The semiarid lost river range has 9 of idahos 11 peaks over 12,000 feet. A guide to the states greatest hiking adventures state hiking guides series kratz, luke, maughan, jackie, maughan, ralph on. Jul 26, 2017 borah peak was first climbed by usgs surveyor t. Climbing information, pictures and map for borah peak, the idaho state highpoint. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of borah peak or mount borah, as well as the logistics of climbing to the summit. For most of the hike, as with borah, there is a defined trail. For general information about mount borah, please visit the peaks main information page. At 12,662 ft borah peak is the monarch of the lost river range, highest mountain in idaho. This is a very strenuous trail with 3040% grade for most of the way. If you can run 20 miles a week, or climb 1,000 feet in an hour, you should. Before teton pass gets icy, take a quick trip over the hill into idaho to experience the wilder, western side of the range with some hiking in teton valley, idaho. Day hiking in idahos sawtooths sawtooth mountain guides. The semiarid lost river range has 9 of idaho s 11 peaks over 12,000 feet.
Climb mount borah, borah peak trailhead the outbound. Senator borah, nicknamed the lion of idaho served in the us senate from 1906 to 1940. Climbing borah peak in early may with the goal of skiing idahos tallest. Mount borah or simply borah, by virtue of being idahos highest point. Summit post should have more info for mount borah, in general. Although a decent trail does snake its way to the top of the mt. Strange as it sounds, the lava is a great sponge, sopping up the water, and releasing it a hundred miles to the southwest in the hagerman valley of the snake river. Canfield mountain bike trail 1562, near coeur dalene, has more than 32 trail miles in the system. The route is short but involves considerable elevation gain, making for a continuously steep hike. There are a total of nine peaks in idaho that tower above 12,000 in elevation. Idaho hiking and backpacking trails explore idaho hikes and. A fun one to check is the stanley sawtooth cam, which is a live camera for the sawtooth range. Mount coeur dalene is a backpacking, hiking, horseback riding adventure located in or near coeur dalene, id. From the ease of booking, hike preparation discussions, and logistics of where to stay and meetup the morning of our climb, sawtooth mountain guides made sure that we were well prepared for whatever the mountain offered.
Ralph maughan, a professor of political science at idaho state university, author of a guide to the remote teton wilderness, draws on more than two decades of wilderness experience and leadership in such groups as the sierra club, the greater yellowstone coalition, and the idaho environmental council. Steve has produced a whole new edition of boise trail guide, featuring 95 hiking and running trails in the greater boise area greenbelt trails, mountain trails in the boise foothills, bogus basin trails, new routes in the owyhee canyonlands, and sweet trails in the boise national forest near idaho city, garden valley and smiths ferry. Follow the borah peak access road 3 miles to the trailhead. The book also includes fishing information and gps coordinates for some routes. The traditional borah hiking route begins at 7,400 feet and climbs to 12,662. Highway 20, sawtell peak road heads west, winding back and forth up the south side of sawtell peak.
Idaho trails offer extraordinary scenery and outdoor activities for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and fishermen, as well as for those who simply love to be out in the mountains and desert. Borah peakidahos highpoint salmonchallis national forest, idaho acrophobia is defined as an abnormal or pathological fear of heightsan irrational monster of the mind that turned me into a whimpering basket case on the slopes of borah peak, the highest mountain in the state of idaho. Whether youre looking for a halfday hike for the family or a dayplus trek across the sawtooth range, let sawtooth mountain guides show you our favorite hikes to pristine alpine lakes, burbling mountain creeks, or. The vast majority of climbers reach the summit via borahs standard route, the southwest chicken out ridge. Climbing borah peak in the lost river range of idaho. This is a challenging task that requires decent physical conditioning, good navigational skills, and the right mental state to withstand long climbs on. Known locally as mount borah rather than borah peak, this mountain boasts nearly 6000 feet of prominence, making it one of the rare prized ultraprominence peaks. The book includes descriptions for many offtrail routes that will hopefully inspire hikers to get out and explore the vast expanse of mountains in central idaho.
