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Red Lake Peak
(Previously called "Red Peak" for its
color)
Lake Tahoe first sighted
"...we had a beautiful view of a mountain
lake at our feet, about fifteen miles in length, and so
entirely surrounded by mountains that we could not discover
an outlet."
Some have written that it was Stevens Peak that was
climbed by Frémont and Preuss in February 1844. I
have even read that it was Waterhouse Peak. One writer,
James U. Smith, in a paper included in The State of Nevada,
Second Biennial Report, of the Nevada Historical
Society, 1909-1910, opined for Stevens Peak, and also
identified the Preuss drawing as "the camp of February 4,
1844...in the extreme end of Charity Valley." Both are, of
course, incorrect. But once the location from which Preuss
made his drawing is determined, there is no question, from
reading Frémont's narrative, about the proper
identification of Red Lake Peak.
Frémont: February 10th, 1844.
"...we had the satisfaction to encamp within two and
a half miles of the head of the hollow, and at the foot of
the last mountain ridge. Here two large trees had been set
on fire, and in the holes, where the snow had melted away,
we found a comfortable camp."
 Frémont:
February 14th, 1844.
"Annexed...
ie., tipped into the 1845 government editions
only, facing page 234
...is a view of the dividing ridge of the Sierra,
taken from this encampment [drawn by Charles
Preuss]."
See a photograph of the actual place from which the
expedition drawing was made.
"With Mr. Preuss, I ascended to-day the highest peak
to the right; from which we had a beautiful view of a
mountain lake at our feet, about fifteen miles in length,
and so entirely surrounded by mountains that we could not
discover an outlet. We had taken with us a glass; but though
we enjoyed an extended view, the [Sacramento] valley
was half hidden in mist, as when we had seen it before. Snow
could be distinguished on the higher parts of the coast
mountains, fading off blue in the distance. The rock
composing the summit consists of a very coarse, dark,
volcanic conglomerate; the lower parts appeared to be of a
slatey structure
(important observation). The highest trees were a
few scattered cedars
and aspens. From the immediate foot of the
peak, we were two hours in reaching the summit, and one hour
and a quarter descending. The day had been very bright,
still, and clear, and spring seems to be advancing rapidly.
While the sun is in the sky, the snow melts rapidly, and
gushing springs cover the face of the mountain in all the
exposed places; but their surface freezes instantly with the
disappearance of the sun."
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A Special to
longcamp.com
Route IV: The
Ascent of Red Lake Peak
Peter
Lathrop, Carson City
 
Preuss and Fremont's
Valentine's Day
Fremont and Preuss who "ascended...the highest
peak to the right" as shown in Preuss's Longcamp
View sighted Lake Tahoe on the 14th. Various peaks
and the routes to them have been put forth to fit
Fremont's description. Some authorities claim
Stevens Peak, others the north peak or south peak
of Red Lake Peak (RLP). The most common route given
to the latter is from the Carson Pass area. The
clues given by Fremont to the location of their
view of Lake Tahoe are few, but enough. They had a
view of both the lake to the north; as well as the
Sacramento Valley and the Coast Range to the west.
The rocks at the summit are described as
being "of a very course dark volcanic conglomerate"
while those of "the lower parts appear to be of a
slaty structure." He describes the highest trees as
"a few scattering cedars and aspens". They left
from "the immediate foot of the peak" and "were two
hours in reaching the summit, and one hour and a
quarter in descending". We also have Preuss's map
and his View from Longcamp as clues by both what he
did and did not observe.
Our first clue is Fremont's statement based on
Preuss's View. Red Lake Peak is clearly in the
view, but not Stevens Peak. The second clue is the
view they had. The view of Tahoe is actually pretty
much the same from all three peaks due to
intervening ridges. The main argument for Stevens
peak is the line "a mountain lake at our feet". But
the lake is not at the foot of Stevens Peak any
more than it is at Red Lake's. The term "at our
feet" more likely denotes that the lake was far
below them. The view of the lake from Stevens Peak
is actually not much better than the view from Red
Lake Peak; in fact the best view is from the ridge
(RLP Shoulder) southwest of RLP. I have toyed with
the idea of them following the route to Lady Bug
Ridge hence to the South Shoulder of RLP which
gives the best view of Lake Tahoe, but neither the
botany (mixed conifers above the junipers) nor
geology (they would have encountered granite
outcrops) match. The ridge beyond Stevens Peak is
not shown correctly on the map because that view
from RLP would have been blocked by the equal
elevation of Stevens Peak. If they had climbed to
Steven Peak then that ridge, Waterhouse, and Freel
Peaks would be more accurately shown. The
Sacramento Valley is best seen from the south peak
of RLP, the view from Stevens is somewhat blocked
by the ridge they would travel on February 21. It
is possible, but highly improbable that they
climbed up the sheer vertical "volcanic
conglomerate" in moccasins to the very narrow,
uneven top of the north peak for a view that is no
better than that from the south peak, but Fremont
reports nothing of the kind. The snow-covered peaks
of the Coastal Range they saw were most likely
Goat, Snow, and St. John Mountains in the Mendocino
National Forest.
