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 Peak:  Redcloud Peak
 Route:  Northeast Ridge
 Range:  San Juan
 Posted By:  hoff0079
 Date of Info:  5/1/2015
 Date Posted:  5/2/2015
Details

Attempted Redcloud peak yesterday. The gate to Silver Creek Trailhead is still closed, opens May 15th, but the road is completely clear. Hiking from the Mill Creek trailhead to the Silver Creek trailhead would be about 4 miles so I would suggest waiting for the gates to open and camp at Silver Creek, where there's parking (albeit limited) and plenty of camping space. The trail is quite easy to follow heading east for the first few miles as it poked out occasionally through the snow and followed the river. The snow was firm enough to walk on without snow shoes.

Where we got thrown off was somewhere around 12,000 feet, possibly higher, there's a sign in the basin that says "trail" and points NORTH. This is contradictory to what our book and 14ers.com says but without being able to see the actual trail due to the amount of snow up there (still several feet), the context was lost to us. Around this sign, possibly a bit past, the trail still wraps to the SOUTH. If you're hiking this in the winter I recommend disregarding that sign.

The way back was great, snow softened up a bit and we postholed in areas. Overall, great "winter" conditions and probably the most beautiful winter hike I've done.



Comments or Questions
San Juan Ron
User
Redcloud
5/2/2015 8:29pm
I don’t know what the delay to opening the gate is this year. The road is dry to SC/GG TH. I saw your vehicle yesterday (I was in the RZR) and you departing. Not many people here right now! The sign you mentioned was added several years ago to point out the "new" trail that included many switchbacks vs the old trail which was pretty much directly up. Love the pic! Ron


TakeMeToYourSummit
User
Thank you...
5/10/2015 9:23am
...hoff0079 & SanJuanRon for updating the status on these peaks & TH! I guess we will push it back one more week! If you had any other pics from your day up there hoff0079 that you’d be willing to share – we would greatly appreciate that too! Thanks again!


Generalcuz
User
Memorial Day Weekend
5/12/2015 2:56pm
Thoughts on snow melt by Memorial Day weekend?



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