Sierra Nevada Mt Langley Mt Ritter Mt Whitney

Sierra Nevada

Mt. Ritter is the highest peak in the Ritter Range (13,143 feet). It is a volcanic ridge west of the Sierra Crest, just outside Yosemite's southeast boundary. The Minarets, a set of more than a dozen fantastically sharp pinnacles in this range, together with Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak make for a striking skyline when viewed from the Ediza Lake area. According to Secor, "Mount Ritter is perhaps the most prominent peak in the High Sierra, and can even be seen from certain summits in the southern portion of the range." It is easily recognizable (in conjunction with its neighbor Banner Peak) from as far north as the peaks around Sonora Pass, and far into the southern parts of the range, from the Palisades to Mt. Goddard, and some points even further. For high point seekers, Mt. Ritter is also the high point of Madera County, one of the more arduous of the 58 county high points in California.

Having spent many years in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I have to say that the Mount Ritter/Banner peaks and surrounding areas, are some of the most beautiful terrain in all the range. It is of little wonder that John Muir placed this section high on his list of places to visit. He considered Ediza Lake (image to the right) with it's spectacular views of the rugged Minarets to be the most beautiful lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

But Mt Ritter and Ediza Lake are just the beginning of the story, because this area of the Ansel Adams wilderness is chalk full of things to do, and there are many forks along the shadow lake trail that lead to all sorts of adventures for climbers, fishermen, backpackers, hikers, and every other outdoor activity you can think of.

Shadow Creek that runs along most of the shadow lake trail, is more than just a meandering creek, for it produces some of the most beautiful cascades in all the Sierra Nevada. The Creek is a reliable source of water and beauty all year round due to the fact that it receives plenty of snow during the winter months. There are permanent snow fields and glaciers that keep the area lush and green during the warmer months.