The geology is the next clue. Fremont's "very
course, dark volcanic conglomerate" well describes
the Relief Peak Formation flow breccias found on
RLP from below Lady Bug Ridge to the very top
ridge. Stevens Peak is made up of blocks of the
vertically joined andesite, which is also volcanic,
but very different in structure. Rocks of a "slaty
structure" are very rare in the Carson Pass area
being found only in certain spots in the
metamorphic roof pendants. I have only found such
flat slate like rocks on the relatively level area
above and within the steep juniper covered ridge
due south of RLP just below one of the Gaz EX
avalanche control units. My daughter and I enjoyed
testing the aerodynamics of these flat rocks over
the steep slope to the south.
See Frémont as a geologist.
The description of the trees also leads to this
particular location, as there is a large grove of
Western Juniper, Fremont's cedars, along
this ridge from just below from the above location
of the "slaty" rocks to the bottom of that ridge.
In fact this is the largest stand of junipers in
the area of The Pass, although there is a much
smaller grove above the north parking lot. The
peaks are too high for aspens, but they would have
been found where Red Lake now exists. In fact
aspens do extend from the north shore of the lake
up the slope of RLP and across the highway along
the proposed route given below. It is of interest
that pine trees are not mentioned. Stevens, the
north peak of RLP, and the south shoulder of RLP
have thick stands of Whitebark Pine near their
summits, but even if they followed the route given
here they would have seen few pines above the
junipers but none from there to the peak. It has
been my experience that by the time one has climbed
up the snow gully and the steep ridge exhaustion
had diminished the importance of tree
identification.
Some books on hikes in Alpine County have stated
that Fremont's view of Lake Tahoe was from Stevens
Peak; however, as previously mentioned, the view,
geology, and plant descriptions don't match that
peak. Furthermore, as an author on hiking should
notice, it would be a mile and a half out of their
way in the wrong direction to get to Stevens coming
from Longcamp. This leaves RLP. The abundant pine
trees covering the north peak and in the cirque
argue against that location as does the extra
distance of having to cross the steep, snow covered
cirque due east of RLP. As mentioned before going
up from Carson Pass to the north peak also does not
agree with the geology or the tree description.
 I
therefore propose a different route, one that the
rest of the party partly followed to Ladybug ridge
on the 20th. The two routes diverged at
38°42'18"N 119°59'16"W. (The following
coordinates will have the same degrees and minutes
for both latitude and longitude so I will only give
the seconds for both.) Fremont and Preuss
climbed up the steep rocky ridge to 27"N-13"W,
through the region of Western Junipers and rocks of
a "slaty structure" (see collected sample).
They continued up this open, snow free ridge to the
saddle at 36"N-05"W, where they turned northwest
following that ridge up to the base of the volcanic
cliff at 39"N-12"W. They then made a westerly
transverse beneath the rocky cliff below the south
peak to 40"N-21"W, where they climbed up and over
to the easier west slope, which they then followed
to "the highest peak". I found this route to be the
only one that agrees with all aspects of Fremont's
report and Preuss's renderings. I have followed
this route, as well as all of the others, in winter
snow conditions similar to Fremont's and found it
to be no more difficult or daunting than the other
routes. Fremont would have been able to see and
plan out this route from Butterfly Butte on the
6th, as well as from Longcamp. They would have had
a good view of the snow free open area of Lady Bug
Ridge where I believe they all camped on the 20th
from this route.
See on Google Maps
Peter Lathrop on the final ascent to the summit of
Carson Pass
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