Thor Peak Loop

June 18th, 2024 at 10:44 AMJohn Muir Wilderness, CA

View on Peakbagger

Info

Distance8.6 mi

Elevation gain4,100 ft

CruxClass 2

Route typeLoop

Duration5.5 hr

Quality6/10

Vehicle to trailheadCar

Protected areaJohn Muir Wilderness, Forest Service

EcoregionSierra Nevada

Loading peaks...

1

2

3

Loading report...

Loading nearby trips...

Report

Thor Peak Loop — Starting along the Mount Whitney Trail.

Thor Peak Loop — After about a mile, joining the North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail.

Thor Peak Loop — Following the creek.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — View back.

Thor Peak Loop — Approaching the base of a ledge system known as the Ebersbacher (or "E") Ledges.

Thor Peak Loop — Climbing through a brushy corridor to the start of E Ledges.

Thor Peak Loop — Class 2.

Thor Peak Loop — Exposed section of the E Ledges.

Thor Peak Loop — View from a switchback. The route continues on the right.

Thor Peak Loop — Final climb to the outlet of Lower Boy Scout Lake, top right.

Thor Peak Loop — Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Thor Peak Loop — Continuing along North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail, which hugs the south shore of Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Thor Peak Loop — Leaving the trail for the north slope of Thor Peak.

Thor Peak Loop — From the north slope, view back toward Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Thor Peak Loop — View west toward Mount Whitney.

Thor Peak Loop — Loose and steep talus. Class 2.

Thor Peak Loop — Angling toward a weakness in the cliff band, top left.

Thor Peak Loop — Near the top of the slope, contouring to the climber's left.

Thor Peak Loop — View back toward Mount Carillon (left) and The Cleaver (center).

Thor Peak Loop — Approaching the ridge.

Thor Peak Loop — Thor Peak's broad east slope. About 600 vertical feet to the summit.

Thor Peak Loop — View back toward Whitney Portal.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — Class 2.

Thor Peak Loop — Approaching Thor Peak's summit.

Thor Peak Loop — Thor Peak summit. View west.

Thor Peak Loop — Closeup on Mount Whitney.

Thor Peak Loop — View northwest. Mount Russell is top center.

Thor Peak Loop — On the descent, backtracking to a notch along Thor Peak's west ridge.

Thor Peak Loop — Inside the notch, descending Thor Peak's south slope.

Thor Peak Loop — View of Mount Irvine.

Thor Peak Loop — View back toward the notch.

Thor Peak Loop — Steep, loose terrain on the descent to Mirror Lake.

Thor Peak Loop — View back at a Class 3 weakness in a cliff band around 11,400 feet.

Thor Peak Loop — A wide shot of the cliff band on Thor Peak's south slope.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — View back.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — Walking around the north shore of Mirror Lake.

Thor Peak Loop — View back at Mirror Lake before rejoining the Mount Whitney Trail.

Thor Peak Loop — Back on the Mount Whitney Trail.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — Multiple creek crossings along the Mount Whitney Trail.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — An elevated trail cuts through the marsh.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — Whitney Portal below.

Thor Peak Loop — View back.

Thor Peak Loop — Many, many switchbacks along the trail.

Thor Peak Loop — View back at the turnoff for the Old Mount Whitney Trail (left), a more direct route back to Whitney Portal.

Thor Peak Loop — View from the Old Mount Whitney Trail.

Thor Peak Loop

Thor Peak Loop — Back at Whitney Portal, short road walk to the car.