Boundary Peak - Queen Canyon Route

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You are miles from anything and cell service is non-existent until the peak, and still bad then. It's about an 8-10 mile trip up a rugged road to get to the main trailhead, and sometimes you have to stop below at the Queen Mine to get started. That adds another mile and about 700 feet to get to the start.

You climb right off the bat, about 1,000 feet in a mile up to reach a flat traverse to the main saddle at the base of Boundary. From there, another 1,300 feet to reach the second saddle and a good rest stop. The final push is another 1,100 feet at altitude to reach the 13,147-foot summit.

From the first saddle on, the trail is barely there, with loose rock and scree and a faintly-used trail making itself known just often enough to keep you on track. It's a pretty straightforward climb, as you'll want to stay on the northwest side of the ridge the whole way from the saddle on.

This is mostly done in the summer as the snow is generally lighter than across the valley in the Sierra, and it's much more accessible. However, winter ascents can be turned into multi-day affairs with the saddle serving as a great camping spot, as long as there is snow for water. The winter may also require a considerably longer hike up with the road condition ranging from bad to impassable.

From the top, you're about 0.5 miles and a few hundred feet from the top of Montgomery Peak, which is higher than Boundary, but located in California, so you cross the state line to reach it.