RED LAKE PEAK (10,063') CLASS 3

Location: 1.5 miles N of Carson Pass

ROUTE A
Drive: Same as Stevens Peak, Route B, Drive.
Climb: From the PCT North parking, head cross-country for the hill straight north. Warning: this area is regularly charged for avalanche control in the winter, so beware of unexploded ordinance. Immediately report any suspicious-looking devices or shells to the USFS.
Follow the top of the ridge, going over or traversing on the east side of the first hill. Come to a drop to a saddle, and continue north up the ridge on the other side, following a use trail, if located. Work up northeast to a false summit just south and almost level with the summit crags. Take a slight use trail to the southwest of the summit crags, and follow it along the base of the southeast side of the crags.
About 50 feet from the north end of the crags is a deep, diagonal gully running northwest with some chockstones lodged high within. Climb up and around to the right of the gully to a rectangular notch that looks down to the westnorthwest. To the immediate left, one climbs up a rock fin about 10-15 feet, through a small indentation in this fin, and then downclimb, with a few class 3 moves, with some exposure, about 10 feet to a broad, 8 foot wide ledge. Follow this broad ledge left (south) about 25-35 feet to another notch on the left above you. Pass through to the other (southeast) side, and climb back a few feet north to the highpoint.
There are more direct ways than this described scramble, but these seem to require more difficult climbing.

ROUTE B
Drive: Same as Stevens Peak, Route A, Drive.
Climb: From the fork at 8,080+ feet elevation, proceed up the dirt road to the left signed "091," and hike about 0.5 mile to Crater Lake. Head cross-country south up a ridge. One may find faint animal and use trails which generally follow the easiest terrain up through the cliffs. This ridge turns right (west) and continues to the summit crags, where one meets and follows Route A, Climb.

WINTER SKI ASCENT: Parking at Carson Pass Sno-Park, take Route A. Deep snow piled up against the summit crags may simplify or complicate the class 3 portion.

TRIP STATS: Route A, 1,600 feet gain with an additional 100 feet gain on the return, 1.5 miles one way; Route B, 2,000 feet gain, 1.5 miles one way; winter ski ascent, same as Route A.

Notes: See Stevens Peak, Notes. Photos and video of the class 3 route are available at my 8X trip report of October 20, 2013.

Back to Northern Sierra Peaks Home Page