Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published November 2018

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Peak 7885 lies in between Dunns Canyon and the Right Hand Fork of Georgetown Canyon. It overlooks White Pass to its east. Please note that the trail over White Pass (connecting Dunns Canyon to the RHF of Georgetown Canyon) no longer exists. The USGS topo map mistakenly shows it. An ascent of the east ridge from White Pass now requires a bushwhack from either Dunns Canyon (the better option) or the RHF of Georgetown Canyon. USGS Georgetown 

South Shoulder, Class 2

Access

From the signed turnoff on US-30 in the center of the bustling metropolis of Georgetown, ID, turn east onto Georgetown Canyon Road (which is called Stringtown Road within the city limits). Drive up the road to a junction at 2.3 miles (LEFT is CR-1095/Left Hand Fork Road; STRAIGHT is Georgetown Canyon Road/FSR-102). Go straight; the road changes from paved to gravel here. At 3.1 miles, you will see an unmarked dirt road on the R/S side of the road. This is the Right Fork Road/FSR-225. Park here. The elevation at this junction is 6,290 feet. FSR-225 is a narrow jeep road that is not suitable for most vehicles.

The Climb

The route begins at the junction of Georgetown Canyon Road and the Right Fork Road/FSR-225. Hike up the Right Fork Road for 0.9 mile to a [signed] junction with FST-522, an ATV trail on the right/south side of the road. This trail is NOT shown on the USGS topo map. Follow FST-522 as it climbs diagonally up to a saddle (6,980 feet) then drops southward 200 vertical feet to intersect the Dunns Canyon Trail/FST-504 at a signed junction. Go left/east onto FST-504 (an ATV trail) for just under a mile to 7,100 feet. The terrain on the L/N side of the trail is very open, so you can easily spot the south shoulder as you approach it. The south side of Peak 7885 is NOT heavily forested as the USGS topo map suggests. However, there are some scattered trees on the scrub slope and shoulder.

The south shoulder has a gully just to its right/east. Leave FST-504 and bushwhack up onto the shoulder. This terrain is very steep scrub, with broken scree as its base. You must maneuver around scattered pines and mountain mahogany on your climb up the shoulder. You just might grab some tree branches or tree trunks to facilitate your ascent, but it’s not mandatory. The final section of uphill is flatter and turns northeast. The south shoulder leads you directly to the summit. The summit of Peak 7885 is just a bump on the ridge and had a small, torn-down cairn. I rebuilt the cairn and increased its size. Now it is much more visible for the next mountaineer who reaches this peak. The summit is mostly open, but has a few pine trees nearby.

West Ridge, Class 2

Access

Same as for the south shoulder

The Descent

Same as for the south shoulder, but stop at the point where FST-522 crosses the 6,980-foot saddle. This saddle is at the base of the west ridge. This route is part of a ridge traverse from Peak 7885 to East Hill. From the summit of Peak 7885, follow the ridge westward, staying on the left/south side of the ridge crest in open desert scrub. The scrub is not too bad, but there are a few short sections of thick scrub to bash through. You must scramble over two ridge bumps en route to the gentle saddle that awaits you. There are scattered trees on the ridge crest proper and there is a decent foot path/game trail near the ridge crest to help speed your descent in some sections of the ridge. If you plan to also climb East Hill, you have a fantastic view of its east ridge as you descend the west ridge of Peak 7885.