Sundog, up or down?

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SikYou
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Sundog, up or down?

Post by SikYou »

I'm looking at adding Sundog to an upcoming trip and I'd like some opinions on whether to ascend or descend the north ridge. I'll be completing a loop with Sunshine and Redcloud as the primary objective but it looks like Sundog would be a great addition to this trip. I can't find a ton of info on this 13er but it looks like most people descend the north ridge. I would rather get the more difficult terrain done early in the day so it seems logical to ascend the north ridge then stroll down the nice standard trail from Redcloud. Any thoughts?
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anasarca76
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Re: Sundog, up or down?

Post by anasarca76 »

I did this loop a few years ago and it was pretty cool! I went up the standard for Redcloud, then over to Sunshine, then down the northwest ridge of Sunshine to Sundog and continued on down the ridge to the main trail. Coming down off Sunshine is loose and slippery, but not too bad if you take your time. Going up the ridge to Sundog and the remainder of the ridge was pretty fun, but did have some loose stuff mixed in on the way down. I liked this route option way better than traversing back over to Redcloud. There are a few signs that say you shouldn't go down into the basin between Sundog and Redcloud, and looking back on the route, I can see why. It is very loose and erosion is pretty bad. I stuck up to the ridge coming off Sunshine and it was a bit more solid, I didn't feel that I was contributing to the erosion the sign was meant to prevent and it was also the most direct route to Sundog. I could see this route working in either direction really, you just have to decide if you want to go up or down the northwest ridge of Sunshine as its the most difficult part of the route IMO. Hope this helps!

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bergsteigen
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Re: Sundog, up or down?

Post by bergsteigen »

I personally find it easier to descend loose terrain than to go up it. So the descent from Sunshine to Sundog was easier than the reverse. Plus I also find it easier to bushwhack at the end with daylight, than in the dark. You could easily waste time navigating in the dark up Sundog. Much easier to zone out in the morning and just cruise up the trail to Redcloud.
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anasarca76
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Re: Sundog, up or down?

Post by anasarca76 »

Bergsteigen made a very good point about the dark! I hadnt thought about that. Considering that input I would agree that putting Sundog at the end of the loop is the way to go. Enjoy!
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acidchylde
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Re: Sundog, up or down?

Post by acidchylde »

We took it down the one time I've done it. I don't remember anything particularly difficult about it, though I definitely remember those signs warning not to descend into the valley from there. It's been a while, but I just remember a fairly long hike along a rather broad ridge and some mild bushwhacking once you got down toward tree line. Mostly a wander/meander as opposed to really bushwhacking, but I find that easier to do going downhill than up. There have been a couple of times I've hit nearby peaks on the way up instead of down, but I usually shoot for the target first unless I'm not coming back the same way. That way if something goes wrong - weather shifts, end up getting tired, etc. - I've at least done what I set out to do. I've hit Redcloud a few times and ended up having to bail on Sunshine because of a late start or bad weather.
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Re: Sundog, up or down?

Post by unclegar »

If I make it to the Fall Gathering my agenda will most likely be up Redcloud to Sunshine to Sundog and down to the parking lot. I have descended the area between Sunshine and Redcloud in the past and it was o.k. but there was quite a bit of snow when I did it so I'm sure that helped. It is cliffy if you take that directly down so I angled to the far right to avoid the cliffs. I have wanted to go back and descend via Sundog since then. I agree that taking the trail up in the dark would be my preference.
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