Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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39.53980°N / 117.9194°W |
Route Type:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Summer |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Difficulty:
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Class 2 |
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Getting There
From the desert outpost of Cold Springs on US 50, drive about four miles north to a green sign that says “Clan Alpine 3”. Turn left, and drive west a short distance on the good road. The road then curves north, where it passes by a ranch. Continue north another two miles or so, where the road passes by another ranch. A short distance past the ranch is a cattle guard. A few hundred yards past the cattle guard is a juniper tree along the road. Very close to the tree is an unmarked primitive road that heads west. This is the War Canyon Road. The elevation here is about 5,450'.Turn left onto War Canyon Road and start climbing up into the mountains. The road is rough in places, and the conditions may change from year to year. You should have a 4WD vehicle. The road climbs up to an elevation of over 8,200' before dropping down into the Cherry Creek Valley. After rounding Point 7800, the road essentially ends at a fence in a grass field at 7,630'. Park here. It’s about 11 miles from start of War Canyon Road to this point. Some primitive road tracks continue on through the fence, but the road really isn’t suitable for vehicular traffic.
Route Description
From the parking spot, start walking east along the primitive road as it heads down the Cherry Creek Valley. This is a cattle grazing area. After walking about a mile and descending 100', you will get to an intersection with another primitive road heading south. Turn right, and start walking south up this road. The road soon passes through a cattle guard. You could also reach the cattle guard by taking a shortcut off the other road. The road swings by Point 7827, then descends to 7,640' and crosses a creek. The road then starts climbing up the mountain slope. This is a treeless area, so navigation is easy. At 8,000', a primitive road branches off to the left and switchbacks steeply up the mountain. Continue south up the faint road where it ends at about 8,700'.Once you reach the end of the road, you have two choices: Head straight up the slope towards Point 9679, or go left and follow some game trails up to a spring in a drainage next to Point 9224. Either way will work. However, the route up the drainage is probably more efficient. Your goal is to get to the saddle between Mount Augusta and Point 9679. The slopes are steep in places, but it’s not very difficult to get to the saddle. Once you get there, make the final push to the summit, where you can enjoy the views.
Hiking Distance: About 7 miles round trip.
Elevation Gain: About 2,500.