Ramblings

Thursday, October 02, 2014

Lost River Valley Road Trip, Day One

September 27, 2014

Sun Valley
Jessie McCaleb Was Killed Here by Indians
Cedar Creek
Lost River Cowboy Church

Jessie McCaleb Was Killed Here by Indians

Awoke a few times during the night to light rain pelting the car. I knew the forecast was not great but remained naively optimistic. Put in ear plugs and dozed off. Morning came with heavy fog down to about 7,000 feet. Climbing the 12,000 plus foot Mount Idaho would have to wait another day.

During the evening, I had noticed several cars traveling west on a beeline road cutting through the valley below. Got out the map to see where all the traffic was heading. Learned that Trail Creek Road connected the Lost River Valley to Sun Valley. I had taken this road out of Sun Valley a few years ago, but had turned off through Copper Basin and over Antelope Pass. The stretch of the road to the Copper Basin junction would be new territory to explore. I was up for some window-shopping in Ketchum anyway.

Clouds hung low over the small foothills on each side of the road. Infrequent window wipers kept the light drizzle off the windshield. Soon the paved road turned to hard-packed, well-maintained dirt. The smooth drive through the mist and landscape was relaxing. About half way to the summit, I came upon a heavy-duty construction crew working on the road. A flagman waved me over and told me I would have to wait for the pilot car to take me through the construction. As he was standing by my open window, the sudden blast of the snare drum intro to Johnny Horton’s Bismarck blared from my speakers. The guy jumped a bit and gave me a “what in the heck was that look.” I told him it was Johnny Horton. He smiled and said, “North to Alaska.” We had an instant surreal connection in the middle of nowhere on a rainy day. We chatted a bit till the truck came to lead me through the torn up stretch of the road. Should have got a photo of him.

Coming over the pass, the rain intensified. The driving rain and narrow slick road made every vehicle more cautious and connected. Cars and trucks courteously pulled over if they had extra space on their side to let cars hugging the edge pass by. Waves were exchanged. One woman, perhaps overjoyed at the courtesy, smiled and waved ecstatically as she passed. I descended into Sun Valley.

Trail Creek Pass

In Ketchum, I walked the streets, checked out some sales, bought Jessica and Ben a shirt, and ate a taco at Mama Inez. Bought a $3.00 cap and a $3.00 book from a thrift store, and looked for daguerreotypes or tintypes at a couple of antique stores, struck out. I did find a small early 20^th Century Mexican painting of Christ floating above a circle of sheep that I liked. The shop owner assured me it was a steal at $375. The previous purchase of the two 50% off shirts, the $6.00 purchase at the thrift store, and the $4.00 taco already put me over my spending comfort level for about three weeks. I passed on the painting. Finally, bought some gas and headed back over the pass.

Driving south on 93, I pulled over to check out Battle Ground Cemetery on a bluff over looking the north end of Mackay Reservoir. A sign read, Jessie McCaleb was killed here by Indians in 1878. McCaleb and several pioneers were buried here in a small fenced plot on the hilltop. From here, I photographed the landscape to the west from the place McCaleb was killed and buried.

Jessie McCaleb Was Killed Here by Indians, Mackay Reservoir North

Mackay Reservoir North

Back on the highway, heading south, I found another intriguing side road heading towards the Lost River Range. The road was so good that I just kept driving to see what I could find. Soon I came to a small creek lined with saturated green foliage...a verdant corridor through the desert. I think the stream was Cedar Creek or a branch of it. I stopped and made images till dusk. Three Dog Night’s Never Been to Spain played on iTunes.

Cedar Creek, Lost River Valley, Idaho

I planned on driving back into Mackay, getting cell service, and calling home to check in that night. I wondered how I would pass the time till bed. Mackay is never a bustling place, even at the peak of summer, now it’s almost a ghost town. Driving into town, I passed the Lost River Cowboy Church. The brightly lite interior made the Saturday service a fish bowl. I saw a preacher and 7 or 8 members in the congregation.

