On the 4th of July weekend of 1934, Dawson along with Ted Waller completed the second ascent of the East Face of Mount Whitney, which he had first climbed in 1931. On July 11, 1934, Dawson, Jack Riegelhuth and Neil Ruge completed the first ascent of the Sierra Nevada peak later named Mount Ansel Adams. He also made the second ascent of Eichorn Pinnacle on that trip. In the Sawtooth Ridge area, he completed the first east to west traverse of The Three Teeth. With Riegelhuth and Ansel Adams, he made the first ascent of Blacksmith Peak, and then led a traverse from South Whorl to Whorl Peak.