Approach
Trail Length = about 5 miles one way
Trailhead elevation = 6,780±
Summit elevation = 11,101
The Deer Creek Trail starts in the Granite Flat Campground area. Pass the guard shack and continue for about a few hundred yards to the trailhead on the right.
Route Description
In the first quarter mile the trail has two intersections to be aware of. The first one deflects about 10 degrees to the left and brings you closer to the stream the next one farther along the trail deflects about 20 degrees to the right and will take you to the road leading to Silver Lake. The trail sees a lot of horse activity so be prepared for the rough trail and the occasional horse splat to jockey around or through if that floats your boat.
After a 1½ miles or so the trail starts the switchbacks, the peak will always be present to the West. After about 3 miles you will arrive to the saddle and junction with Dry Creek trail coming in generally from the West. From here the peak is present to the South. Start following the ridgeline up hill and than down a few hundred feet of elevation while running the ridge. After about ½ a mile a trail breaks off to the left, stay straight and start the steeper ascent, the trail becomes faint but continue following any path of least resistance along the ridge for another ¾ of a mile to the summit.
Bring plenty of water, there is one area to get water in the first mile, a small stream running down the trail. I wouldn’t drink this water since the horse’s plow in it.
Essential Gear
No technical gear is required in the summer months
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
PellucidWombat - Feb 8, 2005 2:30 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentI don't know if you want to incorporate this info, but here's what TOPO! calculated for the route.
Distance: 4.52 mi (1-way)
Elevation Gain: +4,581'
P.S. I have done both the Deer Creek and Dry Creek Trails, as well as the N Ridge & South Slopes. Perhaps you should change the name of this route to N Ridge and put Deer Creek Trail as the approach. I could give you any needed info for Dry Creek. If not I'll just add a Dry Creek route for the N Ridge.
I'll also add the South Slopes w/ the Dry Creek approach soon.
MAero - Jun 9, 2013 9:30 pm - Hasn't voted
Possible Dry Creek shortcutAfter losing the north ridge trail, my partner and I bushwhacked down the slope just to the west of the normal route. We ended up on a grassy bench below the slope and found a faint trail that took us to the Box Elder trail's final switchback. It would potentially be a good shortcut for climbers ascending the north ridge via Dry Creek, but it would be tougher to find on the way up (it was easy to follow as seen from above). Since we were on the way down we did not follow the trail all the way to the normal north ridge route further east, but in aerial views it pretty clearly connects. Topo Aerial view