotte Dome. Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP are supposedly issuing actual walk-up permits this coming summer. Where you can get it, in-person, the day before. Also a classic climb. This is a different system than Inyo National Forest, where all your other climbs are (except the Hulk).

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/wilderness_permits.htm

Thanks for the beta, y'all!  I am psyched to check out the region for the first time!  I've climbed in the Valley and the Meadows, but nothing properly alpine in the Sierra.  

Are there any other classic alpine routes in the area that are doable car-to-car?  I know the Hulk can be done in a day...any others?

Oh boy lots of things can be car to car haha I think there is some other factors to car to car ability, but things you don't have on your list here that I would point you towards would be:

The North ridge of Lone Pine Peak, NE ridge/Arete on Bear Creek Spire, anything on temple Craig if you climb efficiently, hulk items, Mt Goode, Merriam. Tons of great scrambles to find C2C.

Other off the beaten path items I would recommend would be the Juggernaut, Carl Heller, East Pillar Mt Barnard, Granite Park Spire. 

All the info you need is either here in Mtn Project, The High Sierra Supertopo guidebook, or the Good Great Awesome guidebook. Enjoy!! 

Just an FYI that the quota system for the trailhead to juggernaut and hulk (sawtooth ridge) starts last Friday in June (June 25th this year). Before then you can get a self-issue permit. 

Thanks, Peter!  I've done the Casual Route and the Direct Exum car-to-car, so anything comparable in terms of approach should be in the wheelhouse.

Thanks for the permit information, Carla! 

Hey Will! Hulk will likely have snow, but it's not technical in any way. Lightweight crampons or micro spikes might help in the morning when it's frozen, but I have found that the approach can be easier with snow than without! You'd probably consider rapping instead of walking down the gulley whether you do Positive Vibes or the Red Dihedral (slightly more complicated from RD but definitely doable). Temple Crag descent will be snowy and is fairly steep. Not sure how the Mt. Dana deproach gulley is looking, but it's visible from the road so you could decide after checking it out with binocs. Cardinal Pinnacle approach is totally dry and easily accessed now. Bear Creek Spire is a fun day out-- there will definitely be snow but it's not steep enough to be "technical," though the North Arete might be holding snow up high (13,000+). Instead of dropping down the first gulley you can always walk a bit farther on mellower terrain to descend. Conness will likely have snow but also does not really encounter steep enough terrain to be "technical", and if you approach from Young Lakes there may be almost no snow. 

Will Maness wrote:

If I could only do one of these routes (and I very well might only be able to do one), which would I have the best chance at ticking?  

To answer this specific question, Third Pillar of Dana. Shortest approach, snow should only be an issue in the descent gully (if at all, but that's just my best guess), no permit for day use (maybe only an issue for Whitney/Keeler/Russell?), etc. It's also the shortest route on your list, although Mithril is comparable. If you're strapped for time and need a single best shot, Third Pillar is it.

I've heard it called overhyped but I thought it was really good. Although I've done about half of the routes on that list and thought they were all good.

Yes, I second Third Pillar as the easiest on the list in terms of the logistics. The easiest arguably "alpine" objective overall in the Easter Sierra in terms of logistics would be Cardinal Pinnacle. Both are very fun, but not quite the same alpine feeling as you get on some of the others on your list.

Third Pillar is outstanding.  It also has the benefit that, despite day permits for Yosemite, you can park right outside the entrance, which is where the trail starts.  The Dana Plateau is really a cool spot as well.  The Moon Goddess and Venusian Blind on Temple Crag are also good C2C options, as is Bear Creek Spire, without the day permit issues. Whitney and Mithral are doable in a day as well (Mithral is also in the dun later in the day) but with the drawback of needing a day permit for the North Fork.  Pine Creek Pass is one of the easier places to score a permit (relatively speaking) and opens up the routes on Mt. Merriam if you’re got the chops for the harder ones.  Lots and lots of good objectives provided you can sort out the permit situation.

Bring your head game for  Dark Star.