November 22, 2016. With the Summer mountaineering season finally coming to a belated end, Eastern Idaho editor Margo Mandella and I are working hard to add a lot of new content to the website. While we have already added 15 new peaks to the database, and augmented and revised countless other peak pages, we have a lot more work to do.

Our newest pages include routes, peak information and photos from friend and contributor John Platt. John’s continued exploration of the Lick Creek Range peaks promises to expand our knowledge of this remote corner of Idaho. For your future climbing pleasure, check these out: Bearpaw Peak, Rainbow Peak, Petes Peak and Buissons Peak.

The Lemhi Range is often overlooked by Lost River Range fans, but it is every bit as impressive (and more diverse) as its neighbor.  Lemhi Peak pages recently added to the site include Little Brother, Midway Mountain, Peak 10681, Mount Inspiration, Liberty Mountain and Prescott Peak, unofficially named after Larry Prescott who passed away near its summit in late October.

In Eastern Idaho, Mount Manning (located near Driggs) was added. Mount Manning’s easy access and gentle slopes make for good Winter climbing. It offers spectacular views of the nearby Teton Range. In Southeastern Idaho, Goodenough Peak, Peak 6582, Rock Knoll and Peak 7081 (Gibson Mountain) outside of Pocatello were added to the website. Peakbaggers can find dozens of peaks near Pocatello (many of which are climbable year-round) to satisfy their high-life urges.

In addition to these new pages added to the site, many more peak pages are in draft status because it was a wonderfully long Summer climbing season this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

September 19, 2016. Finally, cooler Fall weather is here and the fires that have plagued the state for the last 2 months are coming under control. Snow has fallen at higher elevations and we soon will be thinking about skiing. There is a lot of new content on the site. Climbing legend Lyman Dye provided the first installment of his memoir, Heeding the Call of the Mountains. Lyman’s recollections, which start in 1958, are a good read and are historically important. Also check out Lyman’s bio: Lyman Dye.

John Platt and I climbed a new route on Monument Peak, the highest point in Adams County. While in the area, we also climbed Smith Mountain, John Milton Peak and Peak 8180.

I also got back to the West Mountains for the first time in several years. As a result, I was able to update several peaks. Check out Snowbank Mountain, Granite Peak, Wilson Peak and Gabes Peak. All of these peaks offer quick ascents from the spectacular Snowbank Mountain Road.

Finally, John Platt’s exploration of the Salmon River Mountains near McCall continues. Two of the peaks he climbed recently are outstanding objectives: Idler Peak and Buck Peak.

August 3, 2016. A good July in the mountains has turned into a smoky August. Caribou Mountain was my favorite ascent for the month followed closely by Oxford Peak and Sedgwick Peak–all found in Southeast Idaho. All 3 peaks have a lot of prominence which means incredible views. I owe a big “Thank you” to Eastern Idaho editor Margo Mandella and erstwhile contributor Steve Mandella for hosting and joining me on these climbs.

Senate Peak in the Boulder Mountains turned into a tough and scenic climb into the area just north of Galena Peak. Grassy Twin Peak, one of a half-dozen worthwhile summits in the Grass Mountains, was the center point of a memorable weekend north of McCall. The peak is an attractive summit that sits directly south of Hard Peak, between Grassy Mountain Lakes to the north and Frog Lake to the south. Its granite-encrusted North Face drops precipitously to Grassy Mountain Lakes.

Finally, do not miss the link to Pete Zimowsky’s fine article on the Gospel-Hump Wilderness. If you live in Eastern Idaho and are interested in good Autumn hikes, check out the Pocatello Range peaks and Bannock Range peaks around Pocatello starting with Chinese Peak. Pocatello has an exceptionally strong endurance-running community centered around the Pocatello Running Company. The aforementioned peaks are great for hiking as well as running. Make sure you stop in the shop and ask Brian for suggestions on peak running, hiking routes and footwear.

July 2, 2016. I climbed a beautiful peak on the Bitterroot Crest during a quick trip to Montana. Peak 7544 is best accessed from Montana. It sits on the Crest and the Idaho/Montana border and is also on the East Border of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Sheephorn Peak is another interesting peak that I visited on my way to Montana. It is located on the East Edge of the Salmon River Mountains south of Salmon, Idaho. The approach is as long as the views from its summit.

John Platt added 2 more Lick Creek Range peaks: Peak 8256 and Peak 8708 which he calls Thirtythree Peak.

