Elevation: 8,933 ft
Prominence: 393
This peak is not in the book.
Peak 8933 is unofficially named after John Milton, the author of the classic poem of Lucifer becoming the Devil–Paradise Lost. The peak is located in Adams County and is the second highest summit in the southern Seven Devils Mountains. Peak 8933 has a long north-south trending summit ridge, which is very rugged on its north end and gentler to the south. USGS Purgatory Saddle
John Milton Peak as viewed from Peak 8180 to the south.
John Platt and I climbed Peak 8933 from Black Lake to the south. Use this link for Black Lake access information. Just before reaching Black Lake, there is a short spur road on the right with room for one 4WD vehicle to park. On the downhill side of this spur, an unofficial trail drops down the hillside. This trail will eventually lead you to Satan Lake. While not an official trail, it has a good tread and is relatively easy to follow.
At the lake, we headed due east, crossed the outlet creek and then climbed to the peak’s South Ridge at roughly 7,800 feet through an open forested slope. Once on the ridge, we turned north and proceeded up the ridge gaining another 1,100 vertical feet while dodging downed trees and a few towers along the way. Class 2+. Trip stats: 3.2 miles with 1,900 feet of elevation gain and 220 feet of elevation loss.
My GPS track.
Satan Lake
Following the South Ridge up to the summit was mostly uneventful.
The view west from the South Ridge.
Towers can be bypassed without too much trouble.
The only climbing we encountered was a bit of scrambling at the summit.
The route we followed climbs out of the Satan Lake Basin and is shown in red.
Additional Resources
Regions: Seven Devils Mountains->WESTERN IDAHO
Mountain Range: Seven Devil Mountains
Year Climbed: 2016
Longitude: -116.55409 Latitude: 45.21409