Placeholder Routes & Places

Trip Report    

Alpine Scramble - South Slide Mountain

One way descending traverse, with about 1/2 mile of scrambling with some loose rock providing the main challenge.

  • Road suitable for all vehicles
  • The route was snow free in late July in a relatively late snowmelt year.  Many game trails to follow on off trail portion.

     

Place a car at the Sun Top trailhead at the Ranger Creek landing strip just off 410 (NW Forest Pass needed.)  Proceed to Sunrise Point.  Take trail to just before Upper Palisades Lake.  (Last water until Buck Lake.)  Easy walk up to Brown Peak, north on ridge via game trails to Point 6620, then minor scrambling to the closed contour 6620, which Summit Post considers South Slide Mountain.  Descend with great care on the ridge or just west of it above the top of the big slide area that gives Slide Mountain its name.  The ridge is T3 rock scrambling, with less loose rock and more scrambling options as one proceeds to Slide Mountain 6339'.  One can descend loose scree into the valley to the east, but that is longer and slower, and considerably less aesthetic.

Continue NE over the next knoll.  Game trails everywhere, including down to the lake from 5800'.  Proceed north to headwaters of Buck Creek on game trails as able, with some brush, until intersecting Sun Top trail. Turn right and follow it to trailhead, watching for horses and mountain bikes.

This is an 11-12 mile one way trip, with spectacular and changing views much of the way.  Wildflowers are abundant in season.   About 2500' gain and 5000' loss for the day.