Mount Langley

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Vaca Russ
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Mount Langley

Post by Vaca Russ »

TITLE: Mount Langley

GENERAL OVERVIEW: Mount Langley is one of the easiest of the 14ers in California to climb. It is the ninth highest mountain in California. There are excellent views to be had if the weather is clear.

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and up depending on the route.

LOCATION: Sequoia National Park - View it on the HST Map

ELEVATION: 14,026 Feet

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): USGS Mount Langley Quad, California, Topographic Map

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: The easiest route is to climb Army Pass and walk up the southern slope to the summit. Other routes include:

West Face: Class 2
Northwest Ridge: Class 4
Rest and be Thankful: IV, 5.10, AO
North Face: Class 3
Northeast Chute: Class 2-3
East Slope: Class 2
Southeast Slope: Class 2
Orange Julius: II, 5.9

Thanks to Artrock for this information!

PHOTOS:
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
7.jpg
8.jpg
9.jpg
10.jpg
Sorry about not posting any more pictures with views. The peak was socked in clouds. Maybe others can post pictures of the great views.

-Russ
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Last edited by Vaca Russ on Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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kd6swa
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by kd6swa »

Vaca Russ - when you get done bagging Whitney, drive over to Badwater and get the lowest spot in North America. Whitney and Badwater are less than 200 miles apart! :bear: No Bears either!
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by kd6swa »

Vaca Russ and "Sport" - when you pass by next time, Give my Regard to Smoky!

73
KD6SWA
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artrock23
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by artrock23 »

Russ, thanks for this submission.

Just for the sake of thoroughness, though, there are eight other recorded routes to the summit, ranging from class 2 through 5.10. Since some here (such as myself) are undoubtedly interested in doing some of the more challenging routes, maybe it would be a good idea to mention them too?

Eric, what is your view on this, since you introduced the forum? Should we who post new entries here be listing other known routes than the one(s) we do personally?
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by ERIC »

artrock23 wrote:Eric, what is your view on this, since you introduced the forum? Should we who post new entries here be listing other known routes than the one(s) we do personally?
I don't really have any set rule for this - only a suggestion. If alternative approaches exist that you are aware of, then you might consider mentioning them (placeholder) in your post and linking to either Vulgarian Ramblers (13'ers only), and/or SummitPost. Our 13'ers layer on the HST Map links to both sources, but we haven't yet done the same with the 14'ers layer.
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Vaca Russ
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by Vaca Russ »

I made the hike up New Army Pass yesterday morning.
1 NAP Sign.JPG
I wanted to add some summit views to this post.

On the way to the summit I ran into this Bighorn!
2 Goat.JPG
The hike to the summit was great high altitude training. Enjoy these summit shots.
3 Looking East.JPG
4 NW Iridescent Lake.JPG
5 Peaks North of Whitney.JPG
6 South Toward Olancha.JPG
7 Tuttle Creek.JPG
On the way to the summit I made an important discovery. The National Park Service workers have built a number of very large cairns marking the trail. The trail starts out at Army Pass and is quite evident.
8 Trail to Langley.JPG
Then, after about a mile you see this sign.
9 Cairns Sign.JPG
And then you see the first huge cairn. These things are over 6 feet tall!
C1.JPG
To be continued...
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Vaca Russ
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by Vaca Russ »

Because there is no maintained trail to the top of Mt. Langley, hikers tend to choose their own routes. This results in dozens of informal trails - over 10 miles of them - that damage fragile alpine plants, soils and bighorn sheep habitat. To reduce these impacts, workers remover nearly 8 miles of informal trails and marked a route to the summit.
C2.JPG
C3.JPG
The marked route is not a formal, designated trail and is not constructed or maintained. It follows a previously established informal trail.
C4.JPG
C5.JPG
This path has minimal impact on the landscape it crosses.
C6.JPG
C7.JPG
By following the cairned route, you help protect fragile alpine habitat from damage.
C8.JPG
C9.JPG
Adding to cairns or building new cairns misleads hikers and detracts from the natural landscape.
C10.JPG
Langley.JPG
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mschnaidt
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by mschnaidt »

Here was my view from the summit of Langley in 2011. You had clouds Russ and Sport. We had lots of smoke.
P1010213 (Medium).JPG
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by Gogd »

Many people mistakenly push along on the tourist trail right up into the crags and steeps you see in the image, just below the summit, then get bogged down trying to climb the rubble and crags. The far easier, safer route is losing a bit of elevation at the end of the well defined trail, then skirt left as indicated by the red line, below the crags and steeps, then resume the ascent on the spine of the summit ridge, starting at the left end of the ridgeline. Look for the first large cairn as you mount the ridgeline. After that is not to difficult to follow the route by finding the next in the succession of cairns.
Ed
Langley.jpg
Mt Langley as viewed from vicinity of Lake 4, Cottonwood Lakes.
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Re: Mount Langley

Post by Jim F »

There are four passes on the west side of the Cottonwood Lakes Basin that lead one to the National Park Service's popular trail (eventually marked by giant cairns) that goes to the summit of Mt Langley.

From south to north we recognize these passes as New Army Pass (maintained trail from High Lake), Old Army Pass (unmaintained trail from Lake 4), Navy Pass (cross country from Lake 5), and Thompson-Kirk Pass (cross country from Lake 6). In favorable conditions, New Army and Old Army Pass can be congested. The hiker will find solitude in the routes from Lakes 5 and 6.

The first I heard of Navy Pass was from Bob Rockwell who ascended it (in snow) and gave it the name Navy Pass. I have never gone that way.

I learned about the route via Lake 6 from Doug Thompson Sr (climber and owner of the Whitney Portal Store). Doug and Ranger Dave Kirk did that route many years ago. When I did it last summer, after topping out at the Pass, I made a gentle descent west of a couple hundred yards and rejoined the Park's consensus trail just past the second giant cairn (en route to Mt Langley). I would call the Thompson-Kirk Route Class 2.

Now refer to Ed's photo from the vicinity of Lake 4 which he posted today (3/11/22). Follow his black arrow toward the floor of the Cottonwood Lakes Basin. A ridge is intersected as it angles down from left to right. Lake 6 is located where the ridge meets the Basin floor. In the photo, if one heads towards Lake 6, one passes by the east shore of Lake 5 about .75 miles before reaching Lake 6. There is no trail from the east shore of Lake 5 to Lake 6. If one is starting at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead and wants to go to Lake 6, some think it is quicker to go via Muir Lake.

All routes to the summit of Langley reward the hiker with awesome views. Mt Langley seems to have become an increasingly popular day hike. Enjoy.
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