Idaho County High Point Trip Report

unnamed point (9,439 ft)

Date: July 2000
Author: Andy Martin

Had planned to go up Soda Springs Creek trail to 6800', and then bushwhack up this one. Was missing the copy of quad to east, but DeLorme showed a trail that started 1,000' higher (6000' instead of 5000'), and would give a ridge top approach. The DeLorme trail stopped at 8,000', but I imagined game trails, good tundra, and all sorts of other wonderful goodies that would make this ridge a breeze. I sort of glossed over the densely packed contours 1/4 mile SE of peak 9459 - maybe the draftsman was a bit hung over when he worked up that section?

Well, all this wishful thinking evaporated in the field, where the DeLorme trail vanished even before 8,000' was reached, game trails were not to be seen, and side hill boulder hopping was encountered more often than desired. So after 4 hours of hiking and 3,000' of gain, I reached the dense contours (kinda cliffy in real life), and I realized that making my 4PM return time to the car was not going to happen if I pressed on to the peak. Besides, the Soda Springs Creek bushwhack looked pretty easy, I'd just return some day and come in that route. The view from this location (9,000'+) was pretty nice, with Trapper Peak one valley to the east, and some alpine scenery to the NE. There was quite a contrast between the dense forests down low and the bare tops up high.

In any case, back down I went. On the drive out I stopped in at a ranger station and asked about the Soda Springs Creek trail. They listed it as ABANDONED. Since it runs along the creek, this could make for some tough going - maybe the ridge is the way to go after all?