Freel Peak / Mount Rose / Adams Peak / Mount Elwell / Sierra Buttes / Castle Peak / Mount Lola / English Mountain
Ascents of Freel Peak (Armstrong Pass / Freel Peak Trail, class 1), Mount Rose (Mount Rose Trail, class 1), Adams Peak (Northwest Slope, class 2), Mount Elwell (Mount Elwell Trail, class 1), Sierra Buttes (Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail, class 1), Castle Peak (Castle Peak Trail, class 3), Mount Lola (Mount Lola Trail, class 1) and English Mountain (East Slope / Northwest Ridge, class 2), July 23-26, 2024.
I found myself with four free days in late July, and there were twelve SPS peaks in the Northern Sierra I had yet to climb, so I figured I could tick a few of them. My initial plan called for five peaks, but in the end, with careful logistics, I managed to climb eight. The crux was to order things in such a way that the hikes could be efficiently combined, because there was some driving distance between several of them. On Monday afternoon, July 22, I drove 133 miles from Mammoth to Luther Pass, and from there about 3.5 miles on a good dirt road to the trailhead at Horse Meadow. There were a couple of cars parked there. I found a flat spot to park and settled for dinner and a quiet night.
Timeline:
July 23, 2024: Ascents of Freel Peak and Mount Rose. Thinking I might be able to combine Freel Peak and Mount Rose in a single day, I got up early, had a quick breakfast of coffee and fig newtons, and set out on the trail to Armstrong Pass at 7:04 at a good pace. At the pass, I turned right onto the Tahoe Rim Trail, and a few miles later, at a saddle, onto the Freel Peak Trail. I reached the summit at 9:06 and enjoyed great views toward Round Top, Pyramid Peak, Dicks and Jacks Peaks, and Mount Tallac. The hike back down to the car was uneventful; I reached the trailhead at 10:59 with plenty of day left. Next, I drove about 67 miles to the trailhead for Mount Rose, stopping at In-N-Out Burger in Carson City for lunch. (Freel Peak stats: 3:56 hours elapsed, 3:34 hours moving, 10.03 miles, 2,687 feet of elevation gain).
In the afternoon, I set out on the Mount Rose trail at 13:44. There were a few people hiking to the waterfall at the base of the steeper part of the hike. This beautiful area was teeming with wildflowers - corn lily, paintbrush and lupines, etc. On the steeper portion of the hike, under strong winds, I met a few hikers descending. I reached the summit at 15:40 and, not finding a register, went on a bit further to check out some rock walls that seemed like they could host the register. But these points were at lower elevations and no register was to be found there. Back down I went, retracing my steps, reaching the car at 17:58. I still had some substantial driving to do to reach the base of Adams Peak, my objective for the following morning. That was 67 miles along Highway 395 and then CA 70, to Frenchman Lake. At the lake, I took a dirt road (USFS road 24N88) and drove as far as I could (about 6 miles) toward the northwestern side of Adams Peak. I stopped along the road in a forest that had burned during the Beckwourth Fire of 2021. It felt very remote, and quite desolate. There was also incipient smoke from a fire that had just started to the west - the Park Fire - which would grow into a major incident. I wondered whether that fire would hinder the rest of my trip, but it ended up not mattering, as it occurred far north of where I would go next, and winds were blowing from the west. Much to my surprise, I had 5G cell reception at my camp location. I had dinner and went to bed early. (Mount Rose stats: 4:15 hours elapsed, 3:55 hours moving, 10.41 miles, 2,661 feet of elevation gain).
July 24, 2024: Ascents of Adams Peak and Mount Elwell. I got up around 6:00, had breakfast and started walking along the road at 6:42. Several of the burnt trees around had fallen onto the road, blocking the way, so that I would not have been able to drive much farther past where I had stopped for the night. Following the road, however, afforded an easy way to get closer to the peak. After 1.4 miles, I left the road, to head onto the NW slopes of Adams Peak. I went up a drainage and side-hilled on the left side of a knob, reaching some class 2 rocks leading to the west summit, which I reached at 7:58. There, I found a summit benchmark and the SPS summit register, dating back to the 1980s. In the areas below, I could see smoke from the Park Fire, due west of my location, filling the valleys, but the summit was spared and I was in the sun. There is some debate as to whether the east or west summit of Adams Peak is the highpoint (though the west summit is the "official" SPS list peak) so I hiked over the the east summit, finding another register there in an ice cream can. I descended the west slope of the peak and rejoined my ascent path, arriving at the car at 9:20. I tried to drive back a slightly different way, heading SW on USFS road 24N44, but this proved too overgrown to pass through for my 4Runner, and I had to turn around and return the way I had come. I was back at Frenchman Lake at 10:40 and stopped at an interpretive sign where I saw that the lake had been named after a French immigrant, Claude François Seltier, who had settled there in 1858. (Adams Peak stats: 2:40 hours elapsed, 2:29 hours moving, 4.90 miles, 1,586 feet of elevation gain).