I had never been to a “Cowboy Church” and decided to check it out. I am always interested in how people see the world and how they think. I walked in and was greeted by the members. Several invited me to get some coffee and treats in the back of the room. Next, I choose one of the most comfortable looking chairs in all the assortment. Five minutes later, I remembered I still had my $3.00 cap on. This being church and all, albeit a cowboy church, I sheepishly took it off. The lanky guy behind the pulpit made of welded horseshoes looked the part. He wore a burgundy patterned western shirt and cowboy boots. At the foot of the podium stood a pair of boots, one on each side. Each boot was bursting with brightly colored silk flowers. Behind the man, a six or seven-foot-cross made of barn wood hung on the wall.

I gathered the guy was in charge of leading the praising and praying. His name was Adam. Members praised Jesus for the good things in their lives and asked for prayers to help them through the challenges of life. Later Adam, and his wife, Karen led the singing. Karen strummed chords on a guitar and the congregation sang good ole Baptist flavored hymns. Afterwards the preacher delivered a sermon on the mercy of Jesus, not judging, and keeping thoughts single and pure.

Lost River Cowboy Church, Mackay, Idaho

At one point, he said something about not judging those who live an alternative lifestyle. The Lord would be the judge. I think there might be a judgment alluded to between those two points of view. He added the story of David and Bathsheba. In this version, poor Bathsheba got half or more of the blame. He said she knew who her neighbor was and she invited trouble by being naked on her rooftop. Try telling that to a feminist. From my little knowledge of ancient Jewish life, I thought rooftops were common places to bathe and sleep as they provided a degree of privacy. According to this sermon, Bathsheba knew David would be troubled that night and walking the terraces above her roof. She planned the whole seduction thing by bathing naked during the king’s insomnia.

I also was interested to hear the extremely wet fall was a sign of the second coming.

The meeting ended with a closing prayer by Adam. It was a fairly vanilla Christian prayer. The only note of interest was the concern voiced for “the LDS” during the benediction. He asked the Lord to bless the LDS that they might depart from their misguided notions of Jesus, accept him as their Savior, and be saved. I’ve been around “the LDS” long enough to know that they profess a sincere belief in Jesus Christ and consider Him their Savior. But, hey, who am I to judge?

After the prayer it was time to socialize around the food table in the back. I talked a bit with Karen and learned that she and Adam have a B and B north of Mackay. Ben and I may end up there someday. I was encouraged to have a salad, so I did. Then I got to know a Border Collie who had come to church with its owner. The dog reminded me so much of Lacey with a sweet temperament and beautiful collie features. I thanked the group for letting me spend some time with them and left.

Found a place to pull off the road and sleep.

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Lost River Valley Road Trip, First Evening

September 26, 2014

Lost River Range, Lost River Mountain, Idaho

I arrived in Mackay around 6:00 P.M. Friday night and drove northward racing against the falling light. A storm was approaching from the south. The western sky was mostly covered with thick dark clouds with scattered openings. I knew the light would either fizzle or be spectacular. Just past Mackay Reservoir, I turned off on a side road a bit north of the Upper Cedar Creek marker. Set up the camera and waited. The sun broke through. Compelling patterns of light and shadow moved across the mountains. I began composing.

Approaching Storm, Lost River Valley

When I thought I had exhausted the possibilities of the location, I jumped in the car, drove to the highway, and headed north. Pulled off again and shot till the sun went behind a large dark cloud on the horizon. I packed up and headed for Elkhorn Creek.

Lost River Range, Idaho

The road to Elkhorn Creek exits the highway nearly opposite the turnoff to Trail Creek Road. Turning right at the first fork, I headed for the trailhead leading to Mount Idaho. The road goes from pretty good to pretty bad near the top. Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds right on the horizon: the light was beautiful. I drove back down the road to get a better vantage of the mountains and went into shooting mode for the final shots of the day. When the light finally faded, the Subaru labored back up the rocky road. I rolled out the bag in the back of the car and went to sleep.

Elkhorn Creek, Lost River Range, Idaho

View of Lost River Valley From Elkhorn Creek Trailhead

A few more images made that evening.

