Hi Tom,

No, in early June you will encounter solid snow cover probably not far beyond the trailhead near Redfish Lake. You’ll be able to see how much snow remains in the mountains from the lake, where there may even still be snow. The only way to climb Thompson or other peaks in spring is on skis or snowshoes, with a full belly of endurance for a very hard day and expertise in evaluating avalanche hazard.

Thanks, Todd, and keep on dreaming. The best times don’t happen until we first dream they are possible.

Todd – Santa Rosa, CA

Thanks for the kind words, Christoph, I’m glad you find my blog enjoyable and helpful.

Yes, plenty of experienced hikers with good off-trail navigation skills and comfort with a little, relatively easy scrambling and a bit of exposure hike Thompson solo; I’ve done it solo and several times with companions. Great hike, as the photos probably demonstrate.

The route-finding can be a little tricky. It’s not obvious without some description of the route but not hard if you go there with some information. If you’d like my help with that, check out my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how I operate that. If you’re only looking for details on that one hike, I would negotiate a fair price with you.

I hope you sign up for my free email newsletter and decide to Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories.

Good luck. Please keep in touch!

I’ll be driving via the Sawtooths this weekend and am intrigued by Thompson peak. I am a seasoned hiker but not a climber. Would this be something feasible to do solo?

Thanks for your help!
Christoph

Hi Anna,

From late July through September and usually even later in fall, you won’t need any special gear like an ice axe or crampons. I always hike with poles, for several reasons, and they are particularly useful on rugged, off-trail hikes like Thompson Peak, so I’d certainly recommend taking those.

See my picks for “The Best Trekking Poles.”

Thanks for the good question.

Michael

Do you recommend any special gear to complete this hike? (micro-spikes, ice axes, hiking poles, etc.)

Thank you!

Hi Mitch, I think you’re talking about the drainage accessed from Goat Lake (below Merritt Peak) and hiking up it on the west (back) side of Williams Peak to gain the Thompson-Williams saddle. I’ve done that, it’s fairly straightforward, though there’s a steep (a bit of 3rd class) headwall to reach the saddle. Then you just gain the standard route up Thompson from the saddle. Yes, hike around to the southwest side of Thompson and follow a climbers trail to the summit. If you turn for the summit before reaching the southwest side, you’ll run into cliffs. Good luck. It’s an awesome hike.

Thanks!

Thanks, Sherri. You should hike Thompson, it’s a challenging, rewarding, beautiful, really fun day.

Hi Shawna, thanks for the good question. Yes, 4th of July weekend would be early most years, and this year wouldn’t be any different. I would expect to run into solid snow cover above roughly 8,000 feet, and the summit of Thompson is at nearly 11,000 feet. The steep headwall you have to get over on the hike, between Thompson and Williams peaks, would be technically difficult and possibly dangerous with a lot of snow on it. Plus, there’s a lot of off-trail walking on rugged terrain, including talus boulders where if you broke through a snow bridge, you’d fall between large rocks. It’s best to wait at least until mid-July. Good luck.