The Red-Blue-Silver Tour

The Red-Blue-Silver Tour

Mostly moderate hilly terrain with a few somewhat steep sections (30 degrees) late in the trip

19 miles in 2 days

Cumulative gain, loss: +3000', -4200'

Avg. Relief: 300'/mile

Topos: Markleeville (15'); Carson Pass, Pacific Valley, Ebbetts Pass (7.5')


	Cathy Bianco at Lower Blue Lake

This tour starts at Red Lake (Forestdale Creek trailhead), traverses upper and lower Blue Lakes, and ends at the eastern Highway 4 road closure along Silver Creek, about 7 miles west of the Hwy. 89 junction. Unless the road isn't open that far, in which case you may have as much as 5 miles of additional skiing or hiking to wherever the road closure happens to be. Anyway, this is a fun and scenic late-winter tour, especially the second day. Parking should not be a problem at either end. The north-to-south direction described is preferred, due to the north trailhead being about 1000' higher. The tour's average elevation, 8100', makes this tour suitable for late winter to early spring.

From the Forestdale Creek trailhead near the east end of Red Lake, ski southward, then west of south, for about 3 miles to a pass at about 8900'. Contour south from there, and then descend to Upper Blue Lake. Continue on to the southern end of Lower Blue Lake. From here, you turn eastward to Tamarack Lake (via groomed snowmobile roads, or more directly over more interesting terrain), and then onward (probably best to just follow the snowmobile road at this point) eastward to the vicinity of Summit Lake, which might be a good general area for a campsite.

The final pass

The final pass, north of Reynolds Peak; photo by Neal Cassidy
Next, ski around to the south of the sharp rock-horn of Peak 9700', and pop over the 8900' pass to the north of Reynolds Pk. From that pass, more or less contour southeast over a ridge into the Eagle Creek drainage. Then, cross over the drainages of Eagle Creek and Raymond Mdws Creek, and drop down to the snowed-over Highway 4 (somewhere above where Hwy 4 starts to drop down the canyon). Cruise Hwy. 4 downhill for a couple of miles to the winter closure.

An account of our 3/98 Red-Blue-Silver trip, plus more photos.

General info and disclaimer about backcountry skiing

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	The final pass, north of Reynolds Peak; photo by Neal Cassidy