Becker Peak - Talking Mountain - Ralston Peak

Ralston Peak is a popular mountain in the Desolation Wilderness which is typically and often climbed from the trailhead close to Highway 50 near Camp Sacramento. However, my goal was to climb it via East Ridge from Echo Lake and also bag Becker Peak and Talking Mountain on the way up. For my way down I planned to take the Northeast ridge to get down to Ralston Lake and from there along the PCT back to the beginning of Echo Lake, definitely a recommendable alternative to the crowded normal hiking route.

From the Parking lot at Echo Lake I walk south, the rather steep slope takes me up to the ridge. I then follow a usetrail which is not always obvious to follow. In order to avoid bushes it is advisable to more or less stay on the ridge all the way to Ralston Peak and only leave it in a few cases to bypass some difficult drops. I climb Becker Peak from south because the direct access from east seems to have too many unpleasant bushes. The highest point of Becker peak is actually not all that easy to scramble up to, only offers room for two feet and you need a good balance in order to actually stand on top of it.

The traverse from Becker Peak to Talking Mountain involves some easy class 3. Some gendarmes need to be climbed in order to avoid bushwhack. Talking Mountain isn't really a prominent peak, but more a shoulder in the east ridge of Ralston Peak. It got it's name because echoes are said to resound from this mountain.

From Talking Mountain to Saucer Lake, the ridge is relatively easy, with a few short sections of vegetation. Since it's early in the season I can often follow the snow cornice on the immediate north side of the ridge. Cup Lake southwest of P. 9155  looks really cool (and cold) and its ice is slowly starting to melt. After P. 9155 comes the most difficult section of the ridge, with rather steep and high talus and a few somewhat exposed notches and drops on both sides. After this section the southwest slope of Ralston Peak is gained and the last stretch to the top is a walk-up.

After a rather lengthy break I follow the steep but not very difficult NE ridge down to about 8600 ft, where I find a way down west to the snow filled chute which more or less ends in Ralston Lake. I then walk to Tamarack Lake an it's north end (a popular camping spot for PCT hikers) it connects to the PCT, which takes back to Echo Lake