Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

Wolf Creek Peak

ANTELOPE PEAK el 10241 has an easy route up the main NE ridge. Take US 395 to a sign for Mill Canyon Rd at mp MNO 109.3. Go a third mile on that road then stay right on the steep Golden Gate Rd which is maintained but has 2 shallow crossings. The road tops out in 6 miles then go left on a crude road for half a mile to the TH with shady camping but no restroom. Walk the trail for an hour then cross a meadow on the left. I left the trail reading 1.87 miles from the peak and got on an easy ridge at N38 29513, W119 33979  el 8400 and had no bog issues crossing the meadow. I went up that ridge staying right of center to avoid scrub and entered a stand of trees at el 8750. Just past there I weaved thru scrub for 200 feet and emerged at 29573, 33233 el 8950 then went up and turned right in a passage at 29508, 32920 el 9200. That led me to the ridgetop where I stayed left of center to pass brush then went on to 28967, 32609 el 9400 where pathways led me 150 feet thru the last scrub then the rest was obvious to the summit at 28215, 33368. That took 6 and a half hours with about 3000 gain. The trail at the start is the only steep part. Light brush in places was not a factor with long pants. Camps are along the road in and the best are on the rim about 4 miles in from 395.  The Mill Canyon road goes on 8 miles to a TH open to mtn bikes, but a fault crossing the road about halfway is a problem for cars. There are shady creekside camps up in there. Posted July, 2019.
 

• MINERAL MOUNTAIN el 8964 is a long but easy hike using the south ridge. Start out the same as Antelope Peak and walk the trail and stay right at forks all the way to the south ridge at N38 30327, W119 36812 el 7800. Silver King Creek is a knee deep wade along the way. The ridge has light brush but the right side has less. At el 8200 the ridge steepens and I moved left to 30812, 37090 el 8350 to pass some bumps then went on to 31118, 37225 el 8500 then on to the reg at 31590, 37509. It was 70 feet west of the BM in a plastic jar that won't last. That took 7 and a half hours with about 3000 gain and nearly half the gain is on the return. All forks are signed. The creek would make a good basecamp for hikes to peaks and lakes. No mosquitoes were around there. Posted July, 2019.
• HIGHLAND PEAK and SILVER PEAK can be climbed as a loop. Spot a car at the Noble Canyon TH at mp ALP 22.8 on highway 4. This is at a switchback at N38 34983,W119 47357 el 7200. Drive up to the PCT just east of Ebbetts Pass and hike it south to Noble Lake el 8900. A hiker trail goes up from the lake to a meadow just above. Aim for a faint trail at 31814,46220 that goes up to a saddle at 31782,45993 el 9400. Now the ridge goes parabolic. Use a hiker trail right of center. At 10500 the trail contours right then goes up a chute between cliffs to the top of a false summit at 32216,45523 el 10800. Now you have to cross a 300 foot deep saddle.Go down about halfway then move left of crags.Then the final push is on talus.Keep left of crags near the Highland summit el 10900+. Now drop down nearly a 1000 feet to the main saddle before Silver Peak.Decide here if you want to make the 2 hour side trip to Silver.Go up the ridge toward Silver but move right when the talus gets serious. Aim for a spot below a crag at 33840,45588 el 10700 where you can see the peak for the first time. Now drop a little over 100 feet to cross a saddle then stroll on up el 10700+.Go back to the main saddle beween the peaks and start down a ridge at 33063,46053 el 9600. You can go down at warp speed with no issues.Beware the ridge veers to the right around el 8500. Aim for 32865,46871 el 8100 then it's less than a fifth mile down to the trail.It takes an hour to stroll on down to the TH. 8 hours,4000+ gain for the whole enchilada. 6 hours,3000+ gain just to do Highland and skip Silver.If you die on this trip it will be on the shuttle. Another worthwhile hike is to go up Noble Canyon to Noble Lake then come back some and take the trail to Ebbetts Pass. Use a bike you stashed there to coast down to your car at Noble Canyon TH.
• LAMASCUS BENCHMARK SE SUMMIT el 8090 has an easy 4wd road to el 7400 then an OHV trail the rest of the way. Go upstream on highway 4 from highway 89 for .8 mile then turn on the 4wd Silver Hill road aka FR 98. That's at mp ALP 30.9. There's only one main road to follow. In 3 miles it levels off then in another half mile it starts shrinking to an OHV trail with room to turn around. The summit is nearly a mile up the trail at N38 38871, W119 41052. I had a good VZ signal up there. Posted 2019.
• TRYON PEAK el 9970 has an old road up the west side to 9000 feet. Take highway 4 to the sign for the paved Highland Lakes Rd. This is nearly a mile and a half west of Ebbetts Pass. Go 5 miles on the Highland road then turn left a short way to the Gardner Meadow TH. The last 4 miles is bumpy dirt road.Hike the trail less than a fifth mile then veer left to the old road at N38 29919, W119 47550. Stay on it thru 30111,47331 then cross the main creek and pick it up on the other side at 30340,47081. Hike the road on up to the 9000 foot level where it fades.You can go straight up the ridge or wuss out like I did and use a trail on the right at 30893, 47083. This trail connects to the PCT at the pass. From the pass, I went up a little then contoured right under the talus. I filled up at a spring at 31230, 47019 el 9400. Get at it from the right side. Keep going below the talus then you come to a ridge to go up. The reg is at 31317, 47277. 4 hours, 2000 gain. It would take 2 hours longer to use the PCT from Ebbetts Pass..
• WOLF CREEK PEAK el 9911 is what I call the classic looking peak on the east rim of Wolf Creek in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The NW ridge out of Wolf Creek is brush free.Take highway 4 to the Wolf Creek road and follow signs to the TH with a restroom and dispersed camping. The road is tricky for cars. Walk the easy trail for 2 hours to a popular camp area with trees across the creek at N38 31533, W119 43259 el 7300. The trail stays on the right bank and small side creeks have logs and stones to cross on. Go up the NW ridge to a gully at 31481, 43179 el 7400 and go up that to the ridgetop el 7600 then follow the ridge to a cliff with talus at el 8750. Stay low in the trees and go right on game trails to 30808, 42862 el 8850 and resume going up the ridge. The summit is at 30614, 42462 with no sign of humanity. The last fifth mile is small talus. Carson Falls and the Bull Canyon falls are in view from the summit. That took me 8 hours. The gain on the trail is easy then going up and down the NW ridge was 4 hours with 2600 gain, some steep. Prepare to wade if logs are gone. Posted July, 2019.
• BRYANT PEAK el 9221 is what I call the one in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness about 4 miles NW of Mineral Mtn. The High Trail can be used. Take highway 4 to the Wolf Creek road and follow signs to the TH  with a restroom and dispersed camping. The road is tricky for cars but one made it. Walk the trail for a fifth air mile to a signed fork and go right to el 7800 where it levels off and pick a route up. I left the trail at N38 34539, W119 40079 el 7800 and soon fallen trees were in the way so I stayed right around those and came back to 34357, 40125 el 8200 where I could see a rock field just ahead. I angled up to the right along the edge of that and topped out at el 8600 then had easy ground to 33854, 40265 el 8700 then went on to the last saddle on the rim at 33563, 40447 el 8750. The peak is just beyond at 33411, 41064. That took nearly 6 hours with 2700 gain and only 600 of it is steep. Some light brush above 8600 is not a factor with long pants. It's a nice forest most of the way. Backpackers would have water at a good stream on the trail reading 34787, 40383 el 7400 and a large camp area is a fifth mile before that. Posted July, 2019.