Olancha Peak

Olancha Peak 12,132′
Sierra Nevada
Total Time: 11:10
Distance: 19.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 7800′
Crux: Class 2
Trailhead: Sage Flat/ Olancha Pass, no services

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Olancha Peak is the southern sentinel of the Sierra Nevada. I’ve driven past it dozens of times along the 395, the first major alpine summit towering over the town of Olancha, letting you know you’ve arrived to the high Sierra. Not only is it the southern most major alpine summit in the Sierra, but also boasts over 3,000′ of prominence and is one of 15 Sierra Club Emblem Peaks in the range. Despite these accolades, I had yet to climb it, always envisioning it as a snow climb to be saved for spring. I mentally marked a day off on the calendar in April to go for it, but our incredibly warm spring meant the snow pack in the Sierra was closer to June than April, and my spring ascent would have little flavor of a snow climb. I slept in my car at the trailhead, waking up a bit after 4 AM to give myself plenty of time for the drive home. One final winter storm blew through the day before, although the bulk of the precipitation that fell was in the Northern Sierra and there was little more than a dusting at treeline as I started up the trail. The trailhead features a stock camp, and the trail is popular with both backcountry horse trips along with the occasional cattle drive into the high country during the warm months. Because of this, the trail is in pretty horrible shape, braided by use trails of cows that break off from the herd and plenty of manure along the way. There was supposedly a hiker specific trail that I never found in the dark, trudging up the dusty steep path in the canyon by headlamp. Although steep, the more direct line likely saved me some mileage on the day, my anticipated 23 miles dropping closer to 20 when it was all said and done. The winds were strong as the sun rose, partly due to temperature and inversion and partly due to the storm clouds still lingering in Owens Valley as well as along the east side of the Sierra. In fact, I seemed to be in the only cloudless pocket looking in any direction, which I hoped would hold for the day.

I reached the pass shortly after 7 AM, the sun starting to warm the highcountry and melt the hoarfrost that coated the trees and grasses. From the pass I continued north, reaching a stock camp near Summit Creek where I briefly lost the trail in the thin layer of snow and various use trails throughout the camp. I picked up the trail on the far side of the stock pen, continuing north at a junction to bring me to PCT.

Once on the PCT, the route steadily climbed through a high alpine meadow with boulders and a thin stream, welcome flowing water to top off my water bottles later on the descent. I continued along the PCT until I reached about 10,500′, Olancha Peak rising through the trees above. Although the summit was less than a mile away, it was over 1,600′ of steep talus hopping to reach it.

I started up, the views quickly opening up to the Mount Langley and the Kaweahs to the north and northwest, Kern Peak to the west and Domelands to the south. Although there was some ice on the rocks, the majority had already melted out. Not counting the drive up to Mauna Kea earlier this month, it was the highest I had been since my snowy climb up Mount Tunnabora in the December, and I was certainly feeling the altitude.

I was hoping the final 1,600′ of ascent would take me and hour but it was closer to an hour and a half by the time I topped out on the summit. It was the first view I had of Owens Valley since the morning, the summit dramatically dropping over 8,000′ to dusty Owens Lake in the Valley below. There were storm clouds draped across the Inyo Mountains with scattered clouds breaking off a wall to the west and moving overhead. Even in the highest summits to the north, including Mount Langley, the nearest 14,000′ summit, the snow pack was already quite low for the season. I took a long break at the summit, finding a register tucked under a ledge, finding I was the fourth person up for the year.

Dropping off, I was hoping to boot ski down the scree for a rapid descent. Unfortunately there was a bit too many boulders to do so with any efficiency, although I did make up some time as I reached the PCT.

Retracing my steps, I stopped in the high meadow to filter a liter of water to get me back to the trailhead. Not long after I passed a PCT thru hiker, my first of the season. It seemed quite early to be this far north, and he told me he had started March 1st, taking advantage of the low snow year. Apparently there was a small group already as far north as Bishop, having been up Whitney and over Forester Pass so early in the season. We parted ways as he continued north and I returned south, reaching Olancha Pass at about 2:30 PM. My main goal was to be able to stop into Indian Wells Brewing before they closed at 5 PM, about 30 minutes south of the trailhead. So I picked up the pace, initially finding the hikers trail above the cattle trail, hugging the north side of the canyon above the dusty track below. It became quickly evident that the hikers trail was considerably longer, switch backing high above the canyon several hundred feet above the more direct line below. Eventually, I reached the unfortunate combination of hungry and inpatient and boot skied directly down slope to meet back up with the cattle trail. I met up with a single track line instead, although it’s unclear if it was the same hikers trail, eventually meeting the cattle trail at an indistinct unsigned junction. Back on the wide trail, I quickened my pace further, half jogging the final switchbacks and reaching my car shortly before 4 PM. After a quick change, I headed out down Sage Flats Road and back to the 395 for a quick stop at Indian Wells before heading back to Coarsegold.