North Face

CLIMB:

This is a good climb in spring, and winter too I imagine.

Head up the glacier to the obvious couloir in the middle of the north face. Climb up the couloir (about 40-degrees) until a little below the solid band of rock that caps it off. Go right toward some lower angled rock. Scramble a hundred feet or so to the summit plateau on 3rd class rock with maybe a few moves of 4th to start. There are plenty of options of where one can get onto the rock and start scrambling. You choose. After you top out cross the plateau to the summit.

DESCENT:

If you are doing the route car to car in a day then head down the East Couloir route, head down past Mills Lake to Ruby Lake where you'll pick up a good trail which takes you back to the parking lot. This will save you a couple miles on your return trip.

If you camped in the Forth Recess you could descend the route.

NORTH FACE APPROACH: (see map as well)

From Mosquito Flat parking head up the trail for about 1.8 miles to a fork, take the right fork toward Mono Pass. Hike another 1.7 miles to the pass. From here take a left (west) up a fairly easy slope, at a leftward angle, until at the top of the ridge. Scramble down to the other side and into the Forth Recess. (This is the crux of the approach. To get to the Forth Recess from the ridge I climbed down and south to a broad, low angle chute and hiked down on mostly scree). Once at the bottom of the chute take a left (south) and head up the Forth Recess past Snow Lakes to the glacier below the North Face of Mt Mills. I have read that the approach is just over 6 miles.

Crampons, ice axe(s) and helmet. If using gear a 30 meter rope and light alpine rack.