LOST CANNON PEAK (11,099') CLASS 3
Location: 9 miles SW of Walker, CA
ROUTE A
Drive: Take Highway 108 to the second (west) entrance to the
Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) which is 4.1 miles from
U.S. 395. A sign marks, "Silver Creek Public Access."
Set your odometer here. Watch for foot traffic while driving through
the base. Drive straight through to the dirt road that climbs
north. Go past junctions at 1.6 miles (go left), 2.9 miles (go
right following the sign to "Silver Creek"), then, at
3.7 miles (go right toward "Summit Meadow"), then at
5.1 miles take a left fork. Park 0.1 mile further near a woodsy
owl sign (elevation 9,280').
Climb: Head up cross-country due left (west) through either brushy,
and open slopes, or the forest to the left, to a saddle at about
10,187 feet elevation. Contour/traverse 0.5 mile westnorthwest
along a sandy hillside to a wide, large, sandy valley, and head
up right (north) to a large plateau to the west of the summit
crags. Head a short distance east to the crags, and proceed to
the base of the highest, 50 foot crag with a steel pole on top.
Climb class 3 granite straight up to a point about 20 feet right
(south) of the highpoint with the pole, to a notch. Downclimb
about 8 feet on the other (east) side to a 5 foot wide ledge.
Traverse left (north) about 20 feet along the ledge. Climb straight
up a near vertical class 3 flake and another, small, short ledge
to the highpoint about 12 feet up.
WINTER SKI ASCENT: Route A would be the way to go. Highway 108 is generally maintained at least to the MWTC entrance.
TRIP STATS: Route A, 1,900 feet gain, 1.5 miles one way; winter ski ascent, an extra 2,600 feet gain, 5.2 miles extra one way.
Notes: A class 2-3 crag to the north may also be climbed from its south side; it is roughly the same height as the class 3 crag with the steel pole. A conscientious peak climber will do both these highpoints!
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