Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published October 2018

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Midnight Mountain is a behemoth. It dominates the area around Green Basin, Dry Basin, and Mill Creek and is the highest peak for miles. It is an easy walk-up via the old service road on its southeast ridge. This road can be accessed either from Green Basin or from the Mill Creek drainage. The old service road leads up to the concrete pilings that are remnants of radio antennas that were on the summit years ago. The summit has a very tall cairn with two other cairns nearby. It is a popular destination.

Please note that the USGS topo map fails to show FSR-1288 which goes from Dry Basin over to the west side of Midnight Mountain, where it intersects FST-329 which connects to Mahogany Basin via Green Pass. The map also fails to show the Highline ATV Trail/FST-316, which runs along the west face of Peak 9006. These are critical omissions. Both FSR-1288 and FST-316 are shown on the most recent National Forest map for the Montpelier/Soda Springs Ranger Districts. USGS Midnight Mountain 

Northwest Face, Class 2

Access

Same as for the west face/south ridge on Peak 9006. Easier access is via Green Basin and road/trails that lead up to Green Pass (8,139 feet), which sits at the base of the northwest face of Midnight Mountain.

The Climb

From Green Pass (or a smidge northeast of it), bushwhack east up a gentle slope in easy open pine forest (not much blowdown) for a short distance then head southeast across a minor gully (visible on the USGS topo map) to attack the northwest face directly. Once across the dry gully, the slope steepens considerably. Climb south then southeast up through the steep forest. The forest veg is generally short and the blowdown is not too bad. It is a consistently steep slope.

You may find it useful to have your downhill foot sideways and your uphill foot pointed upward (as you do in crampons when climbing steep, hard snow). Hey, it works. You eventually pop out on the north spur just below the gentle summit area. Stroll southward for about five minutes (and 90 vertical feet) to reach the tall cairn on the summit. Enjoy the magnificent views. You cannot help but notice how gentle the east side of this mountain is, in contrast to the much steeper, forested west side.

Nearby and to the southeast, there are seven large concrete pilings (with a couple of massive bolts protruding skyward out of them) that are about 2-1/2 feet tall. At one time, there were a series of radio antennas up here, but not anymore.

Southwest Ridge, Class 2

Access

Same as for the northwest face

The Descent

This descent route is designed for a return to Snow Hollow Road and its junction with ID-36. From the summit area, descend southwest in open desert scrub down an area that feels more like a face than a ridge. The scrub is thick but manageable and there are scattered fir trees on the slope. Stay just to the left/south of the forested area on the right/north side of the “ridge.” The ridge bends south/left-ish partway down and then bends back to the right to resume its southwest line.

Enter the forest (unavoidable at this point) and descend southwest then west down to intersect FSR-1288 at the base of the southwest ridge. Follow FSR-1288 north then west to its junction with FST-499/Snow Hollow Trail. Follow Snow Hollow Trail back to ID-36 and your parked vehicle.