June 14, 2016. The snow seems to be melting about a month ahead of schedule although you will still find plenty of snow in the higher terrain. I added a new section on the Bennett Mountain Hills to the website. This mountain range encompasses a large section of Idaho that is mostly ignored by climbers. There are a number of peaks that are of interest to peakbaggers (see the links at the end of the range’s page), wilderness study areas and impressive rock formations worth exploring. I climbed 3 peaks at the North End of Boise Ridge including Hawley Mountain, Peak 7201 and Peak 7057. All 3 have easy access with a high-clearance vehicle or a mountain bike. I have also updated the entries for Sturgill Peak and Hitt Peak after visiting the area 2 weeks ago. There are many additional changes on the website that I’m too lazy to list. Have a great time in the mountains!

May 11, 2016. The warm Spring weather in Southwestern Idaho that began in March continued through April and into May. My Owyhee Mountains explorations continued with ascents of Toy Mountain, its neighboring peaks and Doyle Mountain. I also had a nice day in the often-overlooked Danskin Mountains climbing Peak 6244, Devils Hole Peak and Little Fiddler. While it is too warm in Southwestern Idaho, there is still snow left in other parts of the state. A snowshoe ascent of Split Creek Point gave me a chance to sample the snow in the Salmon River Mountains. Speaking of snow, I have read numerous reports of climbers/skiers ascending the Super Gully on Lost River Mountain in recent weeks. Check out this one by Bob Boyles. Finally, Erik Pohlmann ascended and descended all 4 Grand Slam Peaks in record time which is an impressive feat.

March 27, 2016. It’s Springtime in the Owyhees. I climbed 6 Owyhee Peaks in the last 2 weeks. The snow is mostly gone below 7,000 feet and there is a lot of great hiking available right now. I have always thought that the Owyhee Mountains are an incredible mountain upland and my recent trips have reinforced that belief. The Owyhee peaks are still mostly unknown to many peakbaggers and climbers. I have tried to rectify this lack of knowledge by adding a list of Owyhee peaks for easy reference. There are 138 named and unnamed peaks in the range and I have only climbed 15 of them. I have also added pages for my recent climbs: Pole Creek Top, CBI Benchmark, Flattop Butte, Peak 5303, Soldier Cap and Wilson Peak.

February 15, 2016. I added 4 new peak lists which cover the Bitterroot Mountain peaks between the Clark Fork River (east of Sandpoint) and Lost Trail Pass (north of Salmon). This long winding stretch of mountains has many of Idaho’s most impressive but unknown peaks. This range is better known to Montanans than to Idahoans because the primary access to almost all of these peaks is from Montana. Check out these lists as well as the range’s home page to learn more about the Bitterroot Mountains.

Clark Fork River to Lookout Pass, Lookout Pass to Lolo Pass, Lolo Pass to Nez Perce Pass, Nez Perce Pass to Lost Trail Pass

January 19, 2016. January has become History Month. The “Climbing History” page was reformatted and a lot of new content has been added. Foremost among the contributors are Bob Boyles and Joe Leonard. Bob is a long-time contributor and Joe Leonard is a new contributor. If you have not heard of Joe before, you will learn of his exploits including the first Winter ascent of Mount Regan and the founding of the first backcountry skiing guide service in Idaho and the USA. First, check out THE LOST AND WANDERING by Joe Leonard and then read about the guide service.

Robinson Bar Ranch by Joe Leonard

Bob contributed great articles on the history of Boise’s Black Cliffs:

The Early Climbing History of the Black Cliffs by Bob Boyles

And Tablerock:

The Early Climbing History at Table Rock by Bob Boyles

January 5, 2016. Happy New Year. I have revamped the Contributor page to make it a bit more user friendly. I’m always looking for contributors to help expand our knowledge of Idaho’s mountains. Please drop me a note if you would like to contribute to the site. The first book update of the new year is thanks to John Platt and Dave Pahlas who made a snowshoe ascent to 2 Sawtooth Range peaks on January 1st that are not in the book. Check out Frenchman Peak and North Frenchman Peak. Finally, I climbed The Riddler recently. Check The Riddlers peak page and don’t forget to read John Platt and Larry Prescott’s trip reports which are linked on that page.

Ray Brooks provided us with a close-up look at the remote White Knob Towers which could be a rock climbing mecca. See his report.

Click here to read 2015 updates.

Send me an email if you would like to contribute to the site. You will receive full credit for your contribution and help out other Idaho climbers in the process.