Getting to Sabe Mountain is an experience traveling the Magruder Corridor road, a 100-mile narrow road much of which is over 7500’, high for Northcentral Idaho roads. The are no services (gas or other) available along this route and the adjoining roads for 130 miles. According to the US Forest Service brochure, the road, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1930s has changed little over the decades. It shows.
Mineral Peak is an inactive US Forest Service Lookout and active Communication site. It sits near the boundary of the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Rattlesnake National Recreation areas. Summits views are good of the Rattlesnake mountains and a couple of distant cirque lakes. Access is via trail up the Rattlesnake Corridor, approximately 16.5 miles or via a poorly maintained high clearance rough road approximately 5 miles off the East Fork Rattlesnake and Gold Creek Roads.
This old US Forest Service Lookout has good trail access from the trailhead on the North Fork of the Blackfoot River. The trailhead is a popular access point into the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas for kayakers in the spring, fly fishers, backpackers, stock users and fall season hunters. The summit has spectacular views of much of the Scapegoat Wilderness and high summits within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.
Trail Miles: 4.5 one way
Elevation Gain: 3700’
Water: No water is available along the trail.
Nez Perce Peak is on the historic Nez Perce route to the eastern bison hunting grounds. It was also used by prospectors and traders. It is accessed by a steep-unmarked trail approximately 3 miles beginning on the Magruder Corridor road along Deep Creek. The open grassland summit has excellent views of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. There are trees for wire antennas or lots of open space for other antennas. Only a few wires, outhouse trail and stacked rock remain of the old US Forest Service Lookout.
Indian Ridge is accessed by trail beginning on the Selway River near Indian Creek Campground. This US Forest Service primitive campground is famous from the humous outdoor book INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES where the author, college student Pete Fromm spent a winter watching over an Idaho Fish and Game artificial salmon rearing channel. The well- marked summit trail climbs through towering centuries-old ponderosa pine open-forest and some recent fire snag forests.
University Mountain with an adjoining lower non-SOTA summit, Mount Sentinel overlooks the city of Missoula. Access is by three main routes, a road (closed to motor vehicles) or two trails. It is a communication site for several Agency repeaters and a popular summit in summer and winter for hikers, mountain bikers and cross-country skiers. The subordinate summit to the west is a launch site for hang gliders. Visitors can be expected on any of your SOTA activations here.
Burma Road High Point is accessed through Smith Rocks State Park, near Terrebonne, Oregon. An Oregon State Park day or annual pass is required.
Davis Mountain is a sizable flat top butte on the east side of the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. The six point summit tops out at 6,625 feet asl. It has undergone considerable fire activity in recent years, and the top has very sparse vegetation.
This is an easily accessible summit in the southern end of the East Pioneer Mountains. Getting there follows the Wise River/Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. This truly scenic route is much like driving through Yellowstone National Park’s mountains and lodgepole pine forests, and meadows, but absent the geysers, mud pots, and bison. The mountains are closer and more rugged and cattle instead of bison are scattered in summer throughout the forest and meadows. There are many well maintained campgrounds along the route.
This ridgeline hike follows a user trampled trail to Morrell Mountain, W7M/GA-068 and then becomes mostly an open rolling ridgeline to the unnamed summit, 8004. Along the entire route are excellent views of the Seeley Lake valley and the Mission Mountains, Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas.The trailhead is in a saddle just below a closed gate access to Morrell Lookout.
Trail miles: 1.0 plus off trail ridgeline hike of 2.0 miles one way. Elevation gain: ~600’ Terrain: open rock and rolling ridge. Map: Lolo National Forest, Seeley Lake Ranger District