For those wishing to turn the relatively easy Pass Mountain trail into a more interesting and more strenuous experience, try the North summit. The rough trail beyond Wind Cave continues to the South summit; to reach the North summit, follow this trail until it reaches the summit ridge, but instead of turning right and continuing the last 100 vertical feet to the South summit, turn left off trail and follow the trail-less ridge about 3/4 mile to the North summit. It starts as a boulder hop and ridge-top scramble over one intermediate peak, then crosses a second broad peak before you finally scramble up the steep North summit, the highest point on the ridge. The first year after I installed a register there (was it 1998?) only about 5 people signed it, but it has become more and more popular each year. Watch for loose rocks, cacti, and rattlesnakes!
Steven Cross - Dec 28, 2004 8:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled Comment
This route has been added under the routes section listed as Wind Cave/ Pass Mountain Ridgline.
Just an update--in the 6 years since I installed the summit register at the North Summit, the first set of register sheets (8 pages) have been filled, and I recently installed a new set of blank sheets. Images of the first set are available on my web site at http://www.jeffreycook.net/NSPass/NSPassMtnRegister.html
Steven Cross - Dec 28, 2004 8:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThis route has been added under the routes section listed as Wind Cave/ Pass Mountain Ridgline.
Jeff12633 - Dec 25, 2004 9:36 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentFor those wishing to turn the relatively easy Pass Mountain trail into a more interesting and more strenuous experience, try the North summit. The rough trail beyond Wind Cave continues to the South summit; to reach the North summit, follow this trail until it reaches the summit ridge, but instead of turning right and continuing the last 100 vertical feet to the South summit, turn left off trail and follow the trail-less ridge about 3/4 mile to the North summit. It starts as a boulder hop and ridge-top scramble over one intermediate peak, then crosses a second broad peak before you finally scramble up the steep North summit, the highest point on the ridge. The first year after I installed a register there (was it 1998?) only about 5 people signed it, but it has become more and more popular each year. Watch for loose rocks, cacti, and rattlesnakes!
Steven Cross - Dec 28, 2004 8:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentThis route has been added under the routes section listed as Wind Cave/ Pass Mountain Ridgline.
Jeff12633 - Jan 4, 2007 4:25 am - Hasn't voted
North Summit RegisterJust an update--in the 6 years since I installed the summit register at the North Summit, the first set of register sheets (8 pages) have been filled, and I recently installed a new set of blank sheets. Images of the first set are available on my web site at http://www.jeffreycook.net/NSPass/NSPassMtnRegister.html
surgent - May 1, 2011 2:34 pm - Hasn't voted
Nice page...I hate to be picky about such things, but the main page has many spelling errors that make the page hard to read. The info is good, though.