Distance: 6 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 10655'
Elevation Gain: 1646'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.3
Round trip time: 4 hours
Recommended water: 64 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at White Bark Vista Point
Difficulty: Moderate
On our second day in the Sierra National Forest, Leisa and I drove to White Bark Vista to hike to Mount Givens. The drive took us through Kaiser Pass which was the turn around point for the 155 mile Clovis to Kaiser bike race going on that day. The last mile to White Bark Vista was a rough dirt road. High clearance recommended. We were the only ones at the Vista, but there was plenty of parking available. The vertical west face of Givens was visible from the start. Most of the hike was on an OHV road only open to vehicles August to November. Once we went past the locked gate, the road became outrageously undriveable. Four and five foot boulders blocked the way, though tire tracks testified that at least some highly capable vehicles (and drivers) were able to manage it. We broke through a forested area and saw the long ridge line we needed to take. We left the road and started cross country, staying below the ridge line where boulders and brush were unforgiving. Our path was mostly open, with no serious brush, and wide gaps between the boulders. It was only 0.7 miles up the ridge, but we moved slowly, feeling the lingering burn from our efforts on Kaiser the day before. The last 100' feet was a jumble of broken boulders, class 2, reminiscent of the summit of Mitchell Peak. At the top was a solar panel and a sighting tube for gazing at other mountains. The Sierra National Forest is between Sequoia National Park and Yosemite. Givens was 300' higher than Kaiser, and the views included not only what was visible from Kaiser, but clear views of many famous peaks in the Eastern Sierra. Mt. Humphries stood out, Whitney, and other notables. This may be the single best 360 view anywhere in the Sierra. I am hard pressed to think of any other summit as eye popping. When you consider the payoff to effort ratio, it's even more compelling. If you only have one day to spend here, make Givens your top priority. The photos don't do it justice. It's astonishing!
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