Spanish Needle

Climbing Spanish Needle

Spring climb in a heavy snow year - 15.5 hours starting at 4:30 am at the PCT intersection with Canebrake Road. Battery ran out before rappel from the summit - if you plan to get down this way bring a long enough rope - we had to do 2 rappels which was NOT fun on that icy slope!
  • Trailhead:

    Canebrake Road is graded dirt that is easy passable by 2wd passenger cars, but don't expect to go much more than 35 mph, and usually slower. The PCT crosses Canebrake Road 0.2 miles south of Chimney Peak Campground. Other than a small sign on the west side of the road indicating the distance the the campground, there isn't anything to mark the trail crossing. There are two spots to pull completely off the road, but other than that, no obvious parking. If you're there in the off season and nobody else is around, you can probably get away with parking on the side of the road, just pull over as far as you can so you don't block traffic.

  • Difficulty:

    Very difficult climb especially with some unnerving ice and a rappel.

  • Aesthetic Rating:

    The ridge traverse to the summit is very esthetic. The summit has great views of Owens Valley and the Souther sierra.

  • Distance:

    13 miles round trip with 3,000 ft. of elevation gain.

  • Type:

    Dayhike

Sierra Nevada Hikes
Sierra Nevada Hikes
Sierra Nevada Hikes

EXPLORE THE WORLD

The Earth Beneath Your Feet is your guide to hiking, backpacking,
and mountaineering in California and beyond.