wordlessnature - Oct 19, 2020 12:22 am Date Climbed: Oct 18, 2020
From Lamont Meadow
Hiked up to the PCT via the jeep road/ cross-country. Traversed the ribs carefully and up over the false summit, down to the ramp, and up from there. Kept everything at class 3.
The boys and I suffered the heat, the wind, the keyholes and the side-hilling for a little leap onto a tiny summit. Still trying to decide if it was worth the drive and the hike. HAHA!
Romain - May 1, 2020 8:19 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2020
From PCT
First SPS peak of the 2020 season. I first climbed the North Needle, thinking I might traverse to Spanish Needle. But the steep downclimbing from the summit led me to a change of heart. I descended a chute and contoured the Eastern aspect of Spanish Needle. This was a harder day than I had anticipated, but a good start to the 2020 peakbagging season. Trip report.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Jun 13, 2017
Follow the PCT
I traversed the east side of the ridge from the saddle, bypassing many pinnacles, and losing only about 40’ of elevation in the process. Four earlier 2017 parties made the use trail fairly easy to find, and there were plenty of cairns. Once on the ridge north of the summit, the scrambling was enjoyable. I was neither hurrying not fiddling around, and it took three hours from the PCT to the summit and back. Following the PCT from near the campground is really straightforward.
mrchad9 - Oct 14, 2013 5:03 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2013
Fun scramble
Nice loop from the PCT trailhead to the west after visiting Sawtooth Peak in the morning. From the trail at the saddle I didn't find the routefinding to be difficult at all. Plenty of ducks, just traverse over until it feels like you are in the last chute heading towards the summit (visible from the saddle). Nice scrambling along the ridge. Slab wasn't bad (though it looks worse coming down) and the step across is trivial, not even really exposed. Went to Owens the next day.
mengbo - May 6, 2013 10:53 am Date Climbed: Apr 17, 2016
From PCT
This one is hard. Used Lamont Meadow Rd as approach.
wmolland - Nov 28, 2012 1:12 pm Date Climbed: Nov 26, 2012
From the PCT
Finally made it to the summit after more attempts than I'm willing to say. I think a better route description for this peak would simply read "from the saddle traverse as far as safely possible before heading to the crest and following the ridge to te summit." That would remove all the chute counting and random route finding errors that I encountered through the years.
soslaw - Nov 12, 2012 3:11 am Date Climbed: Nov 11, 2012
North Ridge
For a sub 8000 footer this peak offers a mix of route finding, tedious side hilling, crossing multiple decaying ribs and unstable gullies, burrowing under trees and some awkward class 3 climbing.
cab - Nov 8, 2010 10:31 am Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2010
Chimney Creek Campground
Like several others have commented, finding the correct chute up to the ridge is very difficult. It took me four hours from the saddle after going up one wrong chute to nearly the summit of North Needle, coming back down a sketchy cliff section, going up another wrong chute and back down, and then finally reaching the crest somehow. I thought the difficulties of the exposed slab and step across at the top were way overblown.
At least the weather was nice (t-shirt all day) with just a few sprinkles towards the end. Wanted to climb Sawtooth too, but ran out of time after all of the shenanigans enroute to Spanish Needle.
Nice day out with my buddie, Jim, traversing from Lamont Peak and East Lamont, followed fresh bear tracks to the PCT. Got a bit turned around in all the damn gullies, but summit and off before the thunder started to roll.
ridgeline - Jun 16, 2010 11:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2010
by way of the slab
Climbed up by way of the slab, friends did the chimney, we all came down the slab. Had a glider come in for a close look while we were on the summit. Good Times
Gary Schenk - May 23, 2010 6:21 pm Date Climbed: May 22, 2010
4WD Road Blocked
Lamont Meadow Road is blocked by fallen limbs at the creek crossing. It was a bad winter for the cottonwoods. Too bad, because the road is verry ddriveable after that.
We turned around at the saddle, the west and north sides were coated with ice.
KVHiker - Aug 13, 2009 12:42 pm Date Climbed: May 31, 2008
Great Hike
I climbed to Spanish Needle with some friends. We measured the leap on the peak, and got some great pictures.
Just solo climbed this gem last weekend. I figured what the hell - do it in temps close to 100 degrees by myself and see if I still had game. *The heat did make it much tougher and I don't recommend it.* I had my share of the usual route finding difficulties; thought I had traversed enough..but all in all a great time except for those annoying Black Flies on the approach and in Chimney Creek Campground.
