Cliff and Redfield occupy a unique location in the backwoods, they can’t be reached quickly from pretty much anywhere, but there are several trails that can take you there. We did these two peaks as part of a three day – two night excursion. The fact that the walk in here is pretty long makes the climb a weary one, and the fact that we had done Colden the day before made it even more difficult. That being said, once you get to the split both of the climbs are pretty moderate.

We did Mount Redfield first, and between the two I would consider it to be the better climb. Redfield follows a stream most of the way up to the peak, with gorgeous views throughout and a partially wooded peak. There are a few technical spots but for the most part it’s not too tough and only a little over a mile from the trail split. From the very top of the peak you can get great views of Allen and a few other nearby peaks.

The portion of the hike through Cliff is the steepest and also muddiest (save the swap area near Lake Arnold) of the whole trek. This stretch is also only about a mile, but some of the steep “cliffs” can be quite difficult. I recommend stopping a few times on the way up and drinking in whatever views you can on the cliff edges, since the peak is completely wooded.

We took Van Hovenburg out, but Avalanche Pass can get you there as well, with a little extra effort and time. The Avalanche Pass offers exceptional views and is an incredible addition to any climb in the area.

• We took the Van Hovenburg trail out from the LOJ and the Avalanche Pass back. The former is muddy and miserable, the later is stunning and beautiful.
• The LOJ is a great location to overnight from but parking is still very crowded and difficult to get, plan accordingly.
• As mentioned, the Van Hovenburg trail up near Lake Arnold is a tough sell, if you can avoid it, I would find another route, my understanding is the area was more traversable in the past.
• We camped at the Up-Hill Lean-To which was absolutely fantastic. God bless the Lean-To’s and everyone who helped to make them.