There was a lot of day left. The plan called for driving 49 miles to Elwell Lakes Lodge, to climb Mount Elwell in the afternoon. I drove back to CA 70, then turned left on CA 89 and reached the charming town of Graeagle. I stopped there to buy some apples and sparkling water at the general store. I then continued on to the Lakes Basin. It was a warm day, so I sat in the shade at the trailhead and had a lunch of tuna, tortillas and an apple. I set out to climb Mount Elwell at 13:50, skirting Long Lake on its east and then north shores along a good trail. I then caught the Mount Elwell trail that led me to the summit of the peak at 15:15. There, I met a group of young men who I had seen arrive at the trailhead earlier in a large pickup truck. There was no register to be found on this summit. I stayed a short while on top chatting with the young men, all school friends, then started the descent. I planned to continue to circle the Lakes Basin counterclockwise, so I headed to Mud Lake, Hellgramite Lake, Silver Lake, Little Bear Lake and Big Bear Lake. There, I saw a family of three swimming in the lake - this seemed like a very good idea on this hot day. I found a nice rock protruding from the lake to set my clothes on, and plunged my weary body into the lake's refreshing waters. There was only a short distance left to the trailhead, which I reached at 17:49. The place was cooler now with the sun lower on the horizon. It had a flat parking area, a toilet, running water, and a picnic table. I could not resist spending the night in this idyllic place, despite signs forbidding camping at the trailhead. But does sleeping in the back of a 4Runner, with a comfortable mattress and a down pillow, really qualify as "camping"? I don't think so. I had a nice dinner at the picnic table, watched some Netflix on my iPad, went to bed early, and slept for nine straight hours. (Mount Elwell stats: 3:50 hours elapsed, 3:07 hours moving, 7.09 miles, 2,133 feet of elevation gain).
July 25, 2024: Ascents of Sierra Buttes and Castle Peak. From the Lakes Basin, it is a short distance to the trailhead for the Sierra Buttes Lookout trail (13.5 miles). I was told that it was possible to drive to the base of the metal stairs that lead up the lookout tower, and this was indeed the case, but this seemed like cheating. So I parked at the trailhead and, at 8:05, I headed up the excellent trail, which first follows a broad ridge, intersects with the PCT, goes up through a forest and rejoins the road to the base of the stairs leading to the top of the lookout tower. At the top of the stairs, I met a PCT hiker with trail name Argonaut (because he was wearing a yellow hoodie that could pass for a golden fleece). Argonaut had just spent the night on the metal railing that surrounds the lookout at the summit of Sierra Buttes, and seemed quite delighted by this. We chatted a bit, he left to rejoin the PCT, and I headed for the lookout, arriving there at 9:13. I had the place to myself for a few minutes, but was soon joined on the top by a young lady who was kind enough to take some photos of me on the railing overlooking the steep North Face of the peak. She sat down there to enjoy the view, while I signed the summit register, and headed down the stairs. At the base I met an elderly couple who tried to hike up the stairs but had fear of heights, so they turned around after a few steps. Down I went along the road and trail, through beautiful wildflowers and colorful butterflies, reaching my car at 10:37. (Sierra Buttes stats: 2:33 hours elapsed, 1:58 hours moving, 4.78 miles, 1,603 feet of elevation gain).
My initial plan was to go back home after Sierra Buttes. But since I had managed to climb Freel Peak and Mount Rose in a single day, and it was still early on the third day of my outing, I found myself with a day and a half of extra time. That would be enough for three additional SPS peaks, at current pace. The problem is that I had not prepared for these peaks, and so I lacked any beta on the routes or GPS waypoints in my watch. However, I was be able to gather some information online before heading out, and that proved sufficient. The next peaks south of my location were Mount Lola and English Mountain, but it made more sense to do them both on the same day, since they are approached from the same road (Forest Road 07). So I decided to drive a little further south to climb Castle Peak next. I rejoined CA 89 and headed toward Truckee. I had never spent much time there, and it was still early, so I went to eat a burger in the historic part of town. This was a pleasant moment. Back at my car, I checked some online descriptions of the hike up Castle Peak - a peak that is climbed almost entirely on trail, except for a 30-foot section of 3rd class rock to gain the top of the summit block. This seemed straightforward enough.
