10/11/2014 1 day solo 4 peaks Red, Silver, McConnell, and Tells 16 miles 4000 elevation gain/loss, 9 hours
Drove from Donner Summit 4:30 start to Georgetown to the Van Vleck trailhead arrived 7:15 got Desolation day permit at trailhead started 7:30am. Around the locked gate down the road to the first dirt road on the right with a post sign for both the Highland trail and red peak trail followed the dirt road past the Bassi creek trail sign on the ground, a little further came to a small trail with two posts no sign took out the gps to figure out if this was my trail it seemed to be so off I went hoping it was correct, knew it was when finally reached the Desolation wilderness sign continued on for what seemed forever to finally reach the turn off to lake #3 did not go to the lake as it seemed easy to go up the grassy ramps to the saddle. Latter to find out as others have that the first peak you come to is not the summit and there are some nice knife edges to traverse to get to the summit, not too difficult though. Maybe coming up straight from lake 3 is a better way? Amazing views! Signed the register and was on my way
- The other Red peak and knife edges
- Lake #3
- Silver peak and McConnell from red peak
- McConnell from Silver peak
Traverse to Silver peak starts with some down climbing, a bushwhack, and around the right side if the small bump to the summit took about an hour.
- Smoke from the last of the king fire
Signed that register and again on my way to McConnell Peak I went more west side than east side did see the small lake on the east side only when reached the saddle, seemed easier that way to me then up the ridgeline took about an hour signed the register and like others noted it was not the high point, made my way to the high point and anything that might be the high point.
- McConnell to Tells
- From Tells peak to McConnell
Now on to Tells the hard part of the traverse with some class 2/3 ledges dropped down the east side quite a ways then traversed over thought an easy way was to go lower then traverse but could never go lower so just started on the ledges under the gendarme must have done something right as had no difficulties except one harder move upwards. My theory was don’t go too low or high and popped out on a notch then stayed on ridge or on the left side of the ridge to the saddle with what may be the Tells peak trail followed use trails up to the summit looked for register everywhere could but find one. 1hour 20 minutes for traverse.
Then headed down the use trail which I promptly lost but just went towards Forni Lake
- Forni lake
met up with the trail and hauled ass out of there back to the car by 4:30pm drove to in and out burger in auburn then home. Awesome 4 peak day thanks to Bob Burds, Kyle Breens and Petethousandpeaks.com for directions but as always things look different when you are out there,
Kristine 37 OGUL peaks
The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. Albert Einstein
