Climbing Sierra peaks in the summer months is usually a warm, casual experience but ascending the same peak during winter can be a totally different proposition. Snow, cold temperatures, wind, short days, and avalanche hazard conspire to make a more serious and difficult climb.
For this program we have selected Mt. Morrison, located above Convict Lake, between Mammoth and Bishop. At
12,268 feet Morrison dominates the skyline as one drives Highway 395 to Mammoth. It’s steep North Face and Buttress has been described as the “Eiger of the Sierra” but we will avoid the rotten rock of these routes ascending the easier, but challenging, south-east ridge.

Itinerary

We will spend the first day working on skills and getting used to climbing snowed up rock in heavy boots
and making sure that everyone is up to speed on the basics before we head into the mountains.
We approach our camp from the Convict Lake trailhead and after climbing steeply up over the huge old lateral moraine
enter Tobacco Flat with wide open slopes and head up to our camp at about 9900 feet alongside a small, unnamed frozen
lake. Here we hope to have sufficient snow depth to dig a snow cave to provide a snug wind free new experience.
The following day we ascend a bowl that leads to a spectacular overlook of the North Face of Morrison and then wind
our way up mixed rock and snow slopes to the summit and descend the same way.
We return to camp and then to the trailhead and the vehicles on the last day.
We do have some leeway built into the schedule and it is possible in a long day to summit and hike out so if the weather
precludes our climbing on Day Three we can try again on Day Four.