Cascade County High Point Trip Report
Long Mountain (8,621 ft)
Date: July 13, 2003
Author: Tim Worth
Came up from White Sulfur Springs on the scenic US 89. Past Neihart, I hooked
up with FR 3233 heading east along Carpenter Creek for a north approach to Long Mountain.
After 2.1 miles I reached a Y in the road, I headed right over the creek,
and around a sharp curve, near "Tailing Ponds" on the topo. A man on an
ATV told me the road was gated after a few miles, as indicated on the FS map.
After 1.6 miles I parked below the gate at Snow Creek.
The area north of Long Mountain is private, the site of past mining and current
logging operations. It was Sunday and no one was around. You'd probably want
to avoid going up this side when logging is going on or at least get permission
so as not to interfere with the workers.
The hike itself is straight up the prospects which make up the north side of the mountain.
There are many old mining structures up the side of the slope which
makes this a worthwhile hike from an archeological angle. Sick of hiking up the
crumbly mine waste, I found a haul road which switch-backed up to the saddle
between Long and Neihart Baldy. From here, it’s a short jaunt east to the summit.
USGS BM Long Mountain 1960. Wood and wire. Cairn but no register.
Left a note in a film container.
The following week I read in a Bozeman newspaper about a forest fire
east of Neihart, called the "Long Mountain Fire".
Trip statistics: About five miles with 2,200 feet of elevation gain.