Bloody Lake Pass
Peak · 11,313 ft · Mammoth Lakes corridor
Bloody Lake Pass is an 11,313-foot peak in the Mammoth Lakes corridor of California's Sierra Nevada. High elevation and exposed terrain make it a winter and spring mountaineering objective with significant avalanche exposure.
Wind funnels hard across the pass, averaging 13 mph over the last month with gusts to 41 mph. Morning calm is rare and brief; afternoon wind is the default state. Temperatures sit near 25 degrees Fahrenheit on average. Approach only when stable snow consolidates or bare ground is visible.
Over the last 30 days, Bloody Lake Pass averaged a NoGo Score of 37 with winds of 13 mph and temperatures around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The week ahead will follow the same pattern of morning windows closing to afternoon wind. Plan approaches for dawn hours when avalanche hazard is most stable and gusts are lowest.
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About Bloody Lake Pass
Bloody Lake Pass sits at 11,313 feet on a prominent ridgeline in the Mammoth Lakes corridor, straddling the boundary between the high Sierra and the eastern escarpment. Access is primarily from the town of Mammoth Lakes via Highway 395; most climbers approach from the Mammoth Lakes Basin trailheads or the Inyo Craters area to the south. The pass is not a casual dayhike. It demands winter mountaineering skills, microspikes or crampons, and avalanche awareness. The nearest services and supplies are in Mammoth Lakes proper, about 10 to 15 miles northwest by road.
Bloody Lake Pass experiences classic high-elevation Sierra weather: thin air, intense solar radiation on clear days, and sustained wind that increases through afternoon hours. The 30-day average wind speed is 13 mph, but gusts regularly exceed 30 mph by 2 p.m. Average temperature over the last month was 25 degrees Fahrenheit; the rolling 365-day record shows a range of 10 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter and early spring are the operative seasons here. Snowpack typically lasts from November through May, with March and April offering the most stable corn snow windows. Late spring transitions bring wet-slab avalanche risk. Summer brings bare scree and less wind, but also nearly no visitation and less reason to be there.
Bloody Lake Pass is best suited to backcountry skiers and winter mountaineers with avalanche training and rescue equipment. The peak sits in terrain mapped for avalanche exposure; the ESAC (Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center) provides the relevant forecast. Do not attempt this pass in unstable or thawing conditions. Morning departures by 7 a.m. are the practice; afternoon wind will exhaust climbers and degrade visibility. Parking at the trailhead is limited and fills early on weekends when highway access is clear. Crowding is light (average of 2 parties in the rolling 30-day window), which reflects both the technical demands and the remoteness.
Nearby alternatives in the Mammoth corridor include Mammoth Crest and Donahue Peak to the west, which sit slightly lower and draw more traffic. To the east, the White Mountains offer similar elevations with different approach routes. Hikers seeking the 11,000-plus-foot experience with less avalanche terrain should consider the Glass Mountain chain farther south. Climbers accustomed to sustained wind should expect Bloody Lake Pass to deliver; it is more consistently windy than lake-basin approaches and rewards early starts and solid route-finding.