Rock Creek Butte - 9106' & Elkhorn Peak - 8931' & Marble Point - 7931'
Location: 44.81695°N, 118.10276°W
Stats
Date: 9/23/2007
Distance: 12 miles
Elevation gain: 2900'
Class (difficulty): 2
Time: 7 hours
Range: Blues
Partner(s): John
Report:
Weather caused the cancellation of the fall outing. I still wanted to get out that weekend though, so I looked at the weather in nearby areas. It appeared the storm wasn't even going to hit the Baker City area. I had some peaks in that area in the back of my mind to go climb, so I decided to head that way. I invited several, but only John trusted the good weather forecast for the Baker City area.
After some discussion on routes, we decided on the Marble Pass (Elkhorn Ridge) route.
So Sunday we left cloudy Boise headed for Baker City, hoping for blue skies and a summit of Rock Creek Butte and Elkhorn Peak in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. We left Boise around 7:15am, arriving in Baker City at 9:15am and eventually at the Marble Pass trailhead around 10am. Our hopes for good weather turned out, as the range was free of clouds.
The route was pretty clear, follow a trail to the base of the 2 peaks on our itenirary and scramble to the top of each. We could see the trail heading out across ridge we would follow, so we hit it.
About 1 mile in, we could see the peaks on the ridge in the distance. They were quite impressive from this vantage point. We were excited about the beauty of the area. This vantage point also gave us a better idea of the weather, which was clear except for some low clouds in the ranges around us. More good news was that the trail was also in great shape, with great tread and few obstacles.
Not only did the trail have great views, in places where it met up with the ridgeline, great views could be had in both directions. One of this windows allowed us to spot some mountain goats on a cliff about 1/4 of a mile away. I mentioned at the time to John that goats were supposed to be prevelant in the area and that I wouldn't be surprised if one popped up right in front of us at some point.
As we hiked along the ridge and neared Elkhorn Peak, we decided to do Rock Creek Butte first and stopped for a quick bite to eat. Just after we got past the junction with the trail coming up from Twin Lakes (at the base of ridge we used to ascend Elkhorn Peak), we had a goat pop out in front of us. Neither of us got any good photos of the goat, but we were better prepared.
The trail beyond the junction was still in good shape, but was a bit loose and the slope dropped off quickly down to the Twin Lakes. The ridge suddenly turns south and the trail moves to the north side of the ridge in an area with a spectacular view of Rock Creek Butte. About 1/4 of a mile later, the trail emerges from the north side at the saddle between Point 8520+ and Rock Creek Butte. Here we left the trail and headed directly up to the butte. Also at this time, we noticed a goat just above us. As we hiked up the peak, he stayed just in front of us, allowing for some very close-up photos. As the goat and a friend of his headed around the otherside of the mountain, we re-focused on the peak and summited a short time later. On top, we spooked a younger goat, that wouldn't pose for our photos too long.
The peak had great views in all directions. The summit register was also interesting, as it was stuffed with papers with names and summit dates, but also student ID cards from as close as Baker High, to as far away as Boston University. After some brief exploration and rest, we headed back down the trail and towards Elkhorn Peak.
We ascended Elkhorn Peak using the west ridge, accessed from the trail just a few hundred feet east of the junction with the Twin Lakes trail. The ridge is a bit steep, but the footing is good and you can avoid trees in the early going, before all routes become open about 100 feet below the summit. It was at this point that John advised me of a young goat that was very interested in posing for my photos. After that excitement, I finished the hike to the top. On our way out, we followed the ridge east until it dropped down and joined the Elkhorn trail headed back toward Marble Pass. On the way back, we saw 2 groups of goats with at least 8 members each.
Once back at the truck, we tossed our bags in the back and decided to hustle to the top of Marble Point, about 300 feet above us. We bushwhacked to the top of 3 points that could have been the summit, before heading back down to the truck on a trail we discovered on the way up to the point.
The day was a bit tiring, a bit chilly at times, and a bit breezy at times; but otherwise perfect. We saw a gorgeous area, using a great trail, saw lots of goats, and had fun scambling up 3 peaks.
Getting there:
Coming soon...
Hiking instructions:
From Marble Pass, hike west on the Elkhorn Crest trail. The trail leads to the base of both Elkhorn Peak and Rock Creek Butte.
Additional Info:
Rock Creek Butte is the highest point in the Blue Mountain range in Oregon. It is also Oregon's 5th most prominent peak with 4466' of prominence.
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