Mount Clark and Clark Canyon Crag

Mount Clark 11,522′ and Clark Canyon Crag 10,987′
Sierra Nevada
Total Time: 14:10
Distance: 29.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 8400′
Crux: Class 3
Trailhead: Happy Isles, full services

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In Yosemite’s Clark Range, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada, the only major summit I had yet to climb was the namesake peak of Mount Clark. With a pyramidal shaped summit, it is most commonly climbed via the class 4 SE Arete as well as the class 4 NW Arete, although the latter considered to be sandbagged with climbing closer to 5.6 in spots. I had always intended to solo Mount Clark via one of these two routes until the summer of 2021, when accomplished mountaineer and ultrarunner Fred Zalokar died soloing the route. With a daughter on the way, I decided to put those plans on hold until I had a partner and a rope, and pivoted to Tehipite Dome that day. That is, until I stumbled upon an old Sierra Club climbing guide published online written in 1954. Under Mount Clark is the following description- 

Northeast face. Class 2. Although Mount Clark was a popular climb with at least four ascents before 1893, it was not until the solo ascent by Francis P. Farquhar on July 4, 1916, that the easiest route was clearly described. He climbed from Merced Lake, and observed, on reaching the head of the snowfield on the northeast face, that a series of broad ledges on the north edge of the face provided a simple route to the summit (SCB, 1917, 227).

Digging in a bit more, it seemed that this was the preferred descent option discussed on Mountainproject, many saying there was about 15′ of third class with otherwise easy ledges on the descent. It was more than enough to at least give it a try. Although the easiest approach was via Mono Meadows, I knew all too well how tedious the initial off trail was cutting through the burn area immediately west of the Clark Range, having been through it twice climbing Greys Peak and Red Peak. And since I was climbing via the northeast face, I would need to traverse the bowl north of Mount Clark, making the approach a bit longer. Ultimately I decided to attempt the route out of Happy Isles, which would at most be a mile or two longer with slightly more elevation gain, but hopefully more scenic and allow me to explore a new area of the park. With a goal of 14 hours car to car, I left Happy Isles in darkness, quickly climbing up the Mist Trail and passing a few other early birds likely heading to Half Dome for the day. I passed Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls and through Little Yosemite Valley in darkness, not seeing the faintest hint of dawn until I was nearly past the broad southern granite apron of Moraine Dome.

Being late October, it was still too cold to stop for a break, and I continued along the trail as it began to gain elevation around Bunnell Point. I was about 3.5 hours into my day when I reached the high point of the granite slabs along the trail East of Bunnell Point and my planned start of the cross country. I took a short break here just beneath a grove of aspen trees, the yellow leaves at their peak fall colors.

I was hoping to use this to my advantage, as I knew the cross country would be more challenging in the densely packed Aspen over pine forest, the yellow leaves more obvious from below. Although this plan initially worked well, climbing through pockets of granite slab and avoiding the Aspen where I could, I soon found myself faced with a wall of it. Luckily, I quickly found a game trail through the dense stand, pulling my way up through the small trees and brush a few hundred feet to where the slope leveled off and the forest became dramatically thinner.

Cross country travel was quite easy, and I angled southeast through the forest, passing just north of an unnamed lake at 9235′. The forest dropped away as I started up granite slabs at the base of the NW arete, the views dramatically opening up to the Cathedral Peak, Echo Peaks and Matthes Crest to the north.

It took me a little over two hours to reach the stream flowing down the outlet of Clark Canyon, and I paused to filter a liter of water for the final ascent. Mount Clark was in view for the first time all day, the NW Arete looking dramatic and low fifth class, and the NE Face looking like a mellow scree slope as advertised. Leaving the stream, I angled further southeast on sand and scree, hoping to skirt Point 10,987′, unofficially named Clark Canyon Crag. As I neared the saddle between the point and Mount Clark, I was able to find a class 3 weakness through, although was stymied a number of times, needing to traverse out left multiple times in steeper spots.