Found the slab to be mellow - there was plenty of friction and features on it that I never felt uneasy.
Thanks for the beta SP community!
bechtt - Oct 19, 2008 7:37 pm Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2008
From the saddle
Took longer than expected do to a silly mistake. The large bump visible from the saddle is the summit. The 6th chute has several branches and we took the right one due the mistake. Popped out just south of the North Needle which led to an exciting two hours on the ridge with plenty of class 3 & 4 action plus some brush work. Chose the class 4 chimney to summit (vs. the class 3 friction slab) and it went easy. There is a pretty good use trail crossing the chutes from the saddle but you don't need to drop 100' down like the TRs describe. Just begin the traverse at just below the saddle and you'll pick it up.
lefty - Sep 18, 2007 12:44 am Date Climbed: May 12, 2007
Standard Route
Participated in a SPS trip. Very tricky route finding to find the correct chute.
Matt Worster - May 6, 2006 1:00 am Date Climbed: May 5, 2006
Love the slab
Solo hike from Lamont "Meadow". The internet is amazing. I followed the directions exactly and had no route finding problems. The summit register (back to the 1960s!) is rife with difficulties and vengeance climbs. If you drop exactly 100 ft from the PCT saddle, the traverse is not bad at all. I came back about 30 ft too high and it ate me up. Blech. I was planning to include Sawtooth, but halfway over I ran out of water. Over 2 liters by noon! The slab was easy, over before I knew it, but very heady on the descent.
Route Climbed: North Ridge from Lamont Pk Date Climbed: November 19, 2005
Climbed with Jeff (Desert Solitaire) on a perfect November weekend. Noticed that the USGS topo appears to show the PCT wrong in this area, but we were only delayed a few minutes by the error.
Route Climbed: North Ridge from Lamont Pk Date Climbed: November 19, 2005
Fun scrambling along the ridge. Part of a loop from Lamont - Spanish Needle - Sawtooth. Perfect for those Indian Summer days in the waning fall season.
wordlessnature - Oct 19, 2020 12:22 am Date Climbed: Oct 18, 2020
From Lamont MeadowHiked up to the PCT via the jeep road/ cross-country. Traversed the ribs carefully and up over the false summit, down to the ramp, and up from there. Kept everything at class 3.
Deb - Jun 25, 2020 4:13 pm
UGHThe boys and I suffered the heat, the wind, the keyholes and the side-hilling for a little leap onto a tiny summit. Still trying to decide if it was worth the drive and the hike. HAHA!
Romain - May 1, 2020 8:19 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2020
From PCTFirst SPS peak of the 2020 season. I first climbed the North Needle, thinking I might traverse to Spanish Needle. But the steep downclimbing from the summit led me to a change of heart. I descended a chute and contoured the Eastern aspect of Spanish Needle. This was a harder day than I had anticipated, but a good start to the 2020 peakbagging season. Trip report.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Jun 13, 2017
Follow the PCTI traversed the east side of the ridge from the saddle, bypassing many pinnacles, and losing only about 40’ of elevation in the process. Four earlier 2017 parties made the use trail fairly easy to find, and there were plenty of cairns. Once on the ridge north of the summit, the scrambling was enjoyable. I was neither hurrying not fiddling around, and it took three hours from the PCT to the summit and back. Following the PCT from near the campground is really straightforward.
mrchad9 - Oct 14, 2013 5:03 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2013
Fun scrambleNice loop from the PCT trailhead to the west after visiting Sawtooth Peak in the morning. From the trail at the saddle I didn't find the routefinding to be difficult at all. Plenty of ducks, just traverse over until it feels like you are in the last chute heading towards the summit (visible from the saddle). Nice scrambling along the ridge. Slab wasn't bad (though it looks worse coming down) and the step across is trivial, not even really exposed. Went to Owens the next day.
mengbo - May 6, 2013 10:53 am Date Climbed: Apr 17, 2016
From PCTThis one is hard. Used Lamont Meadow Rd as approach.
wmolland - Nov 28, 2012 1:12 pm Date Climbed: Nov 26, 2012
From the PCTFinally made it to the summit after more attempts than I'm willing to say. I think a better route description for this peak would simply read "from the saddle traverse as far as safely possible before heading to the crest and following the ridge to te summit." That would remove all the chute counting and random route finding errors that I encountered through the years.
soslaw - Nov 12, 2012 3:11 am Date Climbed: Nov 11, 2012
North RidgeFor a sub 8000 footer this peak offers a mix of route finding, tedious side hilling, crossing multiple decaying ribs and unstable gullies, burrowing under trees and some awkward class 3 climbing.
cab - Nov 8, 2010 10:31 am Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2010
Chimney Creek CampgroundLike several others have commented, finding the correct chute up to the ridge is very difficult. It took me four hours from the saddle after going up one wrong chute to nearly the summit of North Needle, coming back down a sketchy cliff section, going up another wrong chute and back down, and then finally reaching the crest somehow. I thought the difficulties of the exposed slab and step across at the top were way overblown.
