Relay Peak

Named for the radio towers that exist on the peak’s northeast flank, Relay Peak offers an abundance of aspects to work with, harboring great snow conditions almost any day of the season. Planning ahead, and working with the sun across the variety of aspects rewards the prepared skier. Beautifully spaced young trees, steep pitches, and terrain variety make Relay a Rose area favorite. A 1.5 mile approach diverts most skiers to Tamarack and Incline Peaks, and those who put in the extra effort will reap glorious rewards. Descents on Relay Peak range across all aspects and abilities, averaging about 800’ vertical feet. The southern faces are typified by young pine trees with good spacing. On the short southeast face, narrow gullies are carved through these small trees, making this a zone you will likely consider yo-yoing. From the true summit, Relay’s east face is short, but fun, and has a few chute options. This is the zone most accessible and popular with snowmobiles, so hi-mark lines often mar the hillside. Wind loading is a definite concern in this East bowl, so play it safe. The north-facing options are a little more remote than Relay’s other descents, but are well worth the extra effort. The north bowl off of Relay’s summit holds great snow, and is a popular descent to access Relay’s famed Bronco Chutes. This north facing chute network holds some of the Mt. Rose area’s most extreme descent options, running 600’ into the Gray Creek drainage.

Parking for Relay Peak is found in two small lots on the west side of highway 431, 6 miles from the highway 28 junction in Incline Village, or 18.5 miles from the highway 395 junction in Reno. Look for the National Forest sign. The lots provide access to Incline Peak as well. The approach route begins by skiing downhill from the parking lot towards Incline Lake. Skirt around Incline Lake, then proceed North up the drainage until you are under Relay’s SE aspect. This route provides hassle free, moderately pitched skinning. Avoid skinning up the SE facing ridgeline, as numerous and frustrating wind ridges make skinning more challenging than it should be.