At the saddle I took one final break, now about 7 hours, 14 miles and 7,000′ of elevation gain into my day and starting to feel a bit tired. From below it looked quite doable, particularly if I trended from right to left on the slabs, with the main question mark being the final 50′ to reach the crest. Although the slope was quite sandy, there were plenty of clean slab and rock to utilize for the ascent, making it much less painful than expected. I ascended the series of class 2 ramps visible from below until I was within 50′ of the summit. It initially seemed like a hidden ramp around a boulder would give me a direct shot to the high point, but it dead ended at a 20′ low fifth class hand crack, definitely not the third class route I was looking for. Traversing a bit right, I found a 15′ off width that matched the description quite a bit better, with a fin of rock in the back that you could walk partway up. Although I may have been able to find easier options had I looked longer, it seemed easy enough and headed up.

The only tricky move was mantling out of the crack onto the ledge above, spitting me out on the NW Arete directly below the summit block. A few quick chimney moves and I was sitting on the high point, finally ticking off the last major summit in the Clark Range. The views were outstanding, with Half Dome and Yosemite Valley to the NW, Mount Hoffman to the north, Cathedral Peak, Echo Peaks and Matthes Crest to the Northeast, Mount Lyell and Maclure to the east, and the remainder of the Clark Range to the south. The summit register was completely full, and I strangely opened to Fred Zalokar’s summit entry as soon as I opened the book, proof that he had fallen during the descent. I found room for my own name on a random page and after a few more pictures, started my long descent.

Reversing the short bit of class 3 was straightforward, although I could imagine it would be difficult to find the spot on sight from above if descending after the NW Arete. I made quick work of the sandy ledges, quickly getting back to the saddle between Mount Clark and Clark Canyon Crag. This seemed like an easy bonus peak, so I started boulder hopping up the ridgeline, quickly surprised by the difficulty of the summit block.

From the south, it was possible to reach the high point via a difficult fourth class chimney, which I skipped looking for an easier alternative. The west side was cliff and the east side was overhanging. I was quickly losing interest and was about to give up before finding a third class ramp from the north.

I spent about 30 seconds at the summit before heading downslope, dropping back to the stream flowing out of Clark Canyon to refill water. It was about 1:30 PM, and I was feeling hopeful about my goal of 14 hours, taking under 8 hours on the ascent giving me over six on the descent. The cross country initially went well, dropping down granite slabs back into the forest. But once in the pines I lost line of sight on any reliable landmarks for navigation, and found myself wandering far too west before realizing I was off course when I finally checked my GPS. I was nearly a half mile further west of my ascent line when I reached the top of the steep slope 1000′ above the trail, and was met with a wall of thick brush, quite a bit thicker than on my climb up.

I started down what seemed like a game trail before stepping ankle deep into thick muck. The game trail was actually a small spring fed stream covered in thick forest duff, and it quickly deadended in brush and aspen thicket. I climbed back up above the brush and started traversing east several hundred yards before finding another game trail, this one actually getting me through to the pine forest below, although still with quite a bit of thrashing. I had lost quite a bit of time between wandering too far west and fighting through the brush, and I kicked it into high gear once I was back on the trail. I half jogged down the switchbacks, taking a short break northeast of Bunnell Point to filter another liter of water and have a small snack. Mercifully, the trail was almost completely flat from Bunnell Point to Little Yosemite Valley, passing the first people since that morning just east of the camp. Trying to cover as much ground as possible before needing a headlamp, I pressed on, dropping down the trail past Nevada Falls, cutting past more and more dayhikers, a number on descent from Half Dome.

Although the sun had long set behind Glacier Point, I reach the Vernal Falls footbridge without needing a headlamp and made short work of the paved trail on the descent, making it back to the car with just barely enough light. I fell just short of my 14 hour goal, although could have easily met the mark had I skipped Clark Canyon Crag or not botched the descent above the trail. I headed out of the Valley, stopping for a late dinner in Oakhurst before heading home.