Redcloud Peak 14034'and Sunshine Peak 14001' - Trip Report

April, 1999

I approached these climbs from the Silver Gulch / Sherman Ghost Town area.

I summitted Redcloud on Tuesday, April 20th starting on the normal route, but climbing directly up a steep snow gully north of the south fork gully. Alternating between wearing and carrying snowshoes, I climbed the steep snow in the gully, the rest of the climb was on trail or rock. The snow was quite deep; my 90 cm ice axe sunk all the way down to my hand. From the summit of Redcloud, I could see the trail to Sunshine Peak was clear, but I didn't have time to make it on Tuesday. The trail register on Redcloud has a white plastic plumbing cap that is broken, and I attempted to seal the register with a plastic bag. We returned via the normal route, which had large patches of snow and rock.

It snowed Tuesday through Friday, and we took another attempt on Thursday, the 22nd, this time establishing a high camp where the south fork meets Silver Gulch. Three inches of fresh snow fell on Wednesday, and another three inches fell while we attempted the climb on Thursday. Wednesday's snow was wet and heavy, Thursday's was powder. We attempted to climb via the south fork, but found ourselves thigh deep in snow, even wearing snowshoes! We abandoned this try, and returned to the normal route. Here the snow was packed, and with snowshoes we managed to sink in only four or five inches, with the occasional crash-through to thigh level.

We climbed the actual Silver Creek, snow bridged over. Entire slabs of snow would creak and drop underfoot, something that would be dangerous on a steeper angle. We passed the Trail Arrow sign, and continued up to the saddle, but abandoned the climb due to visibility. The altimeter read 13,400', but the topo map said 12,800', perhaps showing the effects of the weather system on the barometric pressure. We returned all the way out to Silver Creek on Thursday, and there was snow all the way down to Lake City.

Jim "The Mountain Goat" Richardson

This article submitted by the author.

Other Information

• Located on BLM land near Uncompahgre National Forest
• USGS Maps - Red Cloud Peak and Handies Peak 7.5' Quads.
• Trails Illustrated Map #141, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Lake City
• Rated D Moderate with scrambling, 7 miles and 4100' elevation gain roundtrip.
• Guidebooks:
  • A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners, by Borneman/Lampert
  • Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs
  • Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado, by Paul Pixler
  • Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners: Vol 2, The Southern Peaks
• What to Bring on a Hike
• Safety And Survival
• There's Weather Out There
• Learning Safety Through the Experience of Others
• The Leave No Trace: Skills & Ethics: Rocky Mountains A must read for every backcountry user!