Mt. Brewer (13,570 ft.) and North Guard (13,327 ft.).

One of my favorite "trans-Sierra" hikes included a pleasant surprise on the summit of Mt. Brewer.

The trip started in Onion Valley and ended at Cedar Grove on the South Fork of the Kings River. The idea was to go super light (about 15 lb. packs), do as much cross-county hiking as possible, and climb a few peaks along the way.

Without being too long-winded, the route took us over University Pass, Andy's Foot Pass (13,600 ft.!), Milly's Foot Pass, Longley Pass and Sphinx Pass. According to my notes the trip had 13,000 feet in elevation gains and over 17,000 feet in elevation losses.

The ascent of Brewer was especially memorable because on the summit we found a fifty year old register. There are many good arguments to be made, pro and con, concerning whether historic registers should be left in place or removed from peaks and preserved. Leafing through the stained pages was like reading a who's who of the Sierra. One page had the June 30, 1927 entry of several climbers from Berkeley, including Helen and Joseph LeConte, and Cedric Wright. No inane comments in this register!