Trout Creek

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 38.85690°N / 119.9002°W
Additional Information Route Type: Hiking
Additional Information Time Required: Half a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Class 1 walk-up, 3150 feet elevation gain, 5.5 miles round trip
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach

From Sacramento, head east on U.S. Highway 50 toward South Lake Tahoe. Climb over Echo Pass and down into the Lake Tahoe Basin. In Meyers, turn right at Pioneer Trail, then take another right at Oneidas Street after about one mile. You'll pass through a group of houses and a parking area, then Oneidas Street turns into Fountain Place Road, a one-lane road, that gradually climbs into the forested hills. Follow this road until you hit a gate, then find a spot to park. There are pullouts on the side of the road here, and on summer weekends, you will probably be sharing the area with mountain bikers.

Route Description

There is a gate at the trailhead blocking motorized vehicles. Just before the gate, find the trail that branches out on the right. Take this trial and follow it. It eventually climbs a narrow drainage towards a saddle. There are a few hundred feet of sand to cross below the saddle. At the saddle, follow the use trail up the southeast ridge and eventually cross the ridge. Then, cross a broad open slope leading to the summit.

Jobs Sister (10,823 ft.) is an easy 1-mile traverse on a use trail leading from Freel Peak’s summit. There is a large field of white quartz resembling snow on Jobs Sister’s west slope

As an alternate route, turn right at the junction at 0.5 mile. Proceed another 0.5 mile, crossing a meadow and Trout Creek, then climb up the west side of Freel Peak’s south ridge. There are a few hundred feet of mild bushwhacking before reaching the Tahoe Rim Trail. Head left (north) along the trail, eventually reaching the saddle. From the saddle, proceed to the summit as described above.

Many thanks to Samantha3 for assistance in updating this route description!


Essential Gear

Mosquito repellant from June through August! Check out Winzeler’s trip report titled, The Wall of Mosquitoes.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Viewing: 1-2 of 2
Diggler

Diggler - Jul 6, 2005 6:37 pm - Hasn't voted

Route Comment

Taking the trail that branches off right immediately before the gate leads one past Freel Peak, & eventually to Armstrong Pass, where it meets up with the Tahoe Rim Trail. The Tahoe Rim Trail (going L at the junction) then goes across the slopes of the mountain itself, going up a heinous number of unnecessary switchbacks, before finally attaining the saddle mentioned in the route description. This variation (i.e. taking the trail) adds at least another 3 miles to the outing (to the suggested 5.5 round-trip). We had to turn back at the saddle due to not allocating enough time.

Taking the private road, on the other hand (instead of the trail mentioned)... things suddenly make much more sense (as discovered during the descent)!

jonathanmeeks - Aug 8, 2022 9:18 pm - Hasn't voted

Corrections to the route as of Aug 2022

After the Caldor Fire, Fountain Pl Road has its gate closed at the Lower Corral Trailhead. Walking this road adds 6.5 miles RT, for a total of 13 miles for the whole hike. For the portion of the hike that is the use trail up the drainage between Freel Peak and Trimmer Peak, the bottom quarter of the trail has been replaced by an apparent avalanche or landslide. Just navigate over the trees and dead brush until it connects with the trail.

Viewing: 1-2 of 2


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.