Elevation: 8,494 ft
Prominence: 514
This peak is not in the book. Published January 2020
This peak is located above Needles Summit and west of Square Top. It is a round-shaped peak with lots of exposed granite. USGS Blackmare
Peak 8300 on the left/center (farther south) with Peak 8494 on the right. As viewed from Square Top with Long Valley in the background. John Platt Photo
Access
From Kennally Creek Campground, follow FST-101 to Needles Summit [(B)(5)(b) on Page 136]. John Platt reports: “Trails are in great shape. You must navigate several trail junctions. Fairly shady but also buggy. A few downed trees here and there, but you can make good progress all the way to Needles Summit.“ The name Needles Summit actually refers to two passes that are below Peak 8449 and above the Gold Fork drainage. Follow the trail to the first pass.
Southeast Ridge, Class 2+
From the pass, follow the Southeast Ridge to the summit. Skirt the false summit on its West Side.
John Platt’s GPS track for climbing Peaks 8494 and 8300. Round trip stats: 12.9 miles with 3,737 feet of elevation gain.
Additional Resources
Mountain Range: Western Salmon River Mountains
Longitude: -115.81809 Latitude: 44.75959