English Mountain is an 8357' high point on a rocky ridge rising
above the dense fir forest near Jackson Reservoir, just north of
Truckee. I climbed it from Catfish Lake, gaining about 2000 feet
over 2 miles, 2-1/2 hours up and 2 hours down. If I had searched
harder, I might have been able to find a starting point closer to
the peak and higher up, but the labyrinth of logging roads got a
little confusing. Neither the cross country route finding nor the
rock scramble on the ridge presented any great obstacles. The
summit view took in the jagged Sierra Buttes and some other
northern Sierra peaks, like small dark islands in an ocean of
green woods.
Dave Sholle adds:
> ...but the labyrinth of logging roads got a little confusing.
We did English Mountain several years ago in November, and there were so many
new rough logging roads that it was hopeless to use old descriptions. I drove
and Dave Dykeman sat in the front seat and, as best as I could tell, he
"smelled" where to turn to get closest to the peak. At one point we were
bouncing up a rough road in 4WD, and a large bulldozer appeared around a
corner coming down smoothing the road. I was ready to back up, but the
bulldozer just moved to the side and widened the road next to us without
missing a beat.