
To the left is an aerial view of the Minarets. These jagged peaks are still the destination of climbers (even though the rock is not all that solid). Because of this, the Minarets have had there share of tragedies in the past, and in August 1933 they were much in the news when Walter A. Starr, Jr. was reported overdue from a trip to the Ritter Range. A search party, made up of some of California's best climbers, was then called in to search for Starr. This activity went on for several days, but on August 19, the search was called off. Only Norman Clyde remained and continued the search.
It took some persistent effort on Clyde's part, but after several days of climbing and hiking, Clyde ended up finding the remains of the fallen climber on a remote ledge in the above Minarets. (The story ends with Clyde returning a few days latter to bury the remains of Starr Jr, along with the help of Jules Eichorn, on the ledge where Starr had come to rest). This story serves as a reminder to the inherent dangers of climbing. The Minarets (along with both Ritter and Banner) are notorious for loose rock, so extreme care must be taken if you decide to climb in this area. However, to end on a more positive note, I would just like to say that the Minarets (and their surrounding areas) are beautiful indeed, and if you ever decide to explore this part of the
Sierra Nevada, you certainly will not be disappointed.