The trail to Red Lake is actually pretty good. Overnighted at Red Lake. 11 people on the mountain that day, 8 were day hikers, all but 1 summited. The chute is sketchy, the rest is just a slog, but it remains a 14er to check the box (until we switch to the metric system, and 14k becomes an arbitrary number). You definitely cannot take Fuller road. You have to take McMurray Meadow. The owner of the private property harassed on group trying to get through that way. Also, please bring a new notebook for the summit box. The old ones are full. Something smaller than a Composition book.
ratz - Sep 26, 2019 7:13 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2017
Summit aug 2017
Via Red Lake trail.
Boy that road sucks. had to park way below the trailhead because my car could not make it through the creek etc.
Red lake is beautiful.
The chute up to the saddle gets pretty sketchy... id say class 2+ maybe a moderate class 3.
Still not sure why the SPS list rates this mountain as class 1.... It is definitely not a walk up trail.
14 hour day hike with awesome snow conditions. Perfect for axes and crampons. Nice and cold and complete, compact snow coverage from Red lake all the way to the summit.
Thanks to Allison post and blog - we got a lot of insights on what to do and where to go. It's a challenging drive to TH, challenging hike to Red Lake with a full bag, challenging class 2/3 to the summit - all worth it when you reach the top and look down toward Red Lake which looks like a small pound.. Started summiting at 5am (no moon!), summited around 9am, back to car around 5 pm including pack/lunch break in Red Lake.
Now the car needs a deep deep polish..
Made it to 12,700' on the ridge line above the loose scree slopes, but ended up turning around due to threat of thunderstorms. Will be back!
sierramtngoat - Jun 8, 2018 5:02 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2000
North Slope from the East
Climbed with Maria as an overnight. I recall the chute that lead to the north slope was too loose to be manageable so we climbed along the rocks climbers right.
utclimber - Oct 11, 2017 10:16 am Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2017
Split Mountain
Day hiked Split Mountain from the Red Lake trailhead in 9 hours round trip.
Got lost hiking up at the fork in the stream, but cross country hiked over a ridge to Red Lake. Got up at 330 am, started hiking at 4 am and topped out at 9 am. Great day, beautiful weather.
BobD3 - Dec 24, 2016 7:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2013
From Taboose Pass
On a multi-day backpack with Prater and Bolton Brown. Camped at a beautiful crescent shaped lake just west of the summit.
MaverickMerk - Nov 5, 2016 1:54 pm Date Climbed: Oct 9, 2016
via North Slope
Beautiful mountain. Great hike. Long hike. No problems with the trail.
austinorville1 - Jun 11, 2016 6:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 2, 2016
st. jean couloir
Hiked up on the 31st of May with Tyler and Nick from the real trailhead not the false one. Fished for an hour and was pleased for the next four days. On the 1st we all took shrooms in the morning and tripped out around the lake.After we all returned to camp I hiked up solo to scout out the route we had been looking up at all day. After a couple of bowls I decided it was a go and headed back down to camp at Red Lake. We started hiking at 4 in the morning on the 2nd and made it to the top of the couloir by 9. On our way up we experienced a good amount of ice and rockfall. Got hit in the head twice(I had a helmet), leg, knee, and wrist. Summited the peak at 1015 and started heading down by 1135. Took the NE route back down and glissaded most of the way. got back down to camp and we all finished the night with some jack daniels. Hiked out on the 3rd at 1230 and got to the car at 3. Couldn't have asked for a better trip especially this late in the season.
Fairweather - Oct 17, 2015 7:32 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2005
From Red Lake
Red Lake is a cool place.
With Chris.
Tullymt - Oct 7, 2015 5:08 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2015
The road got the best of me the first time but I was successfull the 2nd time around. Overnighted at Red Lake and summited the next morning. Perfect weather with beautiful views, I was lucky enough to have the mountain all to myself. I thought I was on the right trail on my way up to Red lake but found the real trail on my way down. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would have never believed it started where it does.
ljwoodw - Aug 31, 2015 2:10 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2015
Nice little peak
2-day backpacking trip coming up out of the Taboose Creek trail. Can't recommend the trail. Camped at the big beautiful (unnamed?) lake on the west side between Split Mountain and Mather Pass. Climbed up the NE face, then back down and hiked out.
Lots of smoke, so the views weren't what they could have been, but still quite nice.
Soloed this for my third California 14'er. Considerably easier than Shasta or Whitney (Mountaineers' Route)...
Three-day backpack, two nights at Red Lake, four hikers left Red Lake about 7AM and made it to the summit shortly after noon, all back at Red Lake by about 5PM. Route up to the notch and back down included some Class 3.
edsaxe - Jul 14, 2015 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 20, 2013
Beautiful lake
got to climb an awesome 14er and jump off the cliffs in the lake after!
rockcarl - Jul 14, 2015 1:04 am Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2015
Night @ Red Lake
2 days, acclimatized by spending the night at Red Lake then summited and hiked back to the car on day 2. Minimal 3rd, mostly just loose but easy scrambling. Patriotic July 4 summit dance was mandatory! Downhill both ways on the drive by taking the recommended route on the way in and the mine route on the way out. I don't think our Subaru Forester would have made it otherwise!
reedochalek - Sep 16, 2022 5:43 pm Date Climbed: Sep 4, 2022
Side QuestGood climb from the JMT, nice side trip, my leg hurt real bad
Ynotstr76 - Jul 28, 2022 4:43 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2022
Long slog from the eastThe trail to Red Lake is actually pretty good. Overnighted at Red Lake. 11 people on the mountain that day, 8 were day hikers, all but 1 summited. The chute is sketchy, the rest is just a slog, but it remains a 14er to check the box (until we switch to the metric system, and 14k becomes an arbitrary number). You definitely cannot take Fuller road. You have to take McMurray Meadow. The owner of the private property harassed on group trying to get through that way. Also, please bring a new notebook for the summit box. The old ones are full. Something smaller than a Composition book.
ratz - Sep 26, 2019 7:13 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2017
Summit aug 2017Via Red Lake trail.
