A very wet walk after lots of rain the previous couple days. I left the trail a bit too early and bashed through some annoying bush before getting to the nice open stuff. Leaving the trail somewhere near 8,000' is the way to go to avoid any nasty bush bashing. Overall it's a nice walk!
BrianBekker - Aug 7, 2023 12:32 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Backpacked From Plasse's Resort
We hiked in from Plasse's Resort via Munson Meadows and climbed Mokelumne from the NNE ridge. Camped ~4-500m NW of Munson Meadow junction for a morning hike out.
The ascent itself was mostly talus slopes. Expect to spend 90-150 minutes climbing talus, approx. 10-20% of which was loose. At this time of year, after a historically heavy winter, the only remaining snow on the whole trip was in limited, shaded patches, including in a small handful of gullies on either side of the NNE ridge.
Fortunately, snow runoff from a large patch east of the NNE ridge provided a source of clear water ~900m NNE of the peak (draining into the north fork of the Fourth of July tributary of the North Fork Mokelumne River). While water was present at lakes 350m NW and 800m ENE of the peak, accessibility of these lakes would require very, very significant (and likely sketchy) detours from the NNE route, particularly on the NW side. Otherwise, the last source of water on the approach was Cole Creek Lakes (brown, quasi-stagnant).
Daytime temperatures were up into the 70s, nighttime in the 50s. Bug pressure was medium-high, most prominent near meadows, though not overbearing enough while moving that we donned bug nets.
A good chunk of the trail between Cole Creek Lakes and Munson Meadow (and to the saddle where you depart the trail to begin the ascent) seems very little traveled. Combined with significant treefall NW of Munson Meadow, the trail was very subtle, and at least once we abandoned it and just hiked a compass bearing before finding it again after a few minutes.
kevbauer - Jul 3, 2022 7:52 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2022
Tanglefoot TH Start
Did this one with my dad. Very nice trail for the first half, with a moderate amount of mosquito activity in the morning. For the second half, there are a ton of down trees and route finding could be a bit difficult at times. While ascending onto the ridge, we accidentally climbed too high up a small peak, and had to descend through some thick scrub brush, wasting a bit of time. The weather was awesome, and the views of the rest of the Sierras was amazing! A bit hazy in the Central Valley, so we couldn't see much of that. A fairly long hike, but a good one!
Romain - Jun 28, 2022 3:32 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2022
colingregory - Jun 22, 2020 10:59 am Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2020
Backpack
Backpacked form Tanglefoot TH to the saddle between Point 8628 and Mokelumne Peak to set up camp. We backpacked this for no other reason than our love for backpacking and sleeping outdoors. This area has little to offer other than remote wilderness and views. Very few lakes and no real opportunity to fish en route but the stargazing was some of the best I've seen yet in California. After setting up camp we finished the hike up to the peak and enjoying the incredible views from this lone peak. The weather was perfect with virtually no wind, an awesome change from recent weekends getting blown off of Lola, Red Lake & Hawkins Peaks. Did not find a register but I bet there is one up there.
davidsanger - Aug 9, 2016 12:06 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2016
from Tanglefoot
Warm day made the first part of the hike uncomfortable, especially after dropping 600' to the creek below. Once we reach the cross country part, at about 7900', we got a breeze. Last few hundred feet of talus was a surprise.
Great views north to the Yolla Bollys and west to Mount Diablo and Junipero Serra.
bechtt - Aug 20, 2015 10:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2015
Tanglefoot
Nice hike after we determined where the trail head was.
seano - May 29, 2014 3:14 pm Date Climbed: May 12, 2014
From Plasse
A long slog from the gated turnoff to Plasse, with nice views of the Mokelumne gorge. Trip report.
mengbo - Aug 12, 2013 12:03 am Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2013
From Tanglefoot
2-day backpacking trip with Jean. Camped at Moraine Lake.
craig512 - Aug 3, 2013 1:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 1994
Birthday Hike
Hiked this with my dad and a bunch of old buddies for a long birthday peak bagging day. I'm thinking of heading up from Salt Springs to Allen Camp on a couple day outing this summer.
trexkerry - Oct 21, 2012 3:02 pm Date Climbed: Oct 20, 2012
From Tanglefoot
Somewhat tough trailhead to find, but worth the journey. A little bit of everything - trail hiking through the forest, off-trail for a few miles, and some talus hopping to get to a peak with amazing views.
