September 29, 2014
First to Make Tracks in the Snow on Mount Idaho
Woke up to no rain. The rising sun was even trying to poke
through under the clouds. I could see the peak of Mount McCaleb towering over
Mackay. Today, I would climb. I drove back to Elkhorn Creek and got prepared to
go.
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| Mount McCaleb and Chevron Station, Mackay, Idaho |
The clouds hung a bit higher and were not as thick as the
days before. A good omen. Unfortunately the peak of Mount Idaho was still
hidden in the fog as I began the hike up Elkhorn Creek. I hoped the now present
sun would burn off more of the cloud layer as the day went on.
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| Reaching the End of Elkhorn Creek Canyon |
There was more of a trail then I had expected. The hike
along the creek and forest was pleasant. In fact, this hike would make for a
great outing itself and yield great views of Mount Idaho at the end. After a
few hours of hiking, I came to the massive cirque at the foot of Mount Idaho.
The boulder hopping began. A bit later, I veered left up a ridge leading
northeast to reach the main crest to Mount Idaho. Traversing more east then
north, I saw the saddle Tom Lopez writes about and headed for the southern end.
The blocky light colored rock was easy to climb, but as I traversed southeast,
I came to a slide of that tan small volcanic rock, so ever present in the Lemhis
and Lost River Ranges. There was a big difference between climbing the two
kinds of rock. I quickly returned to the light colored rock and stayed the
course to the top of the saddle.
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| Saddle on the Crest |
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| Southeast of the Saddle |
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| Looking Northeast on the Saddle |
The clouds opened up different vistas during the hike. Yet
the peak remained shrouded. I photographed when I could and climbed upwards.
Not long after leaving the saddle, the cloud layer began to thicken as I
navigated the complex ridge to the summit. I missed the tremendous views I knew
the climb held, but hiking the ridge in the fog and alone gave a unique
experience that was just as satisfying. I was loving the challenge and the
misty, ruggedness of the ridge.
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| The Westside of the Ridge |
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| The Eastside of the Ridge, Mount Idaho in the Clouds |
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| A Wider View of the Eastside |
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| On the Ridge |
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| On the Ridge |
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| Relaxing |
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| Interesting Rock View 1 |
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| Interesting Rock View 2 |
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| The Ridge |
Often times I could just see only the ridge
itself. I brought along Lopez’s description of the climb to reference along the
way. I read that after coming off the ridge, I needed to look for an obvious
gulley leading to the summit. By now the clouds were so thick I could only see
about 50 feet in every direction and the wind began pelting my face with small
hard balls of snow. I put on a shell, picked the most obvious gulley, and went
up. There was just enough snow to make the rocks slick, not enough to kick in
for steps. I was glad I had worn my Trekstas. Not to sound too commercial like,
but these boot have the best grip on rocks I have ever felt.
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| The Ridge |
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| The Ridge |
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| The Ridge |
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| Looking Down Elkhorn Creek |
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| The Ridge |
I came to an obvious high point and wondered if I had
summited. I knew the Mountain was listed as 12, 065 feet. Yet, I could see
another ridge leading west, but it dropped a bit and headed to what looked like
a lower point in the fog. I checked the altitude on my watch, 12,061 feet. I
was pretty sure I was standing on the top of Mount Idaho. The wind, snow, and
fog had picked up and I was motivated to drop down as fast as possible.
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| On the Summit |
After scree skiing madly down the gulley, it soon became
apparent that I had no idea where I was and which way to go. I was completely
disorientated. I looked at the GPS reading on my watch and was surprised to
find my instincts were in complete disagreement with my current course. I
reluctantly gave into what my logical mind was telling me…follow the readings.
Soon I began to see my footprints in the snow. They were quickly filling in
with the blowing snow but they were there. I recognized parts of the ridge as I
descended. The watch was right.
After a drop in a couple thousand feet, the wind and snow
were gone and the hike turned pleasant again. I stopped a few times to
photograph, but really wanted to be down in time for the evening light on the
mountains in case it was any good. I pushed on. Reaching the car, I quickly
threw everything in, grabbed a cold Coke from the cooler, and bounced quickly
down the rocky road to the highway below. I was racing the light again. Looking
back at Mount Idaho, I saw the summit for the first time that day. The clouds
were almost gone! I stopped and made some images in the evening light.
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| Elkhorn Creek Canyon, Lost River Range, Idaho |
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| Mount Idaho in the Clouds, Lost River Range, Idaho |
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| Mount Idaho and the Ridge Leading to the Summit |
Drove to Mackay while finishing off the Coke. At Sammy’s I
finished off two pizzas and drank some ice water while watching part of The Big
Bang Theory on the big screen. I decided I could be home by 10:15. The though
of sleeping in the Subaru a fourth night was taking it’s toll on me. I hit the
road with tunes blasting. Stopped in Arco at Pickles to get a chocolate
milkshake. My body was craving carbs and protein. Drove till I was home.
Four images of Mount Idaho made in July,
click here.
Other Resources:
Tom Lopez Website:
Mount Idaho
For more trip reports of other mountains visit
idahoclimbing.weebly.com
