Overview
Mount Williamson, at an elevation of , is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States.
Geography
Williamson stands in the John Muir Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest. It is located approximately north of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., and about southwest of Shepherd Pass, the nearest trail access. The closest town is Independence, California, about to the north-north-east. It lies about east of the Sierra Crest, which forms the western edge of the Owens Valley. It is more remote than Whitney in terms of access; however, as it sits east of the crest, it is actually a bit closer to the Owens Valley floor than Whitney. For example, the drop from the summit to the forest edge is in approximately . This makes it an imposing mountain, and a much less popular climb than its higher neighbor.
History
The mountain is named for Lt. Robert Stockton Williamson (1825–1882), who was known for his topographical labors on the Pacific coast, especially Pacific Railroad Surveys in Southern California. The first recorded ascent of Mount Williamson was made in 1884 by W. L. Hunter and C. Mulholland, by way of the Southeast Slopes Route, The first ascent of the West Side Route was made in 1896 by Bolton C. Brown and Lucy Brown. New routes continued to be put up on the harder faces at least through the 1980s.
Climbing
The standard ascent route is the West Side Route, accessed from Shepherd's Pass. From the pass, one travels across the Williamson Bowl, which lies between Mount Williamson and Mount Tyndall, part of the Sierra Crest. The bowl is home to five high alpine lakes. From the bowl, the route climbs gullies up the west face to the relatively broad summit plateau; this portion involves scrambling up to . Technically easier, but with a more difficult approach which can involve route finding and bushwhacking, is the Southeast Slopes Route, rising from George Creek. Other routes exist on the mountain, including a significant technical route on the North Rib (Grade IV, 5.7). .
See also
* List of mountain peaks of California