Redcloud Peak

  • Redcloud Peak
  • 4278 m.
  • Primary factor 443 m.
  • 23rd in Colorado
  • Location: North 37:56.450, West 107:25.283
  • Climbed July 6, 2001

Information:

How to get there: Lake City is the natural reference location. Go south on Hwy. 149 approximately 3.5 km, then turn right onto the road to Lake San Cristobal. Drive around the lake and continue up the valley on a good dirt road. A little more than 19 km from Hwy. 149, the road forks and there are signs saying Silverton, Cinnamon Pass, etc. This is the right fork that heads uphill. Continue about 6.5 km on this road. The Silver Creek trailhead will be obvious, there is a separate parking area on the right hand side of the road as well as an outhouse (on the left hand side). The trail to Redcloud and Sunshine heads directly off to the right (east).
Route description: The trail climbs gently along Silver Creek on its north side. We saw a couple of large snow piles, clearly evidence of avalanche activity from the winter. There are nice flowers, grass and meadows as one gets higher into the nice and well formed basin north of Redcloud. The trail continues to climb the saddle north-east of Redcloud. This saddle is at 3968 m. From this point the trail gets a bit more rocky, but is easy to follow as it switchbacks up the steeper section of the mountain. The slope then levels off, climbs a small, rock point, descends slightly along the connecting ridge to the main summit, then climbs the final hill, still on a very good trail.
Comments: I did this hike with Pål Jørgen, age 12. We started at the trailhead around 0700, hit the summit of Redcloud at 0915 (with Pål Jørgen about 5 minutes ahead!). After about 10 minutes rest we hiked over to Sunshine Peak (in beautiful sunshine!), resting there from around 1000 to about 1030. We made a "garnd tour de Sunshine" by traversing the ridge to Sundog and connecting back to the main trail via the descending ridge. Back at the Jeep around 1245, making the complete tour in a bit less than 6 hours.

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