Redcloud Peak

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/7/2021, By: hellmanm
Info: Last CR outlines most. Route in the basin is becoming easier to follow due to previous tracks. Flotation wouldn't really be worth bringing right now, but I could see gaiters being useful. I went up 13,832' and 13,811', but I attached a pic of what the upper route looks like right now from across the ridge. Other pic is looking down from the saddle into the basin. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/7/2021, By: cvbuffs
Info: Left the Silver Creek Trailhead at 5:45am. Trail was dry until you start to get up into the basin with only a few small snow crossings along the way. Once in the basin the trail is hard to find and mostly buried under snow. It becomes a bit of a choose your own adventure until you're almost to the saddle and the trail reappears. Tried to stick on the snow or close to it, but the snow conditions were not very fun (lots of post-holing.) Once you're on the saddle the trail is pretty good save for the section goes out to the climber's right (see photo 8 of the route guide); the trail disappears here and it was a scramble up some very loose rock to regain the trail. When you get to the wooden trail sign about halfway up the ridge, smooth sailing from there to the top of Redcloud with just a couple of smaller snow fields to cross that seemed to be holding up pretty well. Traverse over to Sunshine is long, but there are only two small snow fields to cross (I would expect these to be gone in the next week or so) and a little snow to hit the top of Sunshine. Made it back over to Redcloud by 11:30am and we one of only 2 groups to summit Sunshine + Redcloud (one other group summited Redcloud only.) Coming down Redcloud was a bit of a nightmare. Tried to stick on the ridge all the way down to avoid having to find the trail and scramble on the loose rock. Found a social trail down the ridge where you can tell most of the earlier climbers had also gone down. Super loose and not very fun especially if you don't have poles. Basin was also a post-hole nightmare as the snow had gotten super soft during the day. The group in front of us had snowshoes, but it looked like the didn't help much. Tried to follow people's tracks but ended up in waist deep snow for a good stretch. Once out of the basin it's a few more miles back to the trailhead. Would recommend waiting this one out a couple more weeks to let the rest of the snow melt. 

Route: Sunshine via Redcloud
Posted On: 6/9/2021, By: lvlivingston
Info: We slept in our cars at the TH, and got going around 5:00am. It was a very obvious clear path for the first 3 miles. There is crazy avalanche debris on the way, until you hit tree line. Then there are small patches of snow that are easy to cross in the early morning when they are still frozen. I would suggest starting as early as possible to be heading down already around 9:30-10:00am to avoid post holing on the way down. It was a really easy climb up the basin to the first ridge. We then had to cross a few more snow fields to the top of Redcloud. We didn't bring any spikes or ax, but the spikes would have helped speed up progress. Once we got to the top of muddy Redcloud, we headed over the ridge that's beautiful red dirt with loose rocks. It was probably about 10:00am by this point, so on the patches of snow, we started to post hole up to the waist. If you were dainty and careful, you could make it across still, but we made sure to hurry to the top of Sunshine. On the way down, majority of people wore spikes, which I really wish I'd had. Instead, after crossing the ridge back to Redcloud, we sat on our butts and slid most of the way down Redcloud. Should have brought the fiedl skis ;) It took us almost no time to get back down to treeline, and we casually made our way back down the path. Start early! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/31/2021, By: Tim Fab
Info: I agree with the other report from this date. Just to add some details- We left camp at 12k feet at 630, hiked Redcloud and Sunshine, and got back to camp at 11:30. Glissading down redcloud from above the saddle and on the last hill into the basin saved some time and post-holing. Overall the melt has been significant. Although I highly recommend getting up Sunshine early as the ascent from the saddle is pretty much still constant snow. Glad we left the snowshoes in the car, however. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/30/2021, By: kcovingt1
Info: Took the standard route up Redcloud and didn't need floatation or traction (summited around 8:30). Traversed over to sunshine with some post holing but not much. The traverse was mostly dry. Going back down Redcloud we had a lot of opportunity to glissade and there was some post holing in the basin even with snowshoes. All in all great day! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/7/2021, By: gregpeak
Info: The first couple miles are mostly dry. The rest of the route is mostly snow. I was able to ski from the summit down to about 11,700 where the trail comes close to the creek. There is a narrow band of snow from the summit down to the false summits. Just wide enough to get a turn in. It will not be there for long though. Go get it. 

Route: South Ridge - From Sunshine Peak
Posted On: 4/26/2021, By: NatDog
Info: The ridge descent from Sunshine was mostly dry with a few short snow crossings. The ascent from the saddle only had a few inches of snow on the trail itself but not much else. Microspikes were useful for the entire traverse but not necessary. With the wind coming from the SW the traverse was the windiest part of the day. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/28/2020, By: Marshall
Info: Beautiful day for this hike. It's cold in the morning and windy, but the trail is well maintained and free of snow. Please stay on the trail here. It is a bit tricky to tell which trail is the main one near the top, so look for the more sustainable one. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/27/2020, By: jubbuh
Info: Completely Dry, but holy shit, the wind today was brutal xD 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/25/2020, By: Piotr
Info: Dry summer conditions. Thunderstorm on top at 12. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/18/2020, By: hugemike
Info: Did Sunshine and Redcloud. No need for gaiters or traction. Couple of snowfields where poles helped but not necessary. Go for it! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/13/2020, By: gretchhhh
Info: Mostly summer conditions until ~12,500. Snow is melting but traction was very helpful above that. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/13/2020, By: zootloopz
Info: Went up this morning and hit both Redcloud and Sunshine. Would recommend some sort of traction device for the icy sections, but several people summited both peaks without. Snow is not as intense as previous condition report - maybe 12" at most in the absolute worst sections but the steps are already chopped out! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 9/12/2020, By: zachgonzales91
Info: Snowpack above 13k was significantly deeper than forecast suggested. Ran into snowbanks of 12 - 24 inches (snow to my knee in one section). Ridge wind gusts were ~30 - 40 mph. For those going up this weekend, I would expect true "winter" conditions above 13k - so recommend bringing flotation/snow shoes, gear for 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 8/30/2020, By: emroka
Info: Did Redcloud and Sunshine together. The heavy rain from yesterday made the rocks between Redcloud and Sunshine pretty slick. While on the saddle between the two peaks, it snowed a bit. Nothing seemed to accumulate, but may be the first snow of the season.