From this angle Mount Whitney looks like an impressive crag, but it is actually gently rounded on the west side, with an almost flat summit. Deep fissures in the east face, combined with the low angle of view from Owens Valley create the false impression. There is a well constructed trail, suitable for horses and mules as well as hikers, all the way to the summit, and thousands of people make the hike each year.

The Sierra makes its greatest vertical rise at this point, about 10,900 feet from the 3600 foot shore of Owens Lake to the summit of the peaks along the Muir Crest. Mount Inyo, just across the valley, drops 10,000 feet to Saline Valley on the other side, and, further north, White Mountain Peak towers 10,000 feet over Bishop. Only a few other locations in California rival this local relief: Mount San Jacinto soars 10,350 feet above Palm Springs; the east slope of Telescope Peak rises 11,300 feet above the floor of Death Valley; and the summit of Mount Shasta stands 11,370 feet higher than Lake Shastina.