LincolnB - Jul 22, 2012 11:10 am Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2012
Tanglefoot
From Tanglefoot trailhead -- roads and trail are in decent condition, and even the last bit of off-trail is not bad. This is a nice woodland hike, over a pretty rock canyon and eventually above treeline for a nice view. Tanglefoot creek is mostly dry -- it was a low snow year -- but on the climb out of the canyon the spring was still flowing. Register is scraps of paper in a purple water bottle.
sierramtngoat - Jul 2, 2012 12:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2012
From Tanglefoot TH
SPS peak #39. Hiked up with my brother Alan in the afternoon. This is an SPS peak because of the view; quite exceptional IMHO. The trail is seldom used and is becoming reclaimed in places; this could become a problem for some if hiking at night w/o a GPS. The trail has been moved by the park service in many places as well, so it is a bit shorter in the right places; however, it is 8 miles to the summit. There was no summit register, only a couple of plastic bottle with some scraps of paper in it.
fedak - Jun 30, 2012 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2012
Tanglefoot
The approach from Tanglefoot was mostly a uninteresting forested affair. The offtrail stuff was easy if you stay just south of Peak 8628. Skeeters were out but not headnet worthy.
soslaw - Aug 28, 2011 3:59 pm Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2011
Tanglefoot
Volcanic rock overlaying granite was interesting. 6.5 hours c2c.
tc0016 - Aug 17, 2011 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2011
Summit Register?
Good hike and climb for a one day ascent, turning off the trail a little bit late but we made the summit in time for a great summit session. Around 6 hours up from Tanglefoot and just over 4 hours down. The disappointment was no summit register that we could find. So we made one and covered the plastic bottle it was in. Please bring up a proper register is you go up after us!
tc0016 - Aug 17, 2011 8:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2011
Too early
Trying for a one day ascent and the logs across the trail, snowpacks over the meadows, and slow pace of our group kept us from summiting. 7:40 trailhead, 10am Moraine Lake, then our pace slowed and we turned around about 1:30 after turning off the trail. Poor trail conditions and slow pace kept us from summiting this time, we will return!
ShandaSherpa - Nov 13, 2010 5:52 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2009
From Plasse's Trading Post
The jeep ride in from Hwy 88 took us 1.5 hours. We could've hiked it in less than that. Parked at Squaw Ridge and followed the trail toward Cole Lakes. Then the trails petered out and we hoofed it x-country up the north ridge. LOTS of bear scat. Halfway there, saw a rattlesnake coiled about 3 feet from my foot. I nearly stepped on it but it never rattled. What creeped me out is that we'd hiked in for hours, so getting help would have been, well, a difficult & lengthy process. Nice day hike, but bummed that there was no register on the summit. We looked for 15 minutes under rocks and in crevices.
Mike McL - Aug 4, 2024 11:46 am Date Climbed: Jun 2, 2024
MokulumneSolo day hike from Tanglefoot TH
wmolland - Aug 24, 2023 10:54 am
TanglefootA very wet walk after lots of rain the previous couple days. I left the trail a bit too early and bashed through some annoying bush before getting to the nice open stuff. Leaving the trail somewhere near 8,000' is the way to go to avoid any nasty bush bashing. Overall it's a nice walk!
BrianBekker - Aug 7, 2023 12:32 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Backpacked From Plasse's ResortWe hiked in from Plasse's Resort via Munson Meadows and climbed Mokelumne from the NNE ridge. Camped ~4-500m NW of Munson Meadow junction for a morning hike out.
The ascent itself was mostly talus slopes. Expect to spend 90-150 minutes climbing talus, approx. 10-20% of which was loose. At this time of year, after a historically heavy winter, the only remaining snow on the whole trip was in limited, shaded patches, including in a small handful of gullies on either side of the NNE ridge.
Fortunately, snow runoff from a large patch east of the NNE ridge provided a source of clear water ~900m NNE of the peak (draining into the north fork of the Fourth of July tributary of the North Fork Mokelumne River). While water was present at lakes 350m NW and 800m ENE of the peak, accessibility of these lakes would require very, very significant (and likely sketchy) detours from the NNE route, particularly on the NW side. Otherwise, the last source of water on the approach was Cole Creek Lakes (brown, quasi-stagnant).
Daytime temperatures were up into the 70s, nighttime in the 50s. Bug pressure was medium-high, most prominent near meadows, though not overbearing enough while moving that we donned bug nets.
A good chunk of the trail between Cole Creek Lakes and Munson Meadow (and to the saddle where you depart the trail to begin the ascent) seems very little traveled. Combined with significant treefall NW of Munson Meadow, the trail was very subtle, and at least once we abandoned it and just hiked a compass bearing before finding it again after a few minutes.
kevbauer - Jul 3, 2022 7:52 am Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2022
Tanglefoot TH StartDid this one with my dad. Very nice trail for the first half, with a moderate amount of mosquito activity in the morning. For the second half, there are a ton of down trees and route finding could be a bit difficult at times. While ascending onto the ridge, we accidentally climbed too high up a small peak, and had to descend through some thick scrub brush, wasting a bit of time. The weather was awesome, and the views of the rest of the Sierras was amazing! A bit hazy in the Central Valley, so we couldn't see much of that. A fairly long hike, but a good one!
Romain - Jun 28, 2022 3:32 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2022
From Tanglefoot THTrip report.
