Mount Humphreys and Checkered Demon

Sep 20, 2026John Muir Wilderness (USFS), CA

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Mount Humphreys and Checkered Demon

16.6 mi: Distance

5,500 ft: Elevation gain

9.5 hr: Duration

Class 4: Crux

Out & back: Route type

8/10: Quality

Route map

Peaks bagged

1

Mount Humphreys

SPS**

Vagmarken

NFHP

13,992 ft / Rise 2,575 ft

2

Checkered Demon13,135 ft / Rise 486 ft

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Starting from the hiker parking lot for the Piute Pass Trail.

Briefly following North Lake Road.

North Lake Campground.

Joining the Piute Pass Trail as it emerges from the pine-aspen forest. Mount Emerson is visible ahead.

View back.

Loch Leven.

View back.

Continuing toward Piute Pass.

Piute Lake.

View back.

Approaching Piute Pass.

From the pass, view back along North Fork Bishop Creek.

View east toward Humphreys Basin.

Continuing north toward Mount Humphreys.

Easy travel across the alpine terrain. Mount Humphreys appears larger as one draws closer.

Stopping to refill water at one of several tarns.

Uppermost of Humphreys Lakes.

Ascending a talus slope at the base of Mount Humphreys.

Class 4 move at the chockstone, right.

View back.

Following a ramp to the obvious notch, center.

Tedious ascent on loose terrain.

View back.

Approaching the notch.

From the notch, view northeast toward Owens Valley. Basin Mountain and, behind it, Mount Tom are visible on the left.

Starting up Mount Humphrey's northwest face.

Class 3.

View back from a platform below a headwall. On the left (out of frame) is a short Class 3+ traverse.

Class 4 pitch, the crux.

Exposed crack.

Class 2/3 to the summit.

Mount Humphreys summit. View southwest.

Closeup toward Checkered Demon (left of center) and Mount Emerson (right).

View south toward the Evolution Crest and Mount Darwin.

View northeast toward the drainage that feeds into McGee Creek. Mount Tom is on the left.

View west toward Humphreys Basin and Desolation Lake.

View back down the crux.

Contouring Mount Humphrey's west escarpment en route to Checkered Demon (left, out of frame).

Mostly easy terrain, with minor ups and downs.

Approaching a small lake below Checkered Demon.

Skirting the lake toward the base of the west slope.

View back.

Mostly Class 2 along the west slope.

Class 3 near the crest.

Checkered Demon summit. View south toward Mount Emerson.

Closeup of the strikingly colorful Piute Crags.

To the west, the peak's eponymous banded cliffs.

View northwest toward Mount Humphreys.

View west toward the vast Humphreys Basin.

Descending Checkered Demon.

Joining a southerly drainage, which passes a number of small lakes and tarns.

View back toward Mount Humphreys.

Steep descent to Puite Lake.

View back up the slope.

Rejoining Piute Pass Trail.