W6/NS-173 Bell Mountain

 I had a permit to climb Mt Whitney in a few days, so I decided to take the week off and spend some time in the Sierra to acclimate before the big hike. First up was an easy hike for the first day, nothing too high yet. I drove up to Crabtree Trailhead, a popular starting point for hikes into the Emigrant Wilderness. After parking and having a bite of lunch I headed out.

Heading up the trail.

The trail is very well worn, and I passed quite a few people heading in for the holiday weekend. Just past the trail junction, the trees open up and there are some excellent views. The trail drops down into the valley here as well.

Looking across the valley, away from the mountain.

In the valley I took the next right and headed towards Mud Lake. This section is flat and was fast. It also seems like people don't go down there as much, I saw many fewer people.

Mud Lake meadow.

The map shows the trail ending at Mud Lake, but I found paths that started climbing the hill, which is what I wanted to do. So I followed them. After a while the started going in the wrong direction, so I stepped off the trail and started bushwhacking. The going wasn't bad, but there was a steep section with waist-high brush that was quite annoying. Once I had pushed through it, it was a simple walk up to the summit.

Meadow at the summit.

There is a big meadow on top, with some trees at the highest point. I set up here. As I was operating, some people on 4-wheelers drove up. Apparently there are OHV trails that lead to the summit. Since I don't have a good vehicle for that sort of thing, I think my route was probably better.

Looking back at the mountain.

I didn't spend too long on top, especially since the OHV people had started drinking. I retraced my steps back to the car and vacated my parking spot. I'm sure it didn't stay empty for long. After driving past the lake I headed up to Sonora Pass to camp for the night.

Trailhead: Crabtree Trailhead
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Head up the trail towards Pine Valley and Mud Lake. From the lake, bushwhack up to the summit.
Red Tape: This entire route is outside the wilderness area, so go wild.