Mitchell Peak

Phil had wanted to climb Mitchell Peak and my dad told me there were great views from the top but I almost didn't want to go.  Luckily I got over myself and we headed out just after breakfast.  The start of the trail is before Lookout Peak, a climb we've done previously.  After driving for an hour and a bit, somehow we ended up at Lookout Peak.  We turned around and back tracked until we figured out where we went wrong - the turn off was just before the road goes from pavement to dirt.  Not long from the turnoff was a small parking lot with the Marvin Pass Trailhead sign.
 We started at 8100 feet of elevation just before mid day.  The first part of the trail was really pretty, covered in pine trees and nicely shaded.  The switchbacks took us up very quickly though, and that elevation made breathing a bit more effort than we were used to.
 We kept hiking up, and up, and up some more.  The shade disappeared and the sun got warmer and our breath kept getting more shallow.  We stopped quite frequently along the way - we wanted to make sure my dad didn't push himself too hard.
 Eventually we passed the tree line and got to a rock field neat the summit.
 We looked up and saw a marmot - now that's something we don't see in Australia!
We kept scrambling up the rocks, and finally made it to the top - 10,365 feet up.  The 365 degree views of the Sierras were absolutely stunning!  We could even see some snow on peaks in the distance.  We sat for awhile to have some lunch and soak in the views.  It was definitely worth the effort taken to get there.  And not a bad effort for my 72 year old dad to hike up a 10,365 foot peak in the middle of summer!  It was definitely an adventure him that we will remember.








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