Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mountaineers Route Description

Looking for some detailed pictures for Ebersbacher Ledges.If you have some posted on Internet they will be much help for trip coming up.North Fork trail snow fast disapearing as of last weekend.

As you come up the mountaineers route you get to a place when the canyon narrows, and the bushes/trees in the river make it very difficult to continue upward. This is where you cross the river back to the north side. Head a little west and then begin the climb up the ledges. The best description of the path (with pictures) is found in the book Climbing California Fourteeners by Pocella & Burns. At www.REI.com it is item #630900.

Some people head up the North side of the river from the Mount Whitney Trail. Some people head up the South side of the river, just after crossing the river. Starting on the south side, you follow the trail a ways. Then you climb up through a large boulder field. Next comes the large smooth slabs, or the trail winding though the bushes, just to the North of the slabs. About 1/2 but not 2/3 of the way to first lake, the canyon narrows, making it difficult to continue. When you look on the other side, up on the ledges, you will see a solitary tree. Cross the river and go a little west, and then begin your climb. The path goes to the tree, then goes east for maybe 50 to 75 feet. Then climb up 5 or ten feet and then turn west. It looks like a "Z" in the book Mentioned. From there it is mostly a straight shot up toward Lower Boy Scout Lake. Early in the year the snow covers up the bushes down by the river and it is possible to just keep going and work up the gradual ledges on the South side all the way to the Lake.

There is an excellent route description and some good photos of the route, including the ledges at the following site: <a href="http://www.summitpost.com/mountains/route_link.pl/route_id/70/object_id/45">http://www.summitpost.com/mountains/route_link.pl/route_id/70/object_id/45 </a> You will have to register, if you haven't already, but the info is top-notch. I have been up the North Fork many times, and I highly recommend starting on the north side of the creek, and follow the very good use trail. Once established on this trail, it will be hard to miss the ledges. They are harder to find from the south side.

I looked at the web site @ summit post. Great picture of the trees/route on the Ebersbacher ledges. I have always wondered about the trail on the North side of the river. I have been on the lower portion, but it always seemed we couldn't stay on the North side the whole time. Last time we started up on the North side but we ended up crossing over in the middle through the trees onto the large slabs on the South side. Just after climbing down from the ledges, it seemed the trees were too close to the rock wall to stay on that side. Is is possible to stay on the North side of the river the whole time from the start of the North Fork trail all the way up to the Ledges?

I suppose it's possible, but not desirable. The trail does cross the creek to the south side, but comes back just before the ledges, and definitely does not go up the slabs. The first 2 times I went up the drainage, I went up the slabs, and the other route is far easier. The trail is distinctive enough to follow at night,the last few times up there have been in the dark with no problem. In my opinion, finding the ledges is really a non-issue. Even my first time up the drainage many years ago, I found the ledges easily even after starting on the wrong side of the creek.

Thanks for the info. I have always wondered about that. What you describe is what we did last time. I agree. From the pictures I had no trouble finding the ledges, even the first time.

Last year I made a specific point of getting a number of pictures of the NF route, especially the Ebersbacher Ledges. See <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/970354>Mountaineers Route Pictures</a>

The Eiserbacher ledges are critical to an expeditious ascent. the first time we went up the MR we missed the ledges and it took us an estimated extra two hours of route finding. by the time we reached Iceberg Lake it was too late to summit so we turned back. And I was carrying a book with a good detailed description. On the next trip we found the way and now it is permanently engraved in my memory. Good luck!