Elevation (Dragon Peak): 12995 ft
Elevation (Gould): 13005 ft
Trailhead: Onion Valley
Route (Dragon Peak): South Chute
Route (Gould): Traverse from Dragon Peak
This is a very enjoyable ~ 13 mile loop that starts at the Onion Valley trailhead outside of Independence. Follow the trail to Golden Trout Lakes and ascend the south side of Dragon Peak. Dragon Peak itself is straightforward with the exception of the last 50 feet or so which traverse a steep class 3 slab with a foot rail and good hand holds (above). The traverse between the two peaks is described in Secor's The High Sierra with the brief sentence "The plateau north of Mt. Gould can be reached from Dragon Peak, Class 2." We found climbing up to class 4, but who knows exactly what we did! However the plateau north of Mt. Gould is not to be missed, as it is chock full of Sky Pilot. There's also a cache of oxygen tanks up there should you feel hypoxic. Descend Gould to the South to Kearsage Pass and return on the trail to the Onion Valley.
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