Washington County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: June 25, 2009
Author: Adam Helman

road distances and coordinates

This effort was part of a larger journey collecting Idaho, Montana, and Washington county highpoints in late June and early July 2009.

The turnoff from ID-71 to the campground noted in Zach Vickery's report is at logical mile marker 12.3, between 15 and 16 miles from Cambridge, Idaho. Coming from there, a disconcerting drop in elevation, along the highway, occurs just prior to the cited turnoff.

It is 0.4 mile from the upper (far) end of the campground to a fork - not the 0.5 mile Zach reports. Take the left branch. Then, an additional 0.4 mile to the trailhead - not the 1/4 mile Zach writes.

As determined by GPS unit, the trailhead is at WGS84 (44.75225° N, 116.81110° W), elevation 4,867 feet. The summit was measured at WGS84 (44.77128° N, 116.78427° W), elevation 7,884 feet.

The summit area features rolling terrain, with nearby summits almost as high. It all lies at timberline, with alpine meadows and evergreens eeking-out an existence. Melting snowfields and tiny patches1 set-against the green meadows made for a colorful summit break. I did not want to leave!

I took 2 hours 8 minutes for the ascent, and 4 hours 28 minutes for the round-trip.

1They are "cute". I like them - pretty yet nonthreatening.