Photo by David French
NEXT Photo >>>

Goto Sierra Nevada
Home Page

The Minarets - as
seen to the right, are a
jagged series of peaks
that dominate the
skyline above Lake
Ediza. The most
prominent spire is
Clyde Minaret named
after the famous
climber Norman Clyde.
Ediza Lake (as seen in
the right foreground) is
the destination of many
hikers and
backpackers, and when
visiting the area, it is
not hard to see why
John Muir considered
Ediza Lake, the most
beautiful lake in the
Sierra's.  
But the Minarets have also been a place of tragedy, 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 Mountains, you
certainly will not be disappointed.
Home
Contact Us
About Us
Sierra Nevada Mountains - Minarets                                                  timberlinetrails.net