Pend Oreille County High Point Trip Report
Gypsy Peak (7,320+ ft)
Date: July 26, 2003
Authors: Dean Molen and Bob Bolton
We met in Metaline Falls. From there, we drove north on
SR 31 about 2 miles past the Pend Oreille River Bridge where we then turned East on the Sullivan Lake road.
Turn left on Forest Service road 22 and drive on it 6 miles until you take a left onto Forest Service
2220. (Forest Service road 22 goes to the right.) After several miles watch for Forest Service road 2212
(the road marker isn't easy to read so watch for it) as it forks uphill to the left and continue several more
winding miles until you come to a spur road that goes to the right which is marked as #200. This road is
gated after August 15th for grizzly bear and caribou habitat protection. Yes, you read that right, this is
grizzly bear country. This rougher road takes you another 6+ miles to the trailhead and I would
recommend a high clearance vehicle for the last three miles of this road.
When you hit the trailhead, you immediately see where the trail starts. Take this for about a mile until you
hit a switchback near the ridge line and then strike off cross country for Gypsy Peak. I recommend having a
GPS along with a map and compass to help guide you as you don't see Gypsy Peak until you've done several
ups and downs along the ridge, a ridge route that is probably two or three miles depending on what
variations you take. There is no trail to follow so follow the logical line. We went up and over bumps and
side-hilled one major hill in the heat of the day, spelled from time to time with a breeze from the west.
When you get to the overlook of Watch Lake, you'll see Gypsy peak northeast across the way.
Unfortunately, you have to drop about 400 feet in elevation to a saddle and then regain it plus an
additional 400 feet to reach the rocky summit of Gyspy.
Gypsy is an interesting peak and there is a witness rod (?), about ten feet down from the summit and neither
benchmark nor register. There is a sheer drop off on the east side and the views are expansive in all directions.
We reversed our effort and made it back to the trailhead, although we took a cross country route
through some brushy stuff to hit the trail again on the way down.
Time was 3 hours up, 2 1/2 hours down.
GPS-derived coordinates (NAD27 datum):
Trailhead (48.91739° N, 117.13789° W)
Gypsy Peak (48.94651° N, 117.15040° W)
photos