At least the weather was nice (t-shirt all day) with just a few sprinkles towards the end. Wanted to climb Sawtooth too, but ran out of time after all of the shenanigans enroute to Spanish Needle.
Princess Buttercup - Oct 18, 2010 5:24 pm Date Climbed: Oct 17, 2010
Nice little peak here.Nice day out with my buddie, Jim, traversing from Lamont Peak and East Lamont, followed fresh bear tracks to the PCT. Got a bit turned around in all the damn gullies, but summit and off before the thunder started to roll.
ridgeline - Jun 16, 2010 11:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2010
by way of the slabClimbed up by way of the slab, friends did the chimney, we all came down the slab. Had a glider come in for a close look while we were on the summit. Good Times
Gary Schenk - May 23, 2010 6:21 pm Date Climbed: May 22, 2010
4WD Road BlockedLamont Meadow Road is blocked by fallen limbs at the creek crossing. It was a bad winter for the cottonwoods. Too bad, because the road is verry ddriveable after that.
We turned around at the saddle, the west and north sides were coated with ice.
KVHiker - Aug 13, 2009 12:42 pm Date Climbed: May 31, 2008
Great HikeI climbed to Spanish Needle with some friends. We measured the leap on the peak, and got some great pictures.
Photos
Roots - Jul 21, 2009 5:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2009
North Ridge from SaddleJust solo climbed this gem last weekend. I figured what the hell - do it in temps close to 100 degrees by myself and see if I still had game. *The heat did make it much tougher and I don't recommend it.* I had my share of the usual route finding difficulties; thought I had traversed enough..but all in all a great time except for those annoying Black Flies on the approach and in Chimney Creek Campground.
Found the slab to be mellow - there was plenty of friction and features on it that I never felt uneasy.
Thanks for the beta SP community!
bechtt - Oct 19, 2008 7:37 pm Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2008
From the saddleTook longer than expected do to a silly mistake. The large bump visible from the saddle is the summit. The 6th chute has several branches and we took the right one due the mistake. Popped out just south of the North Needle which led to an exciting two hours on the ridge with plenty of class 3 & 4 action plus some brush work. Chose the class 4 chimney to summit (vs. the class 3 friction slab) and it went easy. There is a pretty good use trail crossing the chutes from the saddle but you don't need to drop 100' down like the TRs describe. Just begin the traverse at just below the saddle and you'll pick it up.
lefty - Sep 18, 2007 12:44 am Date Climbed: May 12, 2007
Standard RouteParticipated in a SPS trip. Very tricky route finding to find the correct chute.
Matt Worster - May 6, 2006 1:00 am Date Climbed: May 5, 2006
Love the slabSolo hike from Lamont "Meadow". The internet is amazing. I followed the directions exactly and had no route finding problems. The summit register (back to the 1960s!) is rife with difficulties and vengeance climbs. If you drop exactly 100 ft from the PCT saddle, the traverse is not bad at all. I came back about 30 ft too high and it ate me up. Blech. I was planning to include Sawtooth, but halfway over I ran out of water. Over 2 liters by noon! The slab was easy, over before I knew it, but very heady on the descent.
GlennG - Dec 1, 2005 1:57 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge from Lamont Pk Date Climbed: November 19, 2005Climbed with Jeff (Desert Solitaire) on a perfect November weekend. Noticed that the USGS topo appears to show the PCT wrong in this area, but we were only delayed a few minutes by the error.
Desert Solitaire - Nov 25, 2005 2:56 am
Route Climbed: North Ridge from Lamont Pk Date Climbed: November 19, 2005Fun scrambling along the ridge. Part of a loop from Lamont - Spanish Needle - Sawtooth. Perfect for those Indian Summer days in the waning fall season.
Bob Burd - Oct 11, 2005 5:26 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2004With Matthew, below. Trip Report