Elevation: 7,022 ft
Prominence: 641
This peak is not in the book. Published January 2023
Peak 7022 is located above Summit Springs Pass and is at the head of Kossman Canyon. This is the first leg of a 2-peak adventure that includes Peak 7022 and Eyrie Peak (6,577 feet). The journey covers 4.0 miles with 1,275 feet of elevation gain round trip. USGS Sublett Troughs
The summit hump of Peak 7022 as viewed from high on the east ridge (my ascent route). Livingston Douglas Photo
Access
From Exit 245 (Malta/Sublett) on I-84, drive southeast on Sublett Road. Continue on the road as it bends east then north and passes the west side of Sublett Reservoir. At 10.0 miles, reach a signed junction with Lake Fork Road/FSR-564 at the northwest end of the reservoir. Turn right/east here onto FSR-565 and reset your odometer. At 2.9 miles, reach a signed junction with FSR-563. Go right onto FSR-563 and drive 4.9 miles to a meadow at [signed] “Summit Spring” just below Summit Springs Pass. There are two large water tanks and a split-rail cattle fence here. Park in the grassy meadow on the right/west side of the road (6,225 feet).
East Ridge, Class 2
The Climb
From the meadow, head southwest to the Summit Spring area through easy scrub then bash west up through a thick pine forest (with ample brush to boot) to soon reach the open terrain of the east ridge. Follow the ridge west along a fence row in reasonable scrub. Leave the fence row when it turns left/south and leaves the east ridge. Continue right/northwest up the ridge and right/north again to reach the open, cairned summit of Peak 7022.
The summit cairn atop Peak 7022 with the Black Pine Mountains in the far distance. Livingston Douglas Photo
North Ridge/East Spur, Class 2
The Descent
The next objective of today’s climb is Eyrie Peak. But where the heck is it? It is not visible from the summit of Peak 7022. From the summit, descend the open ridge north in easy scrub then east in thicker sagebrush to reach a minor saddle at 6,660 feet. Scramble east along the ridge up to Point 6720+. Surprisingly and unexplainably, this point has a magnificent cairn atop it. Regrettably, Eyrie Peak is not yet visible due to nearby pine trees.
Descend north from Peak 6720+ down a ridge of moderate-to-thick scrub then bend right/northeast to reach a saddle at the head of Eyrie Canyon. The saddle is at 6,500 feet and is a mess of thick brush and forest. It sits at the base of Eyrie Peak to the northeast. This is the connecting saddle with Peak 7022 and concludes the first leg of today’s 2-peak journey. Eyrie Peak (6,577 feet) is up next.
After climbing Eyrie Peak, return from the connecting saddle to Point 6720+. From Point 6720+, descend east along the ridgeline of the east spur then east-southeast down a final ridge section to reach the large meadow just below Summit Spring where you are parked. The east spur is a tedious mess of somewhat thick veg but there is a cattle trail and then remnants of an old road farther down the ridge to make the finish a cruise.
The tall cairn atop ridge Point 6720+ with Peak 7022 in the distance (my descent route). Livingston Douglas Photo
Additional Resources
Regions: SOUTHERN IDAHO->Sublett Range
Mountain Range: Sublett Range
Longitude: -122.9678 Latitude: 42.2948