Trip Report
Carson Peak Winter Ascent
Tuesday February 9, 2016 2:37pm
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East Face from the gully past Fern Lake
East Face from the gully past Fern Lake
Credit: Nathaniel Weber
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I climbed Carson Peak over the weekend, reaching the summit on February 6th, 2016 at 2pm.

Carson Peak, elevation 10909 ft, and located in June Lake, CA, overlooks the lake and the town from the Ansel Adam Wilderness, located at 37.74758°N / 119.12411°W.

The Fern Lake trailhead is the usual approach, which you can reach right off the June Lake Loop.

Starting at 4am, I snowshoed up the steep hills of the trail, which were hidden in the deep snow up to Fern Lake, now frozen over and completely snowed over. It is advisable to use a GPS so you don't accidentally step on the lake.

From Fern Lake, it is another mile or so to the top of the ridge up very steep and deep snow, then fairly heavy snow to the summit from the false summit. Weather was great, not too cold, but a ton of snow to deal with in the canyon.

Great views from up top of Mono Lake, June Lake and Banner Peak and Mt. Ritter to the southwest.

  Trip Report Views: 3,420
Nathaniel Weber
About the Author

Comments
Nathaniel Weber

Mountain climber
Santa Cruz
Author's Reply  Feb 9, 2016 - 03:40pm PT
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Feb 9, 2016 - 04:25pm PT
Good stuff. Did you travel on AT ski setup?
Tork

climber
Yosemite
  Feb 9, 2016 - 07:06pm PT
AT slowshoes
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Feb 9, 2016 - 08:39pm PT
snowshoes, really? wow, so painful
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Feb 9, 2016 - 08:56pm PT
looks great! Thanks for the TR.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Feb 9, 2016 - 10:36pm PT
Any TR is a gud TR, especially a winter one!


snowshoes, really? wow, so painful

I'm a pretty damn good skier but I've used snowshoes a lot because
they are often far superior, especially if you're doing a traverse.
I find climbing 5th class rock or steep mixed quite painful with
skis hanging on my pack. ;-)
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Feb 9, 2016 - 11:22pm PT
Looks cool, would love to see the views towards the Minarets.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Feb 10, 2016 - 03:27am PT
Good point Reilly. A group of Navy SEALs once discovered this traveling with me in VERY mixed terrain. I tried to convince them, but they insisted on their skis, because they had to be "fast". The problem was I knew going into it what the terrain would be like, they didn't. Traversing boulders and thick brush wasn't very fast. There were a few other revelations along the way.
Thanks for sharing your TR Nathaniel!!
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Feb 10, 2016 - 07:44am PT
right on. gotta have the correct tool for the job, I get it
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
  Feb 10, 2016 - 08:32am PT
TRs the best part of ST.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Feb 13, 2016 - 11:56am PT
Nice, ant more pics?
Thanks!
Bryon Martin

climber
Ca
  Feb 24, 2016 - 01:03pm PT
Thanks for the TR. I've been up Carson from the west side, but have only eyeballed the east side as a summer scramble.

Curious -- what's your line from Fern? Do you stay west of the lake and traverse the ledges and slabs up to the long slope that leads to the summit? Do you pass Fern on its east side, and take the (apparently) more moderate slopes up to the ridge that runs toward San Joaquin and Two Teats, then swing back toward Carson?

Thanks. And nice pic of R,B & the M's.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Feb 24, 2016 - 01:35pm PT
It is advisable to use a GPS so you don't accidentally step on the lake.

I love it!. Nicely done.

John
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
  Feb 24, 2016 - 03:15pm PT
Thanks for the TR.

Here's a little more Carson Peak action with the always crazy 213 and others.

http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=461

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