Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published November 2018

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Peak 8316 is a forested hump that sits above Moonlight Meadow and the Middle Fork of North Creek. Perhaps this peak’s greatest claim to fame is its proximity to three Idaho county lines (Bear Lake County, Franklin County, and Caribou County) that all lie to the northwest. USGS North Canyon

North Face/North Ridge, Class 2

Access

Same as for the south ridge of Peak 8939.

The Climb

This route is part of a traverse from Peak 8939 to Peak 8316. It begins at the base of the north face of Peak 8316 on North Canyon Road/FSR-401. Leave FSR-401 and bushwhack south through the forest, quickly crossing another, older jeep road (not shown on maps) and continuing through more forest to reach a point where the terrain steepens noticeably. Climb north up through a reasonably easy pine forest, finding some game trails and other remnants of old roads/trails to help expedite the ascent.

Higher up, the terrain becomes thicker and a bit more tedious, but you will reach the summit ridge pretty quickly. Turn left/south onto the summit ridge and bushwhack up a mix of veg and forest (not too awful) with a few minor areas of ridge crest scree mixed in. The summit area is an elongated ridge crest with a mix of pines, veg, and talus/scree. It is a bit difficult to figure out where the high point is, but if you search around, you will find an open scree area next to a large pine tree on the ridge crest. There is a cairn here. This is the high point for Peak 8316.

East Face, Class 2

Access

Same as for the north face/north ridge

The Descent

From the summit, descend directly down the east face. This is a rather unpleasant bushwhack through thick aspens, blowdown, and veg. Thankfully, it is only about ½ mile of torture before you reach North Canyon Road/FSR-401. I found no game trails on the east face to make the descent more tolerable. Walk south then southeast down North Canyon Road to your parked vehicle at the road junction with FSR-951/South Fork Road.