Lookout Peak
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From N.E. of the summit of Peep Sight Peak. IF you get to Willow Flat, it's easy. | |
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From Peak 8510', above Stanislaus Meadow/Mosquito Lakes looking over Pacific Valley. From Pacific Valley campground, you can cross the creek and beat your sorry bootie up 2000 ft. to the western nubbin of Lookout Peak (following the swath of trees). Stay on the south side of the ridge as you pass a second false summit (visible in the back) on your way over to the summit. | |
Trailhead is Pacific Valley (see also: Bull Run Peak). It's rather obvious from the above photo that following Marshall Canyon up to Willow Flat is the preferred route. From where the 4x road ends a couple miles past Pacific Valley Campground, when you pass through the stile at the barbed wire fence, take an immediate left onto the Marshall Canyon/Weiser Creek Trail. The trail crosses Pacific Valley Creek, climbs for a scruffy mile, then levels out for quite a ways (nice...). This whole time Marshall Creek is on your right (south). You then cross to the creek and begin stair-stepping up toward the saddle between Henry and Peep Sight Peaks: up a bit, then a long traverse left (east). At a certain point, your hiker's intuition will tell you there won't be anymore traverses; and, you might be fooled into thinking yer really close to said saddle. Keep your eyes peeled, because the old road crosses right in here. There may be some plastic fluorescent tape on a branch or two; but, you'll see that stuff all over. The road—such as it is—quickly gives way to cow trails. Stay between the ridge above you, and the creek below. Never entertain that creek!!; continue upward-diagonaling traverses; and, when the rocks show up to block the way, go up and around them. You attain the west end of Willow Flat after a short bit of pre-meadow meadow. From here, it's pretty darned obvious.
