Silver Peak (Crystal Range)

Overview

There are a whole lotta summits named "Silver Peak" in the world. Hell, in the northern Sierra Nevada alone, I can think of three: the one northeast of Highland Peak, the small one on the Tahoe City quad, and this one - a middle child of the northern Crystal Range.

In comparison to the southern neighbors of Pyramid Peak and Mt. Price, the northern Crystal Range is more like a series of bumps. Outside of McConnell Peak (and even then, the true high point is McConnell Spur), none of the prominences exceed 250 feet. The unofficially named peaks directly to the south (e.g. Little Pyramid Peak) dwarf these in height and scrambling quality. And yet, the northern Crystal Range attracts a plethora of summit-focused hikers looking for a bit of adventure. You can definitely find it here!

There are two points of interest for climbing Silver Peak. First, it and its other line members (Tells Peak, McConnell Peak, Red Peak) are all a part of the Tahoe Ogul peakbagging list. Established in the 1970s, this list captures a huge variety of mountains, ranges, and biomes in the greater northern Sierra - from the Sweetwaters outside Walker to what is arguably the northernmost prominent mountain in the Sierra (Adams Peak). The Crystal Range is well-represented on this list, with six total peaks out of the overall 63 summits.

The second point is what I've mentioned several times already: the Crystal Range. Getting to Silver Peak in the most sensical and most fun way requires traversing at least the northern section of the Crystal Range, from Tells Peak through Red Peak. If you think the northern Sierra doesn't have much adventure to offer, then let this be an excellent impetus to explore more!

The Crystal Range stretches from Pyramid Peak in the south to Tells Peak in the north; most people opt for traversing only the northern part when doing these four summits. It holds quite varied terrain featuring bushwhacking, granitic talus, metamorphic rock, and sand that will be a sufferfest for some and an enticing challenge for others.

Getting There

As with Tells Peak and McConnell Peak, Silver Peak is best accessed as a part of the northern Crystal Range Traverse. Scramblers uniformly start this from the west in El Dorado National Forest. You can start the traverse from the east, but this requires a full-on backpacking excursion through Desolation Wilderness from Lake Tahoe proper. I'm only going to describe the approach from the west.

Northbound and southbound traverses start at the same location - handy! So regardless if you choose the Highland Trail or the Red Peak Trail, drive here. The posts for Tells Peak, McConnell Peak, and Red Peak have identical information for getting to the parking area. Just the same, I will repeat the directions here:

Drive on I-50 and turn north onto Ice House Road. Continue north for around 22-25 miles past Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir, and Big Silver Group Campground. When you get near "Robbs Valley" on quads and GPS devices such as GaiaGPS, turn right onto "Van Vleck Ranch Road", also designated as "13N22" on GPS maps. Drive around 4-5 more miles so you are past the "Van Vleck Bunkhouse" on maps, and then drive around 1/2 more mile until you arrive at a gate. Park here (there's a bit of a turnaround in the dirt), and get ready!

Ice House Road is completely paved and was in excellent condition in mid-July 2023. There should be no issues for any road-legal vehicle. The Van Vleck Road was dirt, but a smooth dirt road that I had no issues getting up in my 2WD base model Jeep Compass. If I can do it, then so can you.

Route

At the risk of sounding like an mp3 file downloaded from Limewire, Silver Peak is summited during a Crystal Range Traverse. There's really no reason to do it differently, though you'd certainly have a hella adventure if you did!

Lots of information below is already on the peak pages for Tells Peak, McConnell Peak, and Red Peak. The two routes shared below assume accessing from the north (Tells + McConnell Peaks) or from the south (Red Peak). All routes along the Crystal Range require Class 3 scrambling.

