Redcloud Peak

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 7/8/2024, By: AndrewJCraigie
Info: Dry, but windy, especially going up Redcloud.

Going down Redcloud was a bit of a pain due to all the small, loose rocks. Slipped on my butt a few times. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 7/7/2024, By: NicolaKeerknah
Info: Trail is completely dry and minimal water is flowing down from whats left in the small snow fields at higher elevation. Feet stayed dry entire climb. Plenty of water still flowing beside trail for first few miles; there is one small lake on the right after the rockslide fields as you enter the valley if you need to refill on your way up or down. Pretty windy at top of Redcloud, which was more annoying than dangerous and made a for a colder summit.


Ascent up Redcloud itself required minimal trail finding if you follow the signs and download the live route; you will navigate up a short slope with scree that has many choices, but some were more steeper than others so choose your own adventure carefully. Recommend poles for the descent if you are someone who prefers extra stability. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/25/2024, By: mountainmanAJ
Info: Trail is mostly clear and easy to follow. There are a few small snowfield crossings left that are inconsequential at this point. The last 1/4mi or so of trail has a section that is a little harder to follow, but its easy to see where the next clear section of trail is. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/17/2024, By: RWenz
Info: Hiked Sunshine via Redcloud. Lots of water available the first 2.5miles. A couple snow patches that can be easily avoided. No need for traction. The ascent up Redcloud isnt clearly defined as its been pretty tore up. Prepare for choose your own adventure for about 200m. Summer conditions. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/16/2024, By: mholloway987
Info: Still some snow fields covering about 10% of the trail. You can either go over it with snowshoes, posthole through it, or go around and try to find where the trail comes out the other side. Other than those, its easy going summer conditions

When you reach the trail sign just past the first saddle at about 13,000 don't go too far along that trail. It goes flat across the face of the mountain then dead ends after about 400 yards. Take one of the steep switchbacks under 200 yards in, well before reaching the dead end, to stay on the trail. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/26/2024, By: d_baker
Info: Shockingly no cars at TH on Friday night nor Saturday morning!

I was planning to poach hikerguys Sundog route, but the dry trail sucked me up a 14er instead...

I didn't carry snowshoes and no regrets with that decision.
Carried but did not use traction.
Snow becomes continuous in basin below saddle, and was firm in the morning and mostly firm at 11am-ish during descent.
Postholes were only mid-shin. The weather of overcast and snow squalls and cool breeze kept snowpack cold.

From saddle, I stayed along the ridge and didn't traverse out on slope where the trail goes. There are snow fields on the trail, so I mostly avoided those by staying on or close to ridge, away from cornice.

Saw one other hiker, and he had come up from Mills Campground route, and was descending standard route for a loop. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/6/2024, By: AlpineSplit
Info: Skiable from the summit into the west gullies. You can begin skinning once you cross the creek into the drainage below the gullies. 

Route: East Ridge via Sunshine Peak
Posted On: 3/11/2024, By: Skimo95
Info: The trail from Mill Creek starts out dry. Bob and I found a single boot pack which he followed and I skinned most of the way to tree line. I skinned for a bit above tree line, using splitboard crampons at times. After booting to the summit, I rode down the shoulder while Bob put in a booter down the slope. We met at the saddle low point, and booted some mixed dry/snow conditions to Redcloud. Tracks held on return, I ended up riding the east face of sunshine before regaining the ridge. We found a hurt hiker on the way down. Bob assisted the hiker to tree line, and I boogied to the trailhead where we had a sheriff awaiting and S&R on standby for him. I hope he made it down okay. Trail was a muddy mess on return. 

Route: Via Sunshine Peak (Mill Creek Rd)
Posted On: 1/21/2024, By: wintersage
Info: Other than the steep rocky beginning, snowshoes were definitely necessary until about 0.65mi from the summit of Sunshine. From there, you could just stash them, change to microspikes, and grab Redcloud. We encountered the deepest snow between 11500ft and 12200ft and heard whomping and shifting nearly a dozen times throughout the day luckily the slope gradient was safe enough. Windy day that got progressively more windy and cold but overall good for summiting. 

Route: Via Sunshine
Posted On: 12/23/2023, By: shapovalovm
Info: More animal poop than snow maybe until 11200. But don't let it fool you, snow starts and becomes deep enough to be miserable without snowshoes by maybe 11500. I know because I tried* (maybe until 12200) and it wasn't fun. Wore snowshoes to both summits and back to 11500 and I think they were useful/necessary.

Getting out of the trees at 11800 and onto the ridge at 12100 was a little spooky going solo. Without snowshoes you can feel breaking the underlaying hard layer is of snow. It's not super loaded and the angle is probably not steep enough for an avalanche, but still made me a little anxious. No oomphimg or anything though and, also, snowshoes definitely help to stay on top of hard layers without breaking them at this point.

Sunshine -> Redcloud to the lowest point has plenty of snow. I stuck to the ridge proper (don't want to take any chances solo), which was very laborious till the lowest point. Then it's pretty easy.

On the way back I cut maybe 300 feet below Sunshine. The cornice above starts forming but not nearly has enough snow to be problematic yet.

Road/parking: road is well plowed, almost entirely dry and is accessible by any car. You can bring your Lambo if you have one.
If you have an SUV you can probably park inside the campground. I didn't want to risk it in my ultra all-terrain vehicle (Accord) and parked outside.

Overall a great day! Saw a herd of bighorns and not a single person over the entire day: started at 7:30am, finished at 4:30pm.

* I'm very stubborn when it gets to putting snowshoes on/off 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 11/28/2023, By: Eagle Eye
Info: I summited Redcloud Peak yesterday 11/27 starting from Silver Creek TH. There were no tracks on the route. In the bowl between leaving the creek and the NE ridge saddle there was much postholing to be done. Im doubtful in these early season conditions snowshoes would have provided floatation. I wore microspikes the whole day. The gate thats ~6 miles from this TH may have closed this very day, Ill post more in the Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch Trailhead Conditions. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 10/2/2023, By: two lunches
Info: nothing much to report. there was snow, but it didn't stop my hiking companion from donning sandals for the entire trek. microspikes encouraged from saddle to peaks and back. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/29/2023, By: RWSchaffer
Info: Snow was first encountered shortly below the saddle. From there, up the ridge (Photo 1, taken on descent), over the false summit (Photo 2), and on to Sunshine Peak (Photo 3), icy snow covered perhaps 50% of the trail. I found traction to be very useful. Fall foliage was nearing its peak (Photo 4, taken on descent). 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/24/2023, By: bmelonis
Info: Snow starts around 12,500 and the trail is pretty consistently covered in snow above 13,000. Snow is solid and has been consolidated by hikers. Would recommend micro-spikes and poles as its slippery without them. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/17/2023, By: epic3212
Info: Route up through the basin is in good shape and creek crossings are shallow. Snow starts partway up the basin and continues all the way to Sunshine. In some areas, the snow is shin and knee-deep but has been mostly patted down by hikers. Microspikes and trekking poles are very helpful, particularly in the steep areas upon descent (i.e. switchbacks on Redcloud). Wear lots of sunscreen!