Bannock County Highpoint Trip Report
Bonneville Peak
Date: May 14, 2006
Author: Ben Knorr
I woke early on Sunday and drove from Salt Lake City to Inkom, ID. The exit for
northbound traffic into Inkom is 57 on I-15. My notes have been lost, so I will
try my best to remember. From the freeway off ramp, go left (under I-15). At
the first stop sign, turn left and continue on this road for a while. I believe
it is an I-15 business loop. Keep going past the freeway and the first left
you'll see should be Green Canyon Road. Turn left here and continue up this
road for a little over 4 miles, as other trip reports indicate. There was a
fresh looking landslide near the top of the paved portion of the road that
hadn't been cleared yet. I would assume it will be fixed soon as it blocks half
the road. I parked at the upper lot at the ski patrol office. Snow still clung
to the slopes above -- more than half of the left-most chairlift was over snow.
I used a mix of straight up hiking and traversing on the jeep path when it
wasn't buried deep in snow. Eventually, snow covered everything so I just went
straight up to the top of the right-most lift before traversing back to the
left-most and highest lift. The snow was still supporting my weight as I
continued directly up the hill behind the lift. Snow-free talus slopes near the
cliff bands helped a little in my upward progress. Once on the ridge, it was a
cakewalk on supportive snow to the top. I saw a cairn and a partially buried
structure of some sort (maybe as big as a doghouse, or it was a normal shed
buried DEEP) near the top.
While looking for a register, which there was none, I saw a coyote trotting
along almost towards me. I got a few pictures of it before it saw me and
changed course. On the way down, I signed a register in a hut near the top of
the lift. Skis would've made a decent from the summit a 5-7 minute deal.
Overall, a good, steep workout.