Split Mountain: Shortest Longest Hike

Split Mountain: The shortest longest hike/climb I have ever done

Split Mountain (14,064 ft / 4,285 m) stands as one of California’s impressive 14ers, offering a unique challenge that combines off-road driving, backcountry navigation, and high-altitude climbing.

The Approach: Red Lake Trailhead

The adventure begins long before the climbing starts. The Red Lake trailhead, is accessible only by a 4WD road that tests both driver and vehicle. There were a few some tense moments navigating the boulder-strewn sections and steep washouts.

Road Notes:

• High-clearance 4WD vehicle absolutely required
• 7+ miles of increasingly difficult terrain
• Allow 1-2 hours from the highway to trailhead
• Several stream crossings (seasonal)
• GPS (phones may or may not work) navigation essential as the route isn’t always obvious

The road culminates at approximately 8,500 feet, where a small clearing marks the trailhead. We arrived early afternoon, and started towards base camp.

The Hike to Base Camp

The trail to Red Lake gains about 2,000 feet over 4 miles. While not technically difficult, the trail is only clear for about half the trip. Which is about where we went off trail, and a hike that should have been 3-4 hours, took us five and we made camp after dark. And it was cold.

We reached a great camp spot just before Red Lake, and as it turns out, we stayed out of the wind.

Summit Day

We began our summit attempt late, at 8:30 AM, because weren’t sure if it was going to rain, and we were both pretty beat up from the hike in. The route follows the obvious northeast slope, transitioning from class 2 scrambling to more exposed class 3 terrain as you approach the summit ridge. Nearly every step taken, was unstable and had to be done with caution.

The crux of the climb comes at approximately 13,500 feet, where a series of steep chutes require careful navigation. We chose the central chute, which offered more solid rock but steeper climbing. The exposure here is text-book class 3 climbing.

After navigating the chute, we emerged onto the summit ridge, where the mountain reveals how it earned its name. The ridge is indeed “split,” with dramatic drops on either side creating a knife-edge traverse to the true summit.

The Summit

We reached the summit at about 1:30 PM, rewarded with one of the most spectacular panoramas in the Sierra. To the west, the Palisade Glacier and the jagged skyline of the Palisade Crest. To the east, the vast expanse of Owens Valley and the White Mountains beyond. The summit register showed only a handful of visitors in the past month—a testament to Split Mountain’s remote character.

After 30 minutes on top (and the obligatory summit photos), we retraced our route down the northeast slope, taking extra care on the loose scree sections.

The descent to Red Lake took about 3 hours, and we arrived back at camp with enough daylight to rest before dinner. Rather than rush out the same day, we opted for a second night at Red Lake, allowing us to enjoy the alpine setting and recover from the summit push.

The Rough Hike Out

The hike out the following day was not straightforward, what should have been a quick hike out, was not. We got off trail (again), and this time descended down toward the river coming from Red Lake. Which meant we had to hike north to re-gain all of the elevation we just lost, before we could hike east and back to the trailhead.

Tips for Split Mountain

For those considering this climb, here are my key takeaways:

1. Vehicle Preparation: Ensure your 4WD has good tires, adequate clearance, and ideally a full-size spare. The road is unforgiving.

2. Weather Awareness: Split Mountain creates its own weather systems. Start early and be off the summit by noon to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.

3. Route Finding: Very little part of this hike/climb allowed for those head down moments, where the trail is clear. There are few trail markers, and the ones that are there, were not reliable. Take your time, and be constantly checking if you’re on or off trail.