Castle Peak Hike

Please change your RSVP to "not going" if you change your mind about coming.

We tend to keep moving and often spread out during hikes, so I prefer smaller groups so that I can keep track of how many are behind me. I will stop periodically to regroup if I haven't seen the people behind me for a while, especially at intersections and any place people might get lost. People who get ahead of me should do the same.

Go here for the Ten Essentials. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials) Not everyone brings all ten for every hike, but everyone should at least bring extra water, extra food, extra clothing, and a head lamp or flashlight on every hike.

Facilities on the hike: none.

The hike should be 6 miles out and back with about 1700 feet elevation gain. It's a challenging hike which gets steeper the higher you go. The top is at 9100 feet, so if altitude sickness is a problem for you, this might not be a hike for you. It could also be quite cold and windy at the top. Reports from yesterday indicate the trail is mostly free of snow with some at top, but no micro-spikes needed. Here is a trail map with an elevation profile.

Driving to the trailhead is easy. Drive about two hours on I 80, get off at exit 176 and turn left to go under the freeway to the trailhead. Here is a Google map to the trailhead which includes a stop in Citrus Heights for me to pick up two friends.