Andesite Peak

Andesite Peak sits just off I-80 near Donner Summit, overshadowed by its taller neighbor Castle Peak but a good winter objective in its own right. I started from the Boreal/Castle Peak exit, following the snow-covered road in past the avalanche terrain warning sign that marks the start of the route, with the Sierra Avalanche Center's usual reminder to carry the right gear and check the forecast before heading up.

The route eases up through open, wind-sculpted snowfields toward Castle Pass before angling onto the Andesite Ridge for the final approach. It's a mellow, rolling walk for most of the way, snowshoes doing the work through the softer sections, but the last stretch below the summit steepens up fast and turns to hard, wind-packed snow — enough that the crampons and ice axe came out for real, not just as backup gear riding on the pack.

The summit itself, at 8,216 feet, opened up into a wide, quiet panorama — Castle Peak's rockier summit close by to the north, and mile after mile of the northern Sierra rolling out in every direction, without another set of tracks in sight most of the day. Getting to use the full kit — crampons, snow boots, ice axe, and snowshoes, all four — on one outing made it feel like a proper winter mountaineering day instead of just a snowy hike.

A short, satisfying one to close out January — great to finally stand on top after watching this ridge from the highway so many times. More photos to come.