Baldwin Peak and Mount Morrison

June 2020

It only seems right that I should climb the peak in the Sierra that I share my last name with. And since Baldwin Peak sits comfortably close to Mount Morrison, it was logical to link these two in a weekend. Anthony, Noe, Celine and I set out early Saturday morning from Convict Lake to summit Baldwin. The area is a little father north then my usual stomping grounds in the Sierra, and it was quite unique compared to the rest of the range. Striking colors in the rock and plenty of hearty streams gave the approach an otherworldly feel.

The climb was steep but enjoyable. It followed a fireroad for several miles, and then split off to a steep single track to gain the ridge of Harvey. After some time slogging, I gained the ridge, threw on my microspikes to give myself some extra purchase in the snow, and cruised up to the summit. The top of Harvey offered spectacular views of Howe Sound, East and West Lion, Brunswick Mountain, and several other enticing peaks. The weather was perfect, so I took my time and enjoyed a sandwich on the summit.

We made good time to the foot of the peak, and started the class three scramble up. Celine and Noe opted to skip the summit and soak in the views from below, so Anthony and I were left to plod up the chute together. We made decent time, and the climbing was relatively engaging, with some ice and snow in there to keep things spicy. The summit offered incredible views: strikingly bright white snow contrasted against red, orange, silver, and brown rock formations as far as the eyes could make out. We puttered back down to camp, slept well, and made our way back to Convict Lake the next morning.

Anthony and I decided to go for a quick summit of Mount Morrison, which can be easily done in a day. We had a couple snacks at the cars and then trotted off—his fitness was quite impressive, and while I wouldn’t admit it at the time, I was having an incredibly challenging time keeping up with him. We made quick work of the approach, and picked our way carefully up the chute to the summit, which went at about class three if my memory serves me.

Again, the summit views were lovely, and it felt quite good for I, Matt Morrison, to be on the top of Mount Morrison. I wonder if there was any relation…in any case, it was a great climb, and a well-named summit. We charged down, and later realized we weren’t far off the FKT for the route, maybe next year we’ll go for it.