Mount Dana

"Classic Eastern Sierra backcountry ski day on 2nd day of our trip. We heard a rumor that the Tioga Pass Road had just opened to 5 miles west of the pass, but the Cal Trans site didn't show an update. So we just decided to risk it and found that the road is now open all the way up to the pass. We skinned up Glacier Canyon (incredibly hot) and booted up the Dana Couloir, then skinned up to the summit. The ski down the Dana Couloir was one of the best I've experienced. Wind-buffed chalky snow giving way to corn at the base. 9 miles, 3400 vert. Amazing day. " — scott • Apr 16, 2014

"Went up from the Tioga Pass parking lot. Not surprisingly many people were attempting this while I was doing so. Also not surprisingly was that the attrition rate was high. I would say about half of the people I saw go toward the peak ended up going back. It was a super windy day which made it a tad colder than I expected. The views are pretty incredible and the peak is rather accessible. Looking at Mt. Gibbs and past it toward the Cathedral range was breathtaking. I also had the pleasure of seeing Skypilot in bloom. Mono Lake was readily visible from the peak as well. I went to the lake the prior day and was blown away by its size which was quite obvious from the peak." — Irrationalist • Jul 6, 2013

"My friend Karl from Santa Cruz brought his 13 y/o nephew Wyatt from Hawaii. It was his first peak, and he did great in tennis shoes. It was my first Sierra peak in 3 years, and my 94th." — summitch • Jul 14, 2012

"On day 3 of a 4 day trip in the Sierras my Friend and I went for the summit of Mt. Dana which at the time would be my highest summit yet by a long shot. We started hiking through the Dana Meadows on the West side in the morning and it was just absolutely beautiful! We then made it up the switchbacks which got us up and over the western lip onto the big face in which you have to climb. It was mostly covered in Ice with a little bit of snow on top of it. We pulled out the crampons and took the ice route rather than the rocky route. Good choice for sure! We got toward the top and had no choice but to take the crampons off and rock scramble the rest of the way which with these rocks is a bit of a pain in the ass. Once we made it to the top and laid eyes on one of the most incredible views of our lives we were happily rewarded for our day's hard work. The views the whole way up are great but you cant see Mono Lake and the Owens Valley until you reach the top. We had the summit all to our selves and stayed up there for over an hour. Well we did have a little company as a Yellow Bellied Marmot hung out with us up there the majority of the time. This was one of the Greatest climbs and grea..." — 1-with-Nature • Jun 29, 2010

"Snowboarded down Solstice Couloir. MEGAHUGE CORNICE! Was able to cut thru the cornice on skier's left, and then drop in literally underneath the cornice. Easily qualifies as the Most Epic Line I've ever ridden!" — platypii • May 30, 2010

"Its just a short 5 mile round-trip to the summit from the trailhead at Tioga Pass. Great views of Yosemite Park and Mono Lake! http://www.trailspotting.com/2008/08/yosemite-mt-dana-mount-dana-hiking-gps.html" — trailspotting • Aug 1, 2008