Starting along the southbound Pacific Crest Trail from Agnew Meadows Trailhead.Joining the Shadow Creek Trail as it slowly descends to the Middle Fork San Jaoquin River.Bridge at the river crossing.View along the Middle Fork San Jaoquin River.Climbing to Shadow Lake. Mammoth Mountain is visible in the distance.Reflections of Volcanic Ridge (left) and Mount Ritter (right) in Shadow Lake.The Shadow Creek Trail briefly merges with the John Muir Trail past Shadow Lake.Following the snaking Shadow Creek.Shadow Creek crossing.Arriving at the outlet of Ediza Lake.Continuing along the Shadow Creek Trail as it skirts around Ediza Lake. The Minarets are visible on the top-left.View back toward Ediza Lake.The trail cuts through a marsh.Approaching Iceberg Lake.Crossing a talus slope on the east bank of Iceberg Lake.View back.Arriving at Cecile Lake.Taking a quick break to study the improbable route up Clyde Minaret's stark north face.View back toward Cecile Lake as we approach the base of Clyde Minaret.Class 2/3.View back toward Volcanic Ridge and Cecile and Iceberg Lakes.View back.Veering left toward a steep snowfield.Starting across a convenient shelf in the snowfield.Levi topping off his water bottle using a fountain of snow melt.View back across the snowfield.Class 3 slabs at the edge of the snowfield.Traversing a Class 2 ledge to the base of a chute known as the "Rock Route".View back along the ledge.Starting up the Rock Route.The Rock Route consists of 1,000 vertical feet of sustained and fairly loose Class 3 terrain.View back down the chute.View back at a reddish gendarme (left of center) mentioned in Secor's route description. On the descent, stay to the climber's left of the gendarme to avoid going down the wrong chute, which will lead to treacherous Class 5 terrain.View toward Mount Ritter and Banner Peak, left.Approaching the ridge. Two options for gaining the crest are a Class 4 chimney directly above, or an exposed Class 4 traverse on the right.Gaining the ridge, view northwest toward Eichorn and Michael Minarets as two descending climbers carefully traverse an exposed section along the crest.Class 4 crux downclimb, which requires a reverse pull up on solid holds. Major exposure on the right.From the downclimb, it's a short Class 2 traverse to the summit.Clyde Minaret summit. View east.View north.View northwest along the crest of the Ritter Range.View south.Closeup of a climber on the crux.Starting down the Rock Route.View back up the Class 4 chimney.View back.View back.Returning to Cecile Lake.View back toward Clyde Minaret from its base.Closeup of Clyde Minaret from Iceberg Lake.Closeup of Mount Ritter and Banner Peak.View back from Ediza Lake.Descending along Shadow Creek.View back from Shadow Lake.Waterfalls at the outlet of Shadow Lake.View across the Middle Fork San Jaoquin River Valley toward Mount Mammoth.Agnew Meadows.