Traverse the east side of mores mountain on this trail which leads to great views for 50 plus miles. The pocatello resident was reported missing on thursday during a hike to the top of mount borah. I had only slept a few hours the night before so i was trying to take a few cat naps. A climbing guide, lists borah on his top 10 climbs in idaho. Idaho selkirks harrison peak is an easy approach once you get to the end of upper pack river road which can take about 3040 minutes after you turn off highway 95. You can also purchase the guidebooks here on our website or look to meet the author and purchase books directly from hiking idaho during spring, summer, and fall at the capital city public market in downtown boise. This trip to idaho, to hike its highest mountain, was a long anticipated one for me. Take in spectacular mountain vistas atop the tallest peak in idaho.
Standing at 12,662 feet, borah peak is idaho s highest mountain. Lost river borah is the tallest peak in idaho and is located amongst the most rugged mountains in the state, the lost river range. Sep 01, 2017 pocatello resident john milburn survived a night in the wilderness after taking a detour on mount borah on thursday. Base elevation near those is about 6500, so use your judgement. Standing at 12,662 feet, borah peak is idahos highest mountain.
The north idaho centennial trail is a multi use recreational trail, which meanders for 24 miles from the state line at the idaho washington border to beautiful higgins point, six miles east of coeur dalene. Mount borah was officially named borah peak in 1929. This great peak is situated in the lost river range located in the challis national forest. In 1934 it was officially named after senator william borah of idaho. This behemoth is part of the lost river range in the central part of the state. The southwest ridge of borah peak, more commonly referred to as chickenout ridge, is the primary route used to ascend the peak. Mount borah is idahos highest peak and a rite of passage for idahoans and. Many of the routes described are perfect for after work outings. Hiking idahos trails idaho hiking guidebooks by trail. This outandback hike to the highest point in the centennial mountains of idaho and montana skirts the continental divide and provides stunning views of both states. Cramponcompatible mountain boots if doing an earlyseason climb typically.
Pocatello man survives night in the wilderness on mount borah. Sep 02, 2017 pocatello john milburn learned the hard way that hikers should always stay on the trail. Summit of borah peak via swchickenout ridge mount borah. Idahos sawtooth national recreation area takes in over 750,000 acres of protected land rent with rivers and. The mostreferenced guidebook for idaho climbers includes the trails, approaches, and access information for idaho s peaks whether its a technical ascent of the great west wall of elephants perch or a scramble to the summit of 12,662foot mount borah, heres your key to high adventure in idaho. Day hiking let us show you our favorite hikes to pristine alpine lakes, burbling mountain creeks, and spectacular view points. Close by town is mackay, idaho, which is about 7500. Its a day of steep walking, some handoverhand scrambling and some steep dropping.
There is an entire section dedicated to driving, route, and trail directions of idahos 12,000 peaks. The hiking idaho guidebooks are available through many retailers throughout boise, stanley, ketchum, mccall, and cascade. Borah peak also known as mount borah or beauty peak is the highest mountain in the u. Five hikes in montanas bitterroot mountains out there. Wear boots, not running shoes my 60 yearold feet are glad i did. Well, this page presents an overview of mount borahs climbing routes and provides links to pages where the routes are covered in continue reading. This road turns into trail creek road closed in winter.
Today the peak bearing his name is a popular hikingclimbing destination as its the highest point in idaho, one of. Sawtooth mountain guides knows the mountain intimately and has helped thousands of climbers reach their goal of standing on borah s summit. Best appalachian trail books the best books about the appalachian trail. Jul 10, 2016 before teton pass gets icy, take a quick trip over the hill into idaho to experience the wilder, western side of the range with some hiking in teton valley, idaho. Local man survives night in the wilderness on mount borah. Pocatello resident john milburn survived a night in the wilderness after taking a detour on mount borah on thursday.
Mores mountain trail hiking trail, idaho city, idaho. The main guide i used to scramble to the nine 12ers of idaho is a book by margaret fuller entitled hiking eastern idaho. Sep 01, 2001 he was recently honored by the idaho conservation league, on the 25th anniversary of the passage of the wilderness act, as a wilderness preservation leader. It is the states busiest peak, with folks coming from all over to climb the highest point in idaho. Five hikes in montanas bitterroot mountains aaron theisen june 28, 2016 get out there hiking south of lolo pass, on the idahomontana border, the 200milelong mass of granite known as the idaho batholith lies exposed on the bitterroot divide, like a halfextracted fossil. Idaho hiking and backpacking trails explore idaho hikes. Theres a use trail along elkhorn creek to start the mount idaho ascent. These website pages augment the information for mount borah that starts on page 270 of idaho a climbing guide. Please submit any useful information about climbing borah peak or mount borah that may be useful to other climbers. Jan 02, 2009 borah peak is the highest summit on massive mount borah. Anything thrown off the summit could kill or injure them. Well, this page presents an overview of mount borah s climbing routes and provides links to pages where the routes are covered in more detail.