After lunch I drove the short distance along Donner Lake Road, past Donner Lake, over Donner Pass, to the trailhead area for the Donner Summit Trails, located next to Interstate 80 (the total mileage from the Sierra Buttes Trailhead to the Castle Peak trailhead, with a stop in downtown Truckee, was 59 miles). There were a few cars parked there, so I expected to have some company. At 14:27, I started up the trail toward Castle Peak, which I could soon spot to my right through the trees. It was an uneventful hike, and since the trail is in view of the Boreal ski area, I had cell reception. I was therefore able to stop and chat with my daughter Claire when she happened to called me, as I was getting close to the base of the summit area. A few hikers were coming down from the summit, and nobody was left there, so I had it all to myself. I soon made my way to the base of the east summit, a vertical block of volcanic rock that one climbs on its eastern aspect through a broad 30-foot crack (class 3). This had excellent holds, and proved easier than it looked. I reached the top at 16:05, spent some time there taking pictures, retraced my steps, and was back at the trailhead at 17:41. I then drove back north along CA 89, turned left on Forest Road 07 (Jackson Meadow Road), then onto Dog Valley Road (a good dirt road) and finally reached the Mount Lola trailhead, where no other cars were parked (32 miles from the Castle Peak trailhead). I settled there for the night, had dinner and went to bed early. Much to my surprise, around 22:00, a Sprinter van drove in and parked not far from my car. I went to introduce myself to its lone occupant, to make sure he would not be startled by my presence (and to reassure myself that he was not a serial killer). He was planning to set out to hike up Mount Lola the next morning, but wanted to leave at 5:00, which was way too early for me. I went back to bed. (Castle Peak stats: 3:13 hours elapsed, 3:02 hours moving, 6.17 miles, 2,156 feet of elevation gain).
July 26, 2024: Ascents of Mount Lola and English Mountain. I wanted to start my hike up Mount Lola at 7:00, but did not sleep well and ended up getting up earlier than planned. I set out at 6:47 at a good pace. After about two miles, I ran into the man with the Sprinter van, coming down from Mount Lola. His name was Dave and he was trail-running a set of 26 Tahoe area trails called the Oboz Trail Experience - Mount Lola was on that list. We only spoke for a short while and both went on our ways. I reached the top of Mount Lola at 8:45 and was greeted by great views of Castle Peak and the Sierra Buttes. I stayed for a while, hiked to another high point a short way north that also had a summit register (with a bottle of Jack Daniels inside), and some memorials for deceased persons. I then retraced my steps back to the parking area. On the way, I stopped to climb up a distinct point called Lola Knob, a short way down from Mount Lola. This had good views. I was back at the car at 11:33. (Mount Lola stats: 4:45 hours elapsed, 3:58 hours moving, 11.18 miles, 2,740 feet of elevation gain).
It was a 25-mile drive to the base of English Mountain, my next objective, first along Forest Road 07, then around Jackson Meadows Reservoir, then along a good dirt road to Catfish Lake. That was the starting point for Bob Burd's 2007 ascent of English Mountain, the main route description that I had read and was planning to follow. Mirroring Bob's experience, there was a father and son fishing there. I chatted briefly with them and asked if they were catching any catfish (the answer was no). I then continued on along the dirt road trying to save some hiking distance. I took a wrong left turn at some point that led me past Church Camp, toward English Meadow, to an overgrown area, from which I had to backtrack. But I was able to find the correct road to the base of English Mountain's East Slope. I stopped shortly after crossing French Creek and parked in a grassy area on the east side of the road. I began hiking at 13:42. Gaining access to the slopes proved tricky because the area was overgrown and I had to bushwhack and backtrack to find a passage. I was soon on the slope proper, harder to navigate than some trip reports will lead you to believe (I was too far south on the slope - a mistake I would correct on the return). While the going was slow on the overgrown and steep terrain, I made steady progress, and soon came in view of Echo Lake, in a beautiful pocket basin at the base of the East Face of English Mountain. There, I was able to spot the class 2 chute described in Bob Burd's report, and made quick work of climbing it. There was a nice class 2 ridge to follow, which led me to the summit of English Mountain at 15:36. This had taken much longer than planned considering the short distance, on account of the difficult terrain. But I had reached my eighth summit in four days, and was satisfied. I signed the register, located in a box at the base of a tall antenna (visible from a distance, usage unknown), and enjoyed the great views all around, including of the great plume of smoke from the Park Fire to the north. For the return, I mostly retraced my steps, but stayed north of my ascent path along the east slope of the peak, which gave me easier terrain to navigate. I was back at the car at 17:28. (English Mountain stats: 3:44 hours elapsed, 3:27 hours moving, 3.74 miles, 2,102 feet of elevation gain).
English Mountain concluded a great peakbagging road trip, but there was still a lot of driving to do to get back home in Mammoth. First, I stopped at an inviting beach on the north shore of Jackson Meadows Reservoir, for a well-deserved bath. Second, I drove to Reno for gas, a carwash and some fast food (67 miles). Third came the remainder of the drive to Mammoth (170 miles), which I reached around 23:30. The weekend that followed was spent lounging and catching up on the work and emails that had accumulated during the week.
Trip totals: 28:56 hours elapsed, 25:30 hours moving, 58.30 miles, 17,668 feet of elevation gain. Driving: 692 miles.