Summary 
| Difficulty | 5 Advanced |
| Length | 7.2 miles round trip |
| Starting Elevation |
8850 feet |
| Cumulative Elevation Change |
+1750, -1750 round trip |
| Navigation | Road and map |
| Time | Full day |
| Season | Late December through April |
| Snowmobiles Use | Not permitted on first mile of road nor on route beyond mileage point 2. Low elsewhere on road. [Please report illegal use of snowmobiles in this area.] |
| USGS Topo | 7.5' series, Mount Rose |
| Start | Highway 431, 7.8 miles northeast of Highway 28 and 0.3 mile southwest of Mt. Rose Summit. A building and snow-covered road are located on the north side of the highway. Parking is limited; as an alternative start the tour at the parking area located 0.4 mile to the west. |
Description
Mt. Houghton, with the shape of a whale’s back, is prominently located at the north end of Relay Ridge. It provides a commanding view of the Galena Creek drainage, into the Mt. Rose Wilderness, and the mountains and panoramas that include Lake Tahoe and the snowcapped peaks beyond. It is only 286 feet lower than the summit of Mount Rose, but reaching its summit is much easier than Mount Rose because the total distance is shorter, the steep section is much shorter, and the winds tend to be less.
The descent back to the headwaters of Galena Creek is exciting — sections are steep and depending on your exact route sections can be narrow. The "advanced" difficulty rating comes solely from the 900 feet of elevation change in the upper-most 0.6 mile.
Mount Houghton can be reached more easily via Relay Road and the radio tower to the south of the peak as described in the Mount Houghton Via Radio Tower tour. The two tours can be combined to form a loop.
Mileage Log
Numbers in parentheses
correspond to mileage points on map
Waypoint 1 to 2
Miles: 0.0 - 2.4
Elevation change: +550 feet
From the trailhead (1) ski west on the snow-covered road, which gradually turns north up the Third Creek drainage, for a total of 2.4 miles until you reach a saddle (2). The saddle separates Third Creek and Galena Creek.
Waypoint 2 to 3
Miles: 2.4 - 2.7
Elevation change: -100 feet
Descend gradually north for 0.3 mile into the meadow-like area (3) in the headwaters of Galena Creek. There is no landmark here.
Waypoint 3 to 4
Miles: 2.7 - 3.3
Elevation change:+900 feet
Turn northwest (left) and begin to climb, at first gradually and then at a very steep angle, for a total of 0.6 mile until you reach the south ridge (4) of Mount Houghton.
Waypoint 4 to 5
Miles: 3.3 - 3.6
Elevation change:+300 feet
Climb north on the ridge for 0.3 mile until you reach the summit of Mount Houghton (5).
Alternative Ascent Route
An alternative ascent route via the southeast plateau of Mount Houghton is also shown on the map. It is shown going farther north than necessary, but doing so affords a view down into the canyon containing the Mount Rose Trail. The alternate is slightly less steep than the main route described above.
Return to trailhead
Miles: 3.6 - 7.2
Elevation change: +100, -1750 feet
Retrace the route for 3.6 miles back to the trailhead (1).
