Stella starts her first day in the mountains.
We encounter a large brown black bear on Old Mammoth Road.
Stella starts up the Mammoth Crest Trail.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Crystal Lake
The northern end of Mammoth Crest is in the background.
Bill and Stella start toward Crystal Crag.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Stella starts up the slabs toward the shoulder of Crystal Crag.
Stella and Frank climb to the shoulder of Crystal Crag.
Stella brightens at the prospect of climbing the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Bill marches up the shoulder of Crystal Crag.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Frank, Bill, and Stella take a break from the wind on Crystal Crag.
Frank and Stella continue up the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Mammoth Crest is in the background.
Bill photographs the southern end of Crystal Crag while Stella looks on.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Bill is below the wall that stopped our progress.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Stella and Frank make their way up the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Mammoth Crest is in the background.
Stella and Frank climb to the base of the Class 4 pitch on the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Sherwin Crest is in the background.
Bill stands at the edge.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Frank and Stella discuss our options.
A corner of Crystal Lake and Mammoth Crest are in the background.
The ridge becomes vertical at this point.
I call it Class 4, but some may consider it difficult Class 3 terrain. In any case it's tougher than we want to attempt.
Frank checks out the east side of Crystal Crag.
Too steep with some loose rock above cliffs below to the right--not worth the risk.
Stella and Bill start down the south ridge.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Stella and Frank descend the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Bill and Stella head down the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Crystal Crag from its south ridge
Climbers descend to the spot we reached on the south ridge of Crystal Crag.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Bill and Stella descend to Crystal Lake.
Photo courtesy of Frank Paysen.
Frank, Stella, and Bill at Crystal Lake
Stella and Frank enjoy the view of the Mammoth Lakes Basin.
(l to r): Lake George, Lake Mary, Sherwin Crest, Mammoth Crest, and Crystal Crag
