Redcloud Peak

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! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/11/2023, By: Abowser7
Info: Summited Redcloud, Sunshine and Handies on 9/9/23. Started at 4:00 at Grizzly Gulch Trailhead, summited Redcloud at 6:30, summited Sunshine at 7:30. Do not do what I did and try and take the direct Sunshine route down to make the path a loop. Very sketchy about a mile down with very loose rocks and drop offs, no clear trail either. I ended up turning around and going back up Sunshine and Redcloud and back down the original combo route. Wasted about 2 hours and added and extra 1000 ft. of elevation gain. Got back to my car at 11:30 and drove to American Basin trailhead. Started Handies at 12:00, summited at 2, got back to the car at 3:30. The road is very doable, but very long. Cinnamon Pass and American Basin roads are doable in a stock 4runner. Saw a lot of smaller cars and outbacks as well. Redcloud was stunning, beautiful conditions and completely snow free. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 7/28/2023, By: sean23
Info: Climbed Redcloud and Sunshine via standard route. Encountered only one small snowfield that I crossed in trail runners. The trail from the basin to the summit is free of snow and in good shape, although the route from the top of the basin to Redcloud's summit ridge is a little confusing. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 7/13/2023, By: Mark Goldstein
Info: The peak was dry, summer conditions and nice. Great weather. Sunny all day. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 7/2/2023, By: emself
Info: Several fairly minor snow patches up to Redcloud, no snow on trail to Sunshine. I personally used microspikes going up the largest (~100yd avy debris field) and for descending Redcloud's scree/dirt because my knees hate sliding more than I hate dulling the lil points. Avy field was icy in the am, slushy by noon. Brought an ice axe because of a previous conditions report and didn't touch it once - not needed or useful on the out & back route. Keep an eye on the snow bridge creek crossing - hiking partner punched through it on descent. Also, some trail damage has occurred (or the trail's just always sucked?) on the "face" below the false summit to Redcloud. The signs direct you away from a steep dirt use-trail and towards poorly defined switchbacks on talus/scree. The latter is likely the better option, but I wouldn't call it a pleasant one. 

Route: Via Sunshine Peak East Ridge
Posted On: 6/30/2023, By: ssowalskie
Info: Almost entirely summer conditions on the ridge from Sunshine Peak to Redcloud Peak. The descent down Sunshine is pretty rapid to the saddle, and the ascent to Redcloud is very gradual for the most part and quite pleasant. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/29/2023, By: JaiBalayya13
Info: Hiked this on 6/28. There are two major snowspots and few more minor ones. Traversing the snow spots early in the morning may need spikes (I tried to avoid snow by climbing the rock talus around them which is not ideal as the rock is really loose). During the first two snow spots (Which are major) the trail kind of vanishes, having an alltrails map would be handy. The second snowspot kind of covers the creek, so be careful while waking on it. The rest of the spots are after you enter the basin and are not bad, the last spot is on the way up to the false summit. I took some photos of the snow spots and will be uploading them. 

Route: via Sunshine Peak
Posted On: 6/28/2023, By: dakotasmama
Info: I summitted Sunshine Peak first using the East Ridge route (separate condition update for that) and after crossing over to Redcloud Peak, I decided to take the Northeast Ridge route back down and take my chances finding a ride from the Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch Trailhead back to Mill Creek Campground where I was parked. Theres a lot of damage to the trail on the way down, and its impossible to follow the exact route as described both here and on AllTrails. Specifically as youre coming down to the ridge to make a left-hand turn into the basin - there are signs guiding you away from where lots of people have obviously continued to climb and early summer mud is very slippery. Further down deeper in the basin it looks as though there have been at least three major land/rock slides that have completely covered the trail and/or re-routed the natural streams so that theyre flowing freely over and down the trail. Still a decent amount of snowpack so being poles and spikes and be safe (and dont bet on getting a ride if youre finishing late in the afternoon - I finished at 5:05 and not a single vehicle passed me, I walked another 5.5 miles back to the campground).