Red Baldy and Twin Peaks Loop via Silver Glance Lake in Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT

Hike Red Baldy and Twin Peaks Loop via Silver Glance Lake Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT

Class 3 11.1 miles 5100 gain 6-8 hrs Loop Oct 24, 2017
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude
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Red Baldy and Twin Peaks Loop via Silver Glance Lake GPX Track

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The snow has held up pretty well in the Wasatch the last week, so why not hit a couple more of the Wasatch 11ers (11,000 foot peaks)? This traverse of the Red Baldy, Red Top Mountain, and Twin Peaks (American Fork) was perfect.

From the Silver Lake Trailhead, follow the well-traveled trail to Silver Lake, which is gorgeous, before heading up a faint but definitely visible trail just to the east of Silver Lake to Silver Glance Lake. From here, a grassy slope is visible leading to a low point in the ridge. Take this grassy slope until it turns into a talus field, and then head northwest toward the low point in the saddle, following a steeper grassy slope. Once on the saddle, notice the intimidating White Baldy to the west before continuing east up Class 2, and maybe easy Class 3, before hitting the Red Baldy summit where you can see the rest of your route. It's as fun and long as it looks.

From the summit of Red Baldy, head down the increasingly difficult Class 3 ridge to the saddle with Red Top Mountain, where the route becomes significantly less technical for the rest of the route, usually just inovlving Class 2 scrambling on talus. The Class 3 section is straighforward and fun, but be careful of massive rock blocks that may look solid, and are in fact not.

From the Red Top Mountain summit, follow a gorgeous ridge of easy walking to the summits of both Twin Peaks. These are the American Fork Twin Peaks, not to be confused with the Broads Fork Twin Peaks. From the eastern of the Twin Peaks, head south along the ridge on a visible trail that leads down to a dirt road. This dirt road continues for over five miles back to the trailhead. We did almost the entirety of it in the dark, but were grateful it was there since we started our day at 1pm. There is one section where the road goes down into a bowl past a cabin, but you should keep along the ridge along a trail to avoid an extra mile of road switchbacks. At other sections, it may be tempting to cut road switchbacks, but none of them really seem worth it. It's a long road slog back, but worth it for sure for the amazing Red Baldy, Red Mountain, Twin Peaks traverse.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Red Baldy
11171 ft
451 rise
2
Red Top
11360 ft
120 rise
3
American Fork Twin Peaks
11489 ft
3649 rise
4
American Fork Twin Peaks-East Peak
11433 ft
113 rise

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The view looking back toward Mt. Timpanogos from the trailhead.
The view looking back toward Mt. Timpanogos from the trailhead.
Along the Silver Lake Trail.
Along the Silver Lake Trail.
Along the Silver Lake Trail.
Along the Silver Lake Trail.
Image 3 from gallery
Image 4 from gallery
Silver Lake.
Silver Lake.
Maybe October is a little too late to get in...
Maybe October is a little too late to get in...
Above Silver Lake headed toward Silver Glance Lake on a faint trail.
Above Silver Lake headed toward Silver Glance Lake on a faint trail.
Looking back toward Silver Lake.
Looking back toward Silver Lake.
Image 9 from gallery
Red Baldy ahead!
Red Baldy ahead!
Silver Glance Lake in front of Red Baldy.
Silver Glance Lake in front of Red Baldy.
Silver Glance Lake
Silver Glance Lake
Image 13 from gallery
Continuing up the grassy slope.
Continuing up the grassy slope.
Looking back toward Silver Glance Lake.
Looking back toward Silver Glance Lake.
Image 16 from gallery
We chose to stay left of the white granite to gain the ridge.
We chose to stay left of the white granite to gain the ridge.
Steep ending to gain the ridge.
Steep ending to gain the ridge.
On the ridge, looking back toward White Baldy, Pfeifferhorn on the right.
On the ridge, looking back toward White Baldy, Pfeifferhorn on the right.
Pfeifferhorn left, White Pine Lake below.
Pfeifferhorn left, White Pine Lake below.
Heading up toward Red Baldy.
Heading up toward Red Baldy.
Looking back toward Silver Glance Lake, Silver Lake visible farther below, and Silver Lake Flat Reservoir (the trailhead) farther back.
Looking back toward Silver Glance Lake, Silver Lake visible farther below, and Silver Lake Flat Reservoir (the trailhead) farther back.
Some Class 2+ stuff leading to Red Baldy.
Some Class 2+ stuff leading to Red Baldy.
A mini peak before reaching Red Baldy.
A mini peak before reaching Red Baldy.
Looking back along the ridge.
Looking back along the ridge.
Long way to go! Red Baldy just ahead, left is Red Top, center are both Twin Peaks, right is the ridge we descend on later.
Long way to go! Red Baldy just ahead, left is Red Top, center are both Twin Peaks, right is the ridge we descend on later.
Approaching the summit of Red Baldy.
Approaching the summit of Red Baldy.
Looking ahead from the summit of Red Baldy.
Looking ahead from the summit of Red Baldy.
View looking south, toward Mt. Timp.
View looking south, toward Mt. Timp.
A gap in the traverse, requiring a slightly more technical move.
A gap in the traverse, requiring a slightly more technical move.
Looking back toward the roughest section of Class 3.
Looking back toward the roughest section of Class 3.
Image 32 from gallery
Image 33 from gallery
Looking back toward our progress from Red Baldy.
Looking back toward our progress from Red Baldy.
Mike descending a snowy gully toward the saddle.
Mike descending a snowy gully toward the saddle.
Close-up of Mike in the gully.
Close-up of Mike in the gully.
Easy going Class 2 from here on.
Easy going Class 2 from here on.
Looking back toward all the Class 3, Red Baldy top right.
Looking back toward all the Class 3, Red Baldy top right.
Looking back from the saddle.
Looking back from the saddle.
Looking back along the ridge.
Looking back along the ridge.
Class 2 scrambling to the summit of Red Top.
Class 2 scrambling to the summit of Red Top.
Image 42 from gallery
Image 43 from gallery
Image 44 from gallery
Summit of Red Top Mountain.
Summit of Red Top Mountain.
Looking over toward Twin Peaks from Red Top Mountain summit.
Looking over toward Twin Peaks from Red Top Mountain summit.
Looking back toward Red Top Mountain.
Looking back toward Red Top Mountain.
Summit of West Twin Peaks.
Summit of West Twin Peaks.
View north toward Alta from the summit of East Twin Peaks.
View north toward Alta from the summit of East Twin Peaks.
Heading down toward our descent ridge.
Heading down toward our descent ridge.
Closeup of our descent ridge.
Closeup of our descent ridge.
Looking back toward Twin Peaks (west on the left, east on the right).
Looking back toward Twin Peaks (west on the left, east on the right).
Image 53 from gallery
Image 54 from gallery
Image 55 from gallery
Image 56 from gallery
It got too dark for photos, but this dirt road is really easy to follow and very pretty for the next 5+ miles. There is one spot where a trail leaves the road for a half mile to avoid a bunch of switchbacks.
It got too dark for photos, but this dirt road is really easy to follow and very pretty for the next 5+ miles. There is one spot where a trail leaves the road for a half mile to avoid a bunch of switchbacks.

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!

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