Butte County Highpoint Trip Report
Diamond Peak
Date: August 22, 2007
Author: Edward Earl
Ken Jones's report is useful but there are a few errors and field changes so I
will provide some addenda.
The Pass Creek turnoff from ID-28 near Blue Dome is at virtual MP 46.5. Set or
note your odometer here. Following Ken's report, I went 1.8 miles to a turnoff
on the right side. At 2.4 miles I passed through a gate (hop out, open, drive
though, close). There is no gate or right turn at mile 3.4; the sharp right
side road here goes up Kaufman Canyon, which is not the correct way. I entered
the Targhee National Forest at 6.0 miles at a gate by a downed sign. My high
clearance 2WD Nissan truck had no trouble making it to the junction in section
29 at 6.5 miles and probably could have made it a ways down the 4WD road that
Ken drove but I decided not to risk it and parked here.
I continued on foot, following the 4WD road and its junctions described by Ken.
Most of these junctions have downed signs nearby. The route is straightforward
and a major use trail starts at about 9400 feet. Starting around 11,000 feet,
the ridge is occasionally class 3 and it is the best class 3 I have ever climbed.
The rock is always good and solid and there are plenty of holds.
Many of us can recall climbs in which we had problem after problem with bad sections
and hoped that this would be the last one. My experience on Diamond Peak was
the opposite; I hoped that more great class 3 sections would come and they did.
Overall, the top 1200-foot elevation of the ridge is about 30% class 3 and 70%
class 2, with the class 2 sections providing breaks between great quality
class 3 challenges.