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Hiking to the 12,900-foot summit of Cirque Peak
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Cirque Peak
Cirque Peak can be reached from either the Cottonwood Pass Trail or the Cottonwood Lakes Trail. The mountain rises to separate the two, straddling the divide of the Golden Trout and John Muir Wildernesses. The summit bosts an excellent panorama with a good look at Mount Langley to the north, the Cottonwood Lakes to the east, and a wide view across the southern sierras to the Great Western Divide.
- Seen from Cirque Peak: Smoke from the Shotgun Fire blankets the Great Western Divide over the fourth of July
Looking down on Big Whitney Meadow and across the Golden Trout Wilderness
By far the easiest approach to Cirque Peak is from New Army Pass. The pass is 7.5-miles from the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead and at 12,300 feet, it is just 600 feet beneath the summit. The toughest part of this route will be hiking up to the pass, because from there, it is little more than a walk to the top.
Head west from the pass across a trail-less landscape of rock and sand. Follow the ridgeline as it turns south toward the peak, staying west of the crest to avoid the larger rocks. Continue beneath a series of false peaks and save your ascent for true summit. Cirque Peak is about two miles from the pass and will not put up much of a challenge to anyone who has made it that far up the trail.
Looking down on the Cottonwood Lakes
There are two other approaches worth noting:
Hikers can make the ascent from Cirque Lake or Chicken Spring Lake. Both options require about two miles of off-trail trekking and some Class 2 scrambling. These routes meet up at the saddle south of Cirque Peak and take the summit from there.
From Cirque Lake at the end of Old Cottonwood Creek Trail, hikers must cross a short but tiresome boulder field to get to the base of the mountain. Look up and choose a path. Loose gravel and rocks can add a little extra effort to the climb to the saddle. Descending this slope is much easier.
Looking south from Cirque Peak: Olancha Peak is on the horizon and Horseshoe Meadow is to the left
Those who ascend Cirque Peak by hiking the Cottonwood Lakes Trail out to New Army Pass may wish to return to Horseshoe Meadow by dropping down to Cirque Lake to the Old Cottonwood Creek Trail. This is the shortest route between the trailhead and the peak.
The Old Cottonwood Creek Trail fizzles out on the hillside north of Cirque Lake, so picking it up is a little tricky. If you are descending from Cirque Peak, circle to the north side of the lake. About eighty yards from the east end, turn left and head up the hillside. Once you find the trail, it is easy to follow down to the South Fork Lakes. See the Old Cottonwood Creek Trail for more information on the trip back to Horseshoe Meadow.
The cross-peak route between the two trails
To get to Cirque Peak: Make your way to Horseshoe Meadow and set out on either the Cottonwood Pass Trail, the Old Cottonwood Creek Trail, or the Cottonwood Lakes Trail.
View Hiking the Sierra Nevadas in a larger map
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