Boy that road sucks. had to park way below the trailhead because my car could not make it through the creek etc.
Red lake is beautiful.
The chute up to the saddle gets pretty sketchy... id say class 2+ maybe a moderate class 3.
Still not sure why the SPS list rates this mountain as class 1.... It is definitely not a walk up trail.
MBFN - Aug 10, 2019 7:36 pm
Trudge trudge trudge14 hour day hike with awesome snow conditions. Perfect for axes and crampons. Nice and cold and complete, compact snow coverage from Red lake all the way to the summit.
Varcho - Jul 19, 2019 1:30 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2019
got close but no cigarmade it up to 13k as a day hike but had to turn around so to get back in time.
lugosi - Sep 12, 2018 8:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2018
Better like rocks..Thanks to Allison post and blog - we got a lot of insights on what to do and where to go. It's a challenging drive to TH, challenging hike to Red Lake with a full bag, challenging class 2/3 to the summit - all worth it when you reach the top and look down toward Red Lake which looks like a small pound.. Started summiting at 5am (no moon!), summited around 9am, back to car around 5 pm including pack/lunch break in Red Lake.
Now the car needs a deep deep polish..
Allison's profile:
https://www.summitpost.org/users/allisondianee/126280
allisondianee - Jul 27, 2018 3:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2018
Split AttemptMade it to 12,700' on the ridge line above the loose scree slopes, but ended up turning around due to threat of thunderstorms. Will be back!
sierramtngoat - Jun 8, 2018 5:02 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2000
North Slope from the EastClimbed with Maria as an overnight. I recall the chute that lead to the north slope was too loose to be manageable so we climbed along the rocks climbers right.
utclimber - Oct 11, 2017 10:16 am Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2017
Split MountainDay hiked Split Mountain from the Red Lake trailhead in 9 hours round trip.
Snowman of Annapurna - Jan 31, 2017 6:39 pm Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2016
North Face from Red LakeGot lost hiking up at the fork in the stream, but cross country hiked over a ridge to Red Lake. Got up at 330 am, started hiking at 4 am and topped out at 9 am. Great day, beautiful weather.
BobD3 - Dec 24, 2016 7:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2013
From Taboose PassOn a multi-day backpack with Prater and Bolton Brown. Camped at a beautiful crescent shaped lake just west of the summit.
MaverickMerk - Nov 5, 2016 1:54 pm Date Climbed: Oct 9, 2016
via North SlopeBeautiful mountain. Great hike. Long hike. No problems with the trail.
austinorville1 - Jun 11, 2016 6:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 2, 2016
st. jean couloirHiked up on the 31st of May with Tyler and Nick from the real trailhead not the false one. Fished for an hour and was pleased for the next four days. On the 1st we all took shrooms in the morning and tripped out around the lake.After we all returned to camp I hiked up solo to scout out the route we had been looking up at all day. After a couple of bowls I decided it was a go and headed back down to camp at Red Lake. We started hiking at 4 in the morning on the 2nd and made it to the top of the couloir by 9. On our way up we experienced a good amount of ice and rockfall. Got hit in the head twice(I had a helmet), leg, knee, and wrist. Summited the peak at 1015 and started heading down by 1135. Took the NE route back down and glissaded most of the way. got back down to camp and we all finished the night with some jack daniels. Hiked out on the 3rd at 1230 and got to the car at 3. Couldn't have asked for a better trip especially this late in the season.
Fairweather - Oct 17, 2015 7:32 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2005
From Red LakeRed Lake is a cool place.
With Chris.
Tullymt - Oct 7, 2015 5:08 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2015
Via St Jean CouloirHad the mountain to myself.
Blackmouth - Sep 17, 2015 2:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2013
2nd Times The CharmThe road got the best of me the first time but I was successfull the 2nd time around. Overnighted at Red Lake and summited the next morning. Perfect weather with beautiful views, I was lucky enough to have the mountain all to myself. I thought I was on the right trail on my way up to Red lake but found the real trail on my way down. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would have never believed it started where it does.
ljwoodw - Aug 31, 2015 2:10 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2015
Nice little peak2-day backpacking trip coming up out of the Taboose Creek trail. Can't recommend the trail. Camped at the big beautiful (unnamed?) lake on the west side between Split Mountain and Mather Pass. Climbed up the NE face, then back down and hiked out.
Lots of smoke, so the views weren't what they could have been, but still quite nice.
Soloed this for my third California 14'er. Considerably easier than Shasta or Whitney (Mountaineers' Route)...
ScottWhitneyBound - Aug 11, 2015 5:36 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2015
Backpack from Red Lake THThree-day backpack, two nights at Red Lake, four hikers left Red Lake about 7AM and made it to the summit shortly after noon, all back at Red Lake by about 5PM. Route up to the notch and back down included some Class 3.
edsaxe - Jul 14, 2015 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Jun 20, 2013
Beautiful lakegot to climb an awesome 14er and jump off the cliffs in the lake after!
rockcarl - Jul 14, 2015 1:04 am Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2015
Night @ Red Lake2 days, acclimatized by spending the night at Red Lake then summited and hiked back to the car on day 2. Minimal 3rd, mostly just loose but easy scrambling. Patriotic July 4 summit dance was mandatory! Downhill both ways on the drive by taking the recommended route on the way in and the mine route on the way out. I don't think our Subaru Forester would have made it otherwise!