Red Mountain 5880 was the one in Salmon La Sac. The pups and I were in the area 2.5 months earlier. And before that, we were on Davis Peak. Yesterday, we took another trip out to Frenchman Coulee.
See more trip photos here.
For Red Mountain by Snoqualmie Pass, check out these posts.
Sheep Mountain at a Glance
Access: NF-46
Round Trip: TBD
Elevation Range: 2600′-5880′
Gear: ice ax, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Salmon La Sac Road
Salmon La Sac Road was still under a sheet of ice this morning. But the drive from Roslyn to the NF-46 junction was pleasant. Road closure to wheeled vehicles meant the likelihood of finding snowmobiles on the two-mile road walk.
At a mile in from the bridge, we met two campers coming out from Cooper Lake. Then at mile two, we turned left onto a spur road leading to the gravel pit covered in snow. Then from there, we went right into the forest.
See more trip photos here.
Red Mountain 5880 Eastern Slopes
For the next 2000′, we move west on the steep east side. The slopes would eventually take us up to the northeast ridge. The ridgeline became more defined at 4800′. Then the rest of the route was obvious with the thinning forest.
The terrain in the shade was icy, with just a few inches of snow. We stayed on or south of the crest until we went up on the saddle between the two high points. The real summit was just to the south. So from there, we arrived at the top in a short distance.
See more trip photos here.
Red Mountain 5880 Summit
There was more snow this time than on our first trip. It had also been sunny until we reached the summit. Then it became partly cloudy. It was warm despite the freezing temperature reading. The views were just as great as the last time.
We spent 45 minutes on top while resting and photographing. Then we made our way back down the shady side of the mountain. It was a bit challenging going down on icy terrain. So the ice ax was very helpful with getting us back onto the northeast ridge.
See more trip photos here.
The two-mile road walk was uneventful. It also felt much longer on the way out, of course!