Trip Report
Tom's peak page for Sunny Bar Peak
A photo of the Lemhi range taken by team John-squared on North Twin the weekend before got me thinking about doing a Lemhi range peak the following weekend. Their photos showed hardly any snow in the southern end of the range. How cool would it be to go over in March and tag a 10000' peak and not suffer through postholing?!
I ran the idea by Tom and he was in favor. We thought why not make it a two day trip and throw in some easy hiking the day before. So the plan was set. We hit the Craters of the Moon national monument on Sunday, then headed over to the Lemhi range Sunday evening.
We had our sites set on "The Clapper", the peak just south of Bell Mountain. We drove to the approach for the peak and were surprised to see it had a lot of snow on the route. Not good for 2 guys wanting to avoid postholing. We had noticed some peaks further south that had less snow. Using a way too large of scale forest service map and our eyes, we spied an approach road and route for Sunny Bar Peak. No topo, no guidebook, no problem!
Sunny Bar Peak is a 10512' summit located near Nicholson and Swanson peaks in the southern Lemhis. The peak juts out west of the main crest, giving us easier access.
Not really knowing, just hoping, we drove up what we later found to be Rocky Run Creek in Sunny Bar Canyon, just southwest of the peak. We inched up the road, knowing every foot of gain would save us climbing in the morning. It was getting dark when we found a flat spot next to the creek at 6500'. We agreed to camp here and continue up the road in the morning.
We had a great view of the Lost Rivers as we relaxed in our camp chairs, listening to some good music. We eventually were chased into the vehicle by a cold wind, then the tents.
Neither one of us slept well, but camp was put up and breakfast ate by 8am and we started up the road. The road got us to around 7100'. That made for a 3400' day... not bad!
We headed up the steep slope to our left. While steep, the footing was good and we eventually found an elk trail that got us into the trees. The trees weren't that dense and the going was good. In fact, a few times, Tom mentioned that the elk trails rivaled some built by the forest service :-)
We had both seen a large rocky point between our tree covered ridge and the base of the peak. I stressed over getting around this point, as the south side was a steep cliff and I thought the north side could be the same. As we approached, we found the north side to be just talus. This led us to a saddle and the start of the real climb.
The footing was loose here and there, but got us to the treeline quickly. We then hiked on alpine terrain to a notch that got us within 300 feet of the top. One short patch of snow required us to use our make shift "rock ice axes". The last 200 feet were easy going and we arrived on the summit after 3:30 minutes of effort. Not bad for winter legs and being above 10k for the first time in 6 months.
Once on top, we couldn't tell if we were on the highest summit. We eventually wandered to the northern most portion of the ridge, which we found was lower than where we had been previously.
The fact that Sunny Bar Peak sits west of the main range and hangs over the Little Lost River Valley give it exceptional views. You can view the entire length of the Lost River Mountains. The surrounding Lemhis are spectacular as well. The east face is a marvel, as it drops straight down for over 1000 feet.
After relaxing in the sun for 30 minutes, Tom and I set off down the hill, finishing the hike on the south facing brush slopes in summer-like heat. It was nice to relax in the shade, have a cold beer, and wash up in the creek. We both remarked about how it felt like summer. A wonderful end to a couple of good days in the mountains with a great friend!
Sunny Bar Peak is a great trip. We were likely the first people to climb it since Rick Baugher did in 1991. Given it's challenge and beauty, hopefully 24 years don't pass before the next people venture to its summit.
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Getting There
Starting in Howe, follow the Little Lost highway north for 15.3 miles. Turn right onto an improved gravel road that heads due north through the Nicholson Sunny Bar Ranch. At the end of the road, after 2.25 miles, pass through a open gate and take an immediate right onto a less improved road. Follow this road for about .65 miles, then turn left onto the road leading up Rocky Run Creek. You can see this road leading to the mount of Sunny Bar Canyon above you. Follow this steep, rutted road to it's end in the canyon at 7100'. A 4x4 is required.
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