Lost River Mountain, Super Gulley

Lost River Mountain, Stadium of the Gods

Lost River Range, Idaho

Lost River Mountain

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Climbing Nicholson Peak From Fowler Springs, Lemhi Range, Idaho

One of the problems hikers and climbers face in the Lemhis are access roads. There are very few marked roads which makes route finding challenging. It is frustrating seeing your destination and crisscrossing the desert in every direction but the right one. Initially I followed the advice in Tom Lopez's book to access Fowler Springs from the mouth of Badger Creek Canyon. The topo map actually shows a road in this area leaving the canyon and heading for Fowler Springs. I thought it should be pretty straightforward. Driving into the canyon, I kept my eyes peeled for any semblance of a road leading south and crossing Badger Creek. Once in the canyon, I concluded that any access road from this point would be impossible, so I carefully retraced my path to no avail. I saw some hunters at the mouth of the canyon and asked them if they were aware of any access across the creek and south. They knew of no such route. Next, I drove back to the highway and headed south. I turned off every side road I could find. Two looked promising but were eventually blocked by barbed wire fence; probably put there by landowners who were tired of closing gates left open by lazy drivers. Next, I found another road far to the south that, on the map, pointed to Fowler Springs. Following this road for some distance looked very promising. The route was heading right to the destination point of the springs on the GPS! Unfortunately darkness fell fast and the faint road in the desert was impossible to follow.

I pulled over and bedded down for the night. In the morning, the road I was following was indeed faint, but I could see a definite road leading over a hill in the distance that looked like this was the ticket. Driving toward this distant road, I found my self with no road whatsoever and looking for passable routes to the hilltop location…off-roading in a Forester. Finally, I met up with the distant road and climbed the steep hill with the telltale smell of a burning clutch. My little car has taken quite a few beatings, yet keeps on going. I just hope I don't burn out a clutch in the middle of nowhere. Once again, I just knew this was the way. Reaching the top of the hill, a sturdy barbed wire fence blocked further passage. I had exhausted every possibility I could think of, and had only one last thought; if Tom Lopez wrote the springs were accessible from Badger Creek Canyon and if the map actually showed a road, I must have missed something. So, I headed for the highway and north again to Badger Creek. Once again I drove towards the mouth of the canyon scouring the brush for some way south. I struck out again. If there is a route there, I must be an idiot. Driving back to the highway, I had given up and even thought of walking the 6 or 7 miles through the desert to Fowler Springs. That thought quickly gave way to heading home and getting a Jamba Juice. I drove south towards Howe. Suddenly I saw a road that I had missed the night before and turned left into the desert. Eureka. This road was the one!

To help out the next traveler, I have recorded 3 GPS points that will provide information to make the journey to the springs a leisurely drive. The first is the turn off point from the highway. The second is a midway point. The third is the actual springs. Once at the final point, drive up the road just a bit to find a grassy area to park or camp.

N 44.02399 W 113.19722

N 44.05100 W 113.16235

N 44.06224 W 113.13763

Nicholson Peak, Lemhi Range, Idaho

Knife Edge Ridge Leading to Nicholson
I came along the top of the left tower and descended here between the two towers.

Diamond Peak, Lemhi Range, Idaho

Little Diamond Peak, Lemhi Range, Idaho
Ridge from Peak 10,965 to Little Diamond Peak

Lemhi Crest from Diamond Peak to Little Diamond Peak
Bell Mountain can be seen in the far distance on the left.
Saddle mountain can be seen in the far distance on the right.

Once at the springs, the hike is straightforward. You may have noticed some cliffs at the top of the ridge when approaching the springs. Hike up the spur toward these cliffs and bypass them on the left. After the cliffs, you will see the ridgeline point right to Nicholson Peak. Follow this ridge.

While hiking this ridge, it soon narrowed to a few feet wide and presented a series of small chimneys. I climbed up and down several with precarious foot and hand holds. I was reluctant to give up elevation by dropping off the top and skirting the narrow rocky spine below. I am not ashamed to admit that I straddled the ridge a few times when it narrowed to the kind of point that I came off of the Chimney pictured above on the left. Finally, I had had enough and found a passage down to the talus at the bottom of the razor ridge. I decided to head southeast to the ridge that connected Nicholson and Peak 10,965 (Coined The Joker by Rick Baugher). Baugher wrote that this ridge connected the two peaks and then, from 10,965, connected to Little Diamond. I just wanted to see this for myself.