The strongest earthquake in idaho occurred along the fault line in 1983 and rose the peak of mt. Jackie johnson maughan, an instructor of english at idaho state university, has published tow outdoor recreation books related to women, poetry, and short stories. The guidebook also includes a thorough overview of the regional history as it relates to trail development and recreation in the valley. The 232page guidebook highlights 60 of the greatest walking adventures in the sawtooth, white cloud and salmon river mountains, all surrounding the stanley basin. It was designed for motorized trail bikes and mountain bikes and is open for all uses except for atvs. Borah peak hiking trail near challis, idaho, united. Guidebooks hiking, trail running, rock climbing, and. Borah is one of seven 12ers in the lost river range. Climb mount borah, borah peak trailhead the outbound collective. Boise area hiking, trail running and rock climbing guidebooks. Trail guide books is a small independent publishing house and book distributor located in weiser, idaho. He not only did the entire 900 miles of the centennial trail, but because some of the places he really wanted to see were not a part of that trail, he did an extra 200 miles of hiking to include places like craters of the moon, hells canyon and bear lake. Note this is about the hiking trail not appalachia in general. The black cliffs, table rock, rocky canyon and mores mountain.
Little did i know, my crampons were made to fit over hiking boots. A beginners guide to climbing mount borah visit idaho. Located in the lost river range in the central idaho, borah peak is isolated and sparse with vegetation, but that does not stop climbers seeking the thrill of reaching its summit. It can be reached via an arduous scree and talus slog from the south, but the north face is a classic climb that should be high on the wish lists of all idaho mountain climbers. Borah peak, leatherman peak, mount church, mount breitenbach, lost river mountain, mount idaho, donaldson peak, and two unnamed peaks. At 12,662 feet, borah peak offers a formidable trek and very rewarding summit for hikers and mountaineers alike.
Borah peak hiking trail near challis, idaho, united states. If youre looking for the best trails around boise, stanley or ketchum, weve got you covered. Tom lopez, aficionado of all things vertical and author of idaho. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from may until october. Borah peak is the highest summit on massive mount borah. I had done my research well, collecting information from hiking guides, highpointers books.
Idahos snake river, which flows from the grand tetons in wyoming to the columbia river in washington, rushes through hells canyon, the deepest gorge in the country. Wellknown idaho author and hiker, margaret fuller, is trail guide books primary author. Borah peak lies in the lost river mountain range of the challis national forest. Borah is a complex and attractive mountain with relatively good rock. Climbing idahos borah peak tips for your first trip. At 12,662 feet, borah peak offers a formidable trek and very rewarding summit for hikers and mountaineers. Hiking idaho is excited to announce the completion of the hikers guide idahos sawtooth country. Hiking season all year long things to see mountain views summit.
There are nine peaks in idaho over 12,000, and mount borah is the tallest on the 12er list at 12,662. The editors at backpacker have created an extensive collection of popular trails and trips for hiking and backpacking idaho. Boise climbs this book, now in its 4th edition, is the definitive guide to rock climbing in the greater boise area. The hikers guide idahos sawtooth country hiking idaho. Its prime time for an adventure, as fall colors are bright and the crowds have largely dissipated this time of year. Pocatello john milburn learned the hard way that hikers should always stay on the trail. North face usgs peaks is the 10th highest peak in idaho, but it sees very few ascents. The standard route, aptly named chickenout ridge, is a semiexposed. While not terribly difficult, hikers must pass over a short stretch of class 3 rock with much. In terms of elevation, idahos borah peak ranks eleventh on this list. A guide to the states greatest hiking adventures state hiking guides series. The publisher specializes in outdoor guidebooks to the intermountain west, particularly hiking idaho trails. Tom chose the idaho centennial trail to meet both of these goals. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular goal for both experienced and novice climbers to summit all nine idaho 12ers.
1230 281 637 1034 1089 1029 1663 578 879 1604 654 518 412 943 751 926 232 107 953 678 824 1372 1001 906 971 1162 1103 262 1196 27 1188 394 305 1451 1474 920 750 1317 1035 117 1098 973 639 1008 799 1444 964 1006 1244