Cowhorn Mountain (Oregon Cascades; 7,664')

Cowhorn Mountain is a highly eroded minor volcano south of Diamond Peak. The summit spire that led to its name collapsed in a storm in 1911. It is easily accessible from the PCT via a scree trail and some scrambling up the west ridge. It is easily combined with Sawtooth Mountain to the west for a nice loop from Timpanogas Lake. Note: If you are coming from the north, approach via Hills Creek Reservoir and Forest Service Road 2154 to Timpanogas Lake. Don't listen to Google and approach from Crescent Junction via Crescent Lake and Summit Lake unless you have a big and sturdy truck. As of June 2018, NF-60 and NF-398 were not passable for most passenger cars and very marginal for a Subaru. Topo Map Routes: W Ridge (2nd Class)

Cowhorn Mountain from the PCT in late June

Date: June 30, 2018

Party: DB solo

Route: W Ridge (continued to Sawtooth Mt.)

Equipment: None

Time: Timpanogas Lake - Cowhorn Summit 2 hrs 20 mins
Cowhorn Summit - Sawtooth Summit 2 hrs 40 mins
Sawtooth Summit - Timpanogas Lake 2 hrs 15 mins
Cowhorn-Sawtooth Roundtrip from Timpanogas Lake 7 hrs 45 mins

Comments: 2018 was another very dry year, I found only a few patches of snow

Trip report: I had seen Cowhorn and Sawtooth countless times from Diamond Peak and Thielsen, but had never been there. After coming back from a long trip in mid-June I found it was too late for skiing, so I decided to explore that area south of Diamond Peak. After a nerve-wrecking drive to Timpanogas Lake from Crescent Junction (I should have trusted my instinct and approached from Hills Creek Reservoir, rather than listening to Google) I set out among clounds of mosquitoes and got to the summit in under 2.5 hours. There was plenty time left in the day, and so I continued over to Sawtooth. This is a nice loop, mostly on good trails, which entails a total of 4,000' of elevation gain and something like 16 or 17 linear miles.