Hogsback
Deadman Point P300
Shakespeare Point
White Hill ^2x

I was back in the Lake Tahoe region for another three days, primarily to work on summits on the Nevada side of the lake. I stopped in the Lovers Leap area off US50 in CA on my way to the lake in order to pick up a minor summit I had left there. On my drive to Nevada afterwards, I picked up a PCTer near Twin Bridges and shuttled him to South Lake Tahoe. It'd been 6-7 days since he'd last bathed and was pretty ripe, but left no lasting mark on the Jeep. We had a fine conversation about life, working, not working and the like before I dropped him off at the Safeway in town. After the two summits in Nevada, I headed to Carson City to wait out the heat of the day at a Starbucks. It was 83F lake side when I finished and 93F in Carson City. Whoo-boy...

Hogsback

This is a small granite ridge/dome between US50 and Lovers Leap. The Pony Express Trail runs between the two features, making for the easiest access. The trail can be picked up at the Lovers Leap Campground, but it's $10 for day use parking. The spur road leading to the campground is signed for No Parking on either side. Instead, I parked before this, on Strawberry Lane just past the junction with the spur road. There is ample parking for 6-7 vehicles here, all legal-like. I then walked the short distance up the spur road, through the campground and onto the trail. The distance to the summit is less than a mile from where I parked and made for an easy morning outing before it started getting warm. The trail follows up a dry creekbed, somewhat rocky. The cross-country is easy, thanks to the Caldor Fire, though it doesn't look like it was hard before that. The slope is moderately steep and sandy, but fairly short. The rocky ridgeline looks something like the back of a wild hog, thus the name. It makes for an easy hike/scramble along the ridge to reach the highpoint at the northeast end. I reached the summit in less than 30min, finding nice views of Lovers Leap to the south and the American River drainage looking west and east. Most of the area was torched in the Caldor Fire last summit, save for the areas around the riverside cabins that the firefighters managed to save. The north side of Hogsback is quite steep - I suspect (but don't know) that there are established climbing routes on that face. I dropped back down to the trail via an alternate route, then followed it back out. I paused at a large historical boulder called Monks Rock to see if I could climb it. I could not. There is a good start on the back(north)side, with some shelves that get one around to the west side and halfway up. There is then an 8-foot vertical chimney that is class 4-5. My leg wasn't cooperating and I didn't want to make it worse, so I didn't finish. Darn. It wasn't really dangerous, just too strenuous for my left leg. On the hike back, I heard only one set of climbers shouting commands to each other, but it was still early. Other climbing parties were getting ready to start out when I went back through the campground and parking lot.

Deadman Point

This was the only summit on the day with any real prominence. Deadman Point is found north of the private community of Glenbrook, west of Spooner Summit. The peak and lands to the north are part of Toiyabe National Forest. TRs on PB approach from the north off SR28 at the head of Slaughterhouse Canyon, about 2mi each way. I decided to see if I couldn't approach from the south, where it's only about 2/3mi from the edge of Glenbrook. The trick here is getting access to the private community. I pulled up to the entrance gate off US50 and asked the young attendant if I could drive in for the purposes of hiking. He replied, "I don't mind if you do, but they do," as his eyes rolled to the side to indicate the folks that live there. I then asked if I could hike or ride a bike inside which prompted the reply, "I can't stop you." I liked this guy. That was all I needed. I made a U-turn and parked back out on US50 on the uber-wide shoulder on the west side. I then pulled the bike parts out of the Jeep, reassembled them, grabbed my gear and headed into Glenbrook. I waived to the attendant as I rode by.

The place is home to the historic Glenbrook Inn, a nine-hole golf course, a private bay, beach, pier and harbor, and some swanky homes. Living here is not cheap. They don't like unwelcomed visitors, but everyone I passed as I rode through town was friendly enough. I locked the bike to the start of the trail that runs north through Slaugtherhouse Canyon. Deadman Point lies on the high ridge separating the canyon from Lake Tahoe. I'd spent 15min riding the bike, then about 45min to make my way up the summit of Deadman Point. Moderately steep, but no real bushwhacking on the cross-country.

From PB reports, I knew there were two summit blocks about 1/3mi apart, each class 3-5, depending on the report. The north summit has some steel rods planted near the top that can be used as handholds to gain the summit. My leg didn't like the reachy moves, so I didn't use them. Instead, I found a narrow ledge/rock on the west side that I could stand on to mantle my way to the top, no aide required. I found a reference mark nearby, but it appears the benchmark that was on the top has been removed. Views to the lake are partially blocked by trees. I then made may way along the connecting ridgeline to the northern summit. Btw, Marcus Sierra mentions that the two points have different numbers of contours on the topo map - this is not true - the south has just as many, but it's smaller and easy to miss. My GPSr measured the two points to be within a foot or two of each other, so best to visit both. The northern block was reported as difficult but with a tree that helps. The tree is on the north side, but it looked awkward. Instead, I found two class 3 routes that worked nicely. The west side has the lowest angle up the block, but has lichen and one move that feels a little insecure. The south side is steeper but has features and no lichen and felt more secure. Neither felt like injury would result in a fall - the block is only about 8ft high. I took a few more pictures from the southern block, then dropped off the east side of the ridge.

The descent was straightforward, no bushwhacking to return to the trail. The trail I landed on wasn't the old road that follows up the canyon near the bottom (described by Dean Gaudet), but the two eventually intersected as I continued descending. I then followed the old road back to the Glenbrook boundary, and to the bike. I was back by 1p, about two and a quarter hours for the whole outing.

Shakespeare Point

I had originally planned to follow Bob Pickering's track from the northeast, about a mile each way, but noticed that Shakespeare Point's summit was only 1/3mi from where I parked for the previous peak. So after packing the bike back in the Jeep, I crossed the busy highway and went up steep slopes, no bushwhacking, almost directly to the summit from the west. I landed on the ridge between the two summit (yes, this one has two as well), then turned north to reach the class 2 summit rocks (much smaller rocks than Deadman Point). It has a great view of Glenbrook to the north, and the lake to the west. Other views are so-so due to trees. I paid a visit to the less-interesting south summit and then retreated back down the way I'd come up. Just over an hour for the roundtrip effort.

It wasn't long after 2p, but it was too warm and I didn't feel like climbing any more peaks in the heat. I had a 22mi day planned for tomorrow, so I could use the extra rest. Off to Starbucks and some air-conditioning...

White Hill

Around 6p I decided to venture back out, primarily to drive back up to Spooner Summit and then to White Hill where I planned to spend the night. I had used the same spot a month ago, finding it one of the better ones I'd run across in the Tahoe region. I whiled away the remaining daylight hours at the end of the spur road overlooking Lake Tahoe. I had a shower, then Happy Hour, snacks, dinner and a fine sunset. Just before I hit the sack I wandered the short distance to the top of White Hill for some stat padding.

Continued...

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