From the North (via Tells Peak and McConnell Peak):

1. Follow the Highland Trail toward Tells Peak. You'll be walking for 6-7 miles on USFS dirt roads and the trail proper. Please note that many of these roads are not maintained; I wouldn't be too surprised if the USFS is quietly allowing nature to retake them. GPS services such as GaiaGPS will give you the general impression of the trails, but do not feel overwhelmed if they aren't following it exactly.
2. After around 1.5-2 miles of walking on the roads from the starting area/gate, head east on the Highland Trail. You'll have a few moments of sudden steepness, but it isn't too bad. Around 8000 feet, the ascent begins in earnest.
3. Upon reaching the saddle between Tells Peak and McConnell Peak, tag Tells Peak (or not) and then continue south toward McConnell Peak.
4. Follow the directions within the McConnell Peak page for getting around Selene's Bean.
   1. TL;DR: either drop east into Desolation Wilderness to skirt it via some exciting Class 4 ledges, or go west into the sand a bit.
5. After Selene's Bean, cross over around another mile of Class 2-3 scrambling and tag McConnell Peak.
6. Continue along easy Class 2 scrambling toward McConnell Spur. Tag it or not, then get ready to continue on.
7. From McConnell Peak/Spur, it's pretty easy to see that Silver Peak is just a brief, steep rise before Red Peak. Make it easy on yourself and stick to the ridgeline. If you stray toward the west, you're just going to make the talus steeper a little less stable.
   1. The talus boulders on Silver Peak's ridge are pretty damn stable and of good quality, especially compared to the more infamously unstable talus from Highland peak on north.
   2. This area is generally Class 2-3 scrambling.
8. Make it up and over Silver Peak. Really, just follow that ridge. It's not nearly as steep or as bad as it looks - I think it's kinda fun!
   1. You might need to navigate a little bit of manzanita around the saddle of McConnell peak and Silver Peak.
9. Either continue on to Red Peak (highly recommended) or retrace your steps (highly not recommended).

From the South (via Red Peak):

1. Instead of following the northeast Highland Trail toward Tells Peak, you will take the southeast Red Peak Trail. The starting area for the parking lot is the same.
2. Travel for around 1.5 miles until you reach the fork in the road. Take the southeast USFS road.
3. Walk through some flat meadows for 2-3 miles. In spring and early summer, these can create some seasonal fens that will have you checking off the "swamp" box on your Peakbagger log.
   1. As with the Highland Trail, the roads more or less spiderweb, and they become progressively less established as they go on. Don't worry though, they'll get you to the trailhead. Just make sure you're following the right quad or GPS service.
4. Continue on the Red Peak Trail. You'll know that you're on it as it will be an actual trail, and a fairly good one at that. Like the Highland Trail to Tells Peak, this one starts off fairly flat and hits some points of progressive steepness as time goes on.
5. At around 8200 feet, you will pass by Lake #3 (that's its actual name) to the north. In front of you are some granitic slabs that will become red metamorphic rock. Pick your best line and scramble up them.
   1. This part can be pretty damn difficult with snow, either requiring crampons and ice axe or extremely careful scrambling that can approach Sierra Class 4. Just use your best judgment.
   2. The best way to get up to Red Peak is to scramble almost due east slightly below the summit and slightly above the saddle with the higher unnamed summits to the south. Then, angle NNE and get across the talus. Expect slower moving.
6. Tag Red Peak and head on over to Silver Peak, which should be pretty obviously to your NNW.
   1. Head NNE off Red Peak's summit, scrambling down some pretty steep talus that's a mix of gray granitic and red metamorphic rock.
   2. Between 9000 and 9100 feet, you'll hit a clump of manzanita. It sucks. Just navigate it as best you can.
7. After getting through the manzanita, head NNW along much easier terrain (Class 2) and make your way to Silver Peak's ridge.
8. Scramble up the southeast ridge of Silver Peak. As with the north approach, you will want to stick as close as possible to the ridgeline for maximum efficiency and the best rock.
9. Retrace your steps (don't do it, Anakin) or continue on to McConnell Peak and Tells Peak, then take the Highland Trail back.

Red Tape

The Highland Trail and the Red Peak Trail begin in the El Dorado National Forest, for which there is no red tape or access issues. Desolation Wilderness is free for day-hiking with no required permits. Overnight trips into Desolation Wilderness require a permit that can be acquired through the Recreation.gov website. Ensure that you follow the camping guidelines and select the proper zone for your overnight trip. Don't be a dick.

When to Climb

The northern Crystal Range may be climbed at any time of the year, though snowfall can significantly restrict access to the parking area in El Dorado National Forest. Spring, summer, and fall are all excellent times to attempt both this summit and the traverse.

External Links

Silver Peak trip report for July 11, 2023 (and other information about the northern Crystal Range Traverse): link.