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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: May 16, 2003
- Miles Hiked: 2.5
- Elevation Gain: 2,400'
- Hiking Partner(s): None
- Description:
- There are 9 peaks in Idaho over 12,000', and this is number nine on the
12er list. I didn't make it to the summit, so I still have six
down
with three to go.
- The Lost River Peak is located to the east of the Mackay Reservoir.
To get the trailhead turn east off Highway 93 at milepost 115 onto Upper
Creek Road. This road is well marked with a sign. Turn east on Upper Cedar Creek road off of Highway 93
exactly at milepost 115. Drive 3.1 miles east and right after crossing a canal, turn
left and head northwest next to the canal. There was about a foot of water in
the canal, so although a passenger car might make it, I would recommend
a high clearance vehicle. In addition, the going from here
remained a bit rough. After .1 mile (1/10th) next to the canal,
turn right and drive .9 mile (9/10ths) to the trailhead.
- I didn't have real high expectations for this particular hike which
was a good thing. As soon as I pulled off the highway on Thursday
evening, I stopped to take a look at the mountain with my binoculars and
immediately noticed some snow slides or mini avalanches in the
"super gully". Since I was alone and have limited
knowledge of reading snow conditions, I decided only to go as far as I
felt comfortable. In addition, it ended up being cold and very
windy. At one point above the tree line, the water in the tube of
my Camelbak bladder froze. I hiked about halfway to the summit as
I climbed for 1 hour and 45 minutes, messed around on the ridge for about 45 minutes, and then was back down in 1 hour. It
was a relatively short hike given the long drive, but it was fun to get
out and "scout" the route to the Lost River Peak for when I
return.
- I scrambled around some cliffs on Thursday evening before having a
couple cans of Pabst and going to bed early. I got up at 4:45 and
was hiking shortly after 5:00. The moon was full, and I only had
to use my headlamp for about a half an hour. As you can see from
the map, I was able to avoid any significant bushwhacking by staying out
of the trees until 8,600'. At this point the trees were thin and
there was little underbrush. The snow became constant at
9,000'. I post-holed a lot and was getting frustrated. The
snow had a two inch layer of crust and then became softer
underneath. It was also crystalized and didn't appear as though it
would have been very stable on a steeper incline.
- You get above the treeline at 9,400', which is also where you get the
first close-up view of the "super gully". Because I was
now fully exposed to the cold and wind, I put on my extra clothes.
When I return to hike this mountain again, it will be at this point when I traverse left and
actually enter the gully. You can see from the topo map that
above 9,600' it becomes too steep to safely enter the gully from the
ridge that I hiked up. Anyway, I climbed up the ridge on open
talus until it became completely snow covered. I didn't strap on
the crampons or pull out the ice axe because I'm certain that I would
have likely continued when I clearly shouldn't have.
- As I said earlier, I hung out in the cold for about 45 minutes, took
some photos and returned back to the Trooper. Anyone considering
snow climbing this route should take this report for what they
want. I'm sure many people successfully summit this peak in the
winter, but as a result of the weather, snow conditions, being solo, and
lack of experience, I decided to come back down. In the words of
the infamous naval fighter pilot instructor Jester, "I lost site of
the peak, called no joy, and proceeded below the hard deck."
- Maps:
- Click here to view a 2D map of
the area where this hike is located.
- Click here to view a 2D map of
the area where this hike is located.
- Click here to view a
3D map of
the area where this hike is located.
- Photographs:
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