The view was worth the detour. Little Diamond Peak sits at the south end of a large box canyon. The impressive crest from Little Diamond to Diamond Peak encloses the east side while Nicholson and peaks to the north rise on the west side.

After admiring the breathtaking view, I hiked back off the ridge, veering northwest towards Nicholson. I headed toward some cliffs that I knew must be skirted to ascend the summit. Once around these cliffs, it was simple climb to the summit.

Coming down was one of the most pleasant descents I have ever had. A pleasurable hike. It was pretty easy scree skiing off the summit. I was reluctant to retrace the ascent route over the gnarly ridge, so I “skied” past it down into a gentle gully into the canyon to the south. I decided to follow this gully to the desert floor. The gully was fantastic. Not too much brush. Not too many rocks and boulders. The rocks that were there acted much like stair steps. The hike passed by incredible rock cliffs and formations and most of the hike was in shade. My worry about the often-narrow passageway down cliffing-out never materialized.

Coming onto a thicket of Mahogany trees signaled the lower elevations of the descent. Once in these trees, I veered a bit to the north and could see the foothill that I needed to wind around to meet up with Fowler Springs. Coming around the bend on the hill, led me straight into my parked car. A perfect end to a satisfying hike.

Other Resources:

Tom Lopez Website:
Nicholson Peak

For more trip reports of other mountains visit idahoclimbing.weebly.com

Sunday, September 07, 2014

Climbing Bell Mountain Climb From Basinger Canyon

9/1/2014

The Summit Block of Bell Mountain

Climbing the Summit Block of Bell Mountain

The hike begins at the end of Basinger Canyon on the east side of the Lemhi Range. To get to the canyon, travel to Howe and head north up the Little Lost River Valley. Go about 28 miles and pass a building with a large sign identifying the area as Clyde. Go about 5 more miles. Once the pavement ends, look for a yield sign to your right. The sign marks the road you turn on and is hard to see because it is for cars entering the highway from this road. You will pass some livestock pens on your right. After crossing the river, take the left fork. This road will lead you to Basinger Canyon. Drive to the end of the road and look for a trail that looks more like an ATV trail than a hiking trial following the north side of the canyon. If you pass the trail, the road soon ends and you can easily find it coming back down.

The trail is fairly good. It is a pleasant hike through the forested canyon for about half an hour. After passing a thicket of aspens, start looking for an old cabin on the south side of the canyon. The hike up Bell begins at the cabin. If you are interested in climbing Umpleby and the Knoll, veer northeast from the cabin, around the bend and to the very end of the canyon to find these two mountains guarding the end of the box.

On the Ridge Leading to Bell Summit
The Knoll and Umpleby in the Distance

Once at the cabin, the goal is to make the east/west ridge leading to Bell. Head south, down the gully and over the creek, and up the side of the mountain. Keep heading south and up. Once the timber is cleared, follow the ridge to the top. You will encounter two blocks on the ridge to Bell. The first can be easily climbed. Veer a bit to the south and go up and over. The second block can be skirted on the north side.

The summit block looks imposing. Take it head on. Perhaps the center rib looks the most approachable. The nice thing about the climb is the rock is pretty blocky and foot and hand holds are numerous. If the route you take becomes too steep, bypass it by taking an adjacent one; there always seemed to be a way up. This is a fun class 3 climb.

The most memorable part of this hike/climb was the bear we saw near the summit block. As we approached the block, Don spotted a big bear turning over rocks looking for food. Once we were sure it was not a grizzly, we continued our approach. Once the bear became aware of our presence, he hightailed the opposite direction. I never expected to see a bear so far above the timberline this time of year. Several people have told me the bear was most likely looking for moths to fatten him up for the winter.

For Images of Bell Mountain, Follow this link.