Needham Mountain and Sawtooth Peak

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Climbing above Lower Monarch Lake

I had had my eye on Needham Mountain ever since my failed attempt with Nick in June, so I talked Randy and Juli into making an overnight trip to Mineral King with me. We drove up Friday after work and camped at Cold Springs. Saturday morning we were up by 5 and hiking up the sawtooth pass trail by 5:30. 

Route up Needham

They planned to run to the top of Sawtooth Peak via Sawtooth Pass while I hoped to summit Needham by crossing the south ridge of Sawtooth Peak above Upper Monarch Lake (same route Nick and I followed in

 June). Thus we parted ways at Lower Monarch Lake after 1.5 hours of hiking. I headed up the familiar use trail to Upper Monarch Lake then continued on to the South Ridge of Sawtooth Peak. I knew where to find the easy class 3 route off the east side of the south ridge that leads into the basin below Needham. I reached that point after 3 hours of hiking. 

Once I was in the basin I dropped down below the ridgeline (lesson learned from the previous outing) down to the green patch described by Secor following this route to the summit without much issue. I was at the top after 4 hours of hiking. This time I didn't have to deal with a hail storm. 

Kaweahs from the summit (north)

Whitney Crest and Kern River canyon from the summit (east)

Looking south from the summit

Looking west from the summit.  South ridge of Sawtooth pictured.

Starting back down the ridgeline toward Sawtooth

Needham from the north ridge of Sawtooth

After 15 minutes at the top, I retraced my steps back to the green patch then ascended the class 2/3 southeast ridge of Sawtooth. I was at the top after 5.5 hours total of hiking. This was my second time summiting Sawtooth Peak. It was a beautiful clear day, so I spent almost an hour at the top taking in the views of the Whitney crestto the east and Kaweahs and Great Western Divide to the north and northeast. I found Randy and Juli's names in the register. 

Looking down the south ridge

Mineral King area from Sawtooth (west)

Blackrock Pass, Mt. Eisen to the north

Kaweahs to the north

Whitney Crest to the east

Needham to the southeast

Looking south-southeast

Descending toward Monarch Lakes from Sawtooth Pass

I descended the sandy class 2 slopes back toward Sawtooth Pass passing several parties that were on their way up. I was back at Upper Monarch Lake after 7 hours of total hiking and back at the car an hour after that. I took the "old trail" back. Once back at the car I waited for Randy and Juli for an hour or so; they had some routefinding difficulty on their way down from the summit of Sawtooth.