Hiking Metal Maniac - Dec 20, 2020 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2020
Mokelumne (don't folla me)Via tanglefoot trail
colingregory - Jun 22, 2020 10:59 am Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2020
BackpackBackpacked form Tanglefoot TH to the saddle between Point 8628 and Mokelumne Peak to set up camp. We backpacked this for no other reason than our love for backpacking and sleeping outdoors. This area has little to offer other than remote wilderness and views. Very few lakes and no real opportunity to fish en route but the stargazing was some of the best I've seen yet in California. After setting up camp we finished the hike up to the peak and enjoying the incredible views from this lone peak. The weather was perfect with virtually no wind, an awesome change from recent weekends getting blown off of Lola, Red Lake & Hawkins Peaks. Did not find a register but I bet there is one up there.
davidsanger - Aug 9, 2016 12:06 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2016
from TanglefootWarm day made the first part of the hike uncomfortable, especially after dropping 600' to the creek below. Once we reach the cross country part, at about 7900', we got a breeze. Last few hundred feet of talus was a surprise.
Great views north to the Yolla Bollys and west to Mount Diablo and Junipero Serra.
bechtt - Aug 20, 2015 10:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2015
TanglefootNice hike after we determined where the trail head was.
seano - May 29, 2014 3:14 pm Date Climbed: May 12, 2014
From PlasseA long slog from the gated turnoff to Plasse, with nice views of the Mokelumne gorge. Trip report.
mengbo - Aug 12, 2013 12:03 am Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2013
From Tanglefoot2-day backpacking trip with Jean. Camped at Moraine Lake.
craig512 - Aug 3, 2013 1:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 1994
Birthday HikeHiked this with my dad and a bunch of old buddies for a long birthday peak bagging day. I'm thinking of heading up from Salt Springs to Allen Camp on a couple day outing this summer.
trexkerry - Oct 21, 2012 3:02 pm Date Climbed: Oct 20, 2012
From TanglefootSomewhat tough trailhead to find, but worth the journey. A little bit of everything - trail hiking through the forest, off-trail for a few miles, and some talus hopping to get to a peak with amazing views.
LincolnB - Jul 22, 2012 11:10 am Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2012
TanglefootFrom Tanglefoot trailhead -- roads and trail are in decent condition, and even the last bit of off-trail is not bad. This is a nice woodland hike, over a pretty rock canyon and eventually above treeline for a nice view. Tanglefoot creek is mostly dry -- it was a low snow year -- but on the climb out of the canyon the spring was still flowing. Register is scraps of paper in a purple water bottle.
sierramtngoat - Jul 2, 2012 12:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2012
From Tanglefoot THSPS peak #39. Hiked up with my brother Alan in the afternoon. This is an SPS peak because of the view; quite exceptional IMHO. The trail is seldom used and is becoming reclaimed in places; this could become a problem for some if hiking at night w/o a GPS. The trail has been moved by the park service in many places as well, so it is a bit shorter in the right places; however, it is 8 miles to the summit. There was no summit register, only a couple of plastic bottle with some scraps of paper in it.
fedak - Jun 30, 2012 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2012
TanglefootThe approach from Tanglefoot was mostly a uninteresting forested affair. The offtrail stuff was easy if you stay just south of Peak 8628. Skeeters were out but not headnet worthy.
Pics and commentary here
soslaw - Aug 28, 2011 3:59 pm Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2011
TanglefootVolcanic rock overlaying granite was interesting. 6.5 hours c2c.
tc0016 - Aug 17, 2011 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2011
Summit Register?Good hike and climb for a one day ascent, turning off the trail a little bit late but we made the summit in time for a great summit session. Around 6 hours up from Tanglefoot and just over 4 hours down. The disappointment was no summit register that we could find. So we made one and covered the plastic bottle it was in. Please bring up a proper register is you go up after us!
tc0016 - Aug 17, 2011 8:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2011
Too earlyTrying for a one day ascent and the logs across the trail, snowpacks over the meadows, and slow pace of our group kept us from summiting. 7:40 trailhead, 10am Moraine Lake, then our pace slowed and we turned around about 1:30 after turning off the trail. Poor trail conditions and slow pace kept us from summiting this time, we will return!
ShandaSherpa - Nov 13, 2010 5:52 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2009
From Plasse's Trading PostThe jeep ride in from Hwy 88 took us 1.5 hours. We could've hiked it in less than that. Parked at Squaw Ridge and followed the trail toward Cole Lakes. Then the trails petered out and we hoofed it x-country up the north ridge. LOTS of bear scat. Halfway there, saw a rattlesnake coiled about 3 feet from my foot. I nearly stepped on it but it never rattled. What creeped me out is that we'd hiked in for hours, so getting help would have been, well, a difficult & lengthy process. Nice day hike, but bummed that there was no register on the summit. We looked for 15 minutes under rocks and in crevices.