Pfeifferhorn and White Baldy via Red and White Pine Lakes Loop in Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT

Hike Pfeifferhorn and White Baldy via Red and White Pine Lakes Loop Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT

Class 3 12.9 miles 4400 gain 6-8 hrs Loop Sep 20, 2015
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude
Directions
Route Map
Download GPX

Pfeifferhorn and White Baldy via Red and White Pine Lakes Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Add to Cart
View Cart

A straightforward ascent using the popular Red Pine Lake Trail led to Red Pine Lake, the gorgeous peaks to come for this route visible ahead. A social trail leads on the east side of the lake and ascends a minor ridge to its south. First leading through the forest, the ridge quickly becomes rocky and open, the route clear as I ascended. Once at the ridge, a trail continued to the peak's east ridge, where some Class 2+ scrambling led up to the Pfeifferhorn summit. You can make this a shorter hike by only doing Pfeifferhorn and going back down to Red Pine Lake. White Baldy is really what makes this a harder, but more interesting day.

I headed back along the standard Pfeifferhorn route that I ascended, but rather than drop down on the somewhat popular trail, I looked across to White Baldy. Its white rock was impressive. It was still early in the day, so I decided to just start up the peak along the very slow-moving Class 2 ridgeline. I encountered some Class 2+/3 moves on the talus, but overall it was just a fun scramble to the summit. After coming all the way up, it was hard to look down at White Pine Lake and not try a route to make this lovely ridgeline into a loop hike somehow. Plus, returning the way I had come seemed silly since it was time-consuming.

I dropped down the east side of White Baldy and, without really thinking about it, descended off the north ridge onto a very, very steep and ill-advised slope. I moved slowly, encountering some snow and just picking my way down. I excluded this from my attached route because it was dangerous and loose. The standard route is Class 3+ with some cryptic route-finding and descends on more talus to the saddle on the east side of White Baldy before continung down more talus to join with the White Pine Lake Trail. I then descended via the White Pine Lake Trail down to the trailhead on an old road converted into a trail.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Pfeifferhorn
11326 ft
766 rise
2
White Baldy
11321 ft
641 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Image 0 from gallery
Image 1 from gallery
The turnoff (left) toward Red Pine Lake.
The turnoff (left) toward Red Pine Lake.
En route to Red Pine Lake.
En route to Red Pine Lake.
Red Pine Lake with White Baldy in the background (left), and Pfeifferhorn (right).
Red Pine Lake with White Baldy in the background (left), and Pfeifferhorn (right).
Image 5 from gallery
Opposite side of Red Pine Lake on the way to Pfeifferhorn ridge.
Opposite side of Red Pine Lake on the way to Pfeifferhorn ridge.
Image 7 from gallery
White Baldy from the mini scramble to the ridge.
White Baldy from the mini scramble to the ridge.
Image 9 from gallery
Looking down toward Red Pine Lake.
Looking down toward Red Pine Lake.
Image 11 from gallery
Image 12 from gallery
Image 13 from gallery
Image 14 from gallery
Pfeifferhorn in the distance.
Pfeifferhorn in the distance.
Pfeifferhorn summit looks harder than it is.
Pfeifferhorn summit looks harder than it is.
Image 17 from gallery
Image 18 from gallery
Image 19 from gallery
Some Class 2+ scrambling toward the top of Pfeifferhorn.
Some Class 2+ scrambling toward the top of Pfeifferhorn.
Looking west from the Pfiefferhorn summit.
Looking west from the Pfiefferhorn summit.
Pfeifferhorn summit looking toward the ridge to White Baldy.
Pfeifferhorn summit looking toward the ridge to White Baldy.
Along the ridge to White Baldy after coming down from Pfiefferhorn.
Along the ridge to White Baldy after coming down from Pfiefferhorn.
Looking at Pfeifferohrn from along the White Baldy ridge.
Looking at Pfeifferohrn from along the White Baldy ridge.
Red Pine Lake (left), White Pine Lake (right), which is becoming visible!
Red Pine Lake (left), White Pine Lake (right), which is becoming visible!
Continuing along the super fun ridge to White Baldy.
Continuing along the super fun ridge to White Baldy.
Image 27 from gallery
Looking back at the ridge I came on from the Pfeifferhorn.
Looking back at the ridge I came on from the Pfeifferhorn.
Last bit of scrambling to the White Baldy summit. You can leave the ridgeline and stay on solid ground to bypass a lot of scrambling the right of the ridge.
Last bit of scrambling to the White Baldy summit. You can leave the ridgeline and stay on solid ground to bypass a lot of scrambling the right of the ridge.
Summit of White Baldy looking down at Red Pine Lake (left), and White Pine Lake (right).
Summit of White Baldy looking down at Red Pine Lake (left), and White Pine Lake (right).
Red Baldy and Twin Peaks to the east.
Red Baldy and Twin Peaks to the east.
Looking back toward White Baldy after coming down from the summit. I dropped early off the ridge and took the steep slope down. I wouldn't recommend going this way. Continue on the ridgeline for a while until the going down looks more reasonable.
Looking back toward White Baldy after coming down from the summit. I dropped early off the ridge and took the steep slope down. I wouldn't recommend going this way. Continue on the ridgeline for a while until the going down looks more reasonable.
My contrived route down from the summit to get to White Pine Lake. This is not reflected in the map attached.
My contrived route down from the summit to get to White Pine Lake. This is not reflected in the map attached.
Looking back toward West Pass (center), White Baldy summit far right, my route was in the high part of that snowy section somewhere (dumb). I would recommend you head down to near the pass instead before heading off the ridge.
Looking back toward West Pass (center), White Baldy summit far right, my route was in the high part of that snowy section somewhere (dumb). I would recommend you head down to near the pass instead before heading off the ridge.
Image 35 from gallery
White Pine Lake.
White Pine Lake.
White Pine Lake looking back toward White Baldy.
White Pine Lake looking back toward White Baldy.
Image 38 from gallery
Image 39 from gallery
Image 40 from gallery
White Baldy in the distance.
White Baldy in the distance.
Image 42 from gallery

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Hire me!
PayPal
Venmo
Cash App