Decent tree cover for most of the trail
1.5 miles, +690 ft
The trailhead can be reached from either the Bernice exit on I-15, or the Galen exit on I-90 south of Deer Lodge. Both roads are suitable for all vehicles. These instructions are from I-90.
Mount Tiny is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area near Georgetown Lake. Mount Tiny is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Little Rainbow Mountain, W7M/BR-071.
The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. A glass jar register filled with paper is tucked into the summit rocks.
Elevation gain: 2700’ from Storm Lake.
Trail Miles: 5.5 roundtrip.
Off-trail miles: 1 mile roundtrip.
Little Rainbow Mountain is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area. The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. Little Rainbow is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Mount Tiny, W7M/BR-079
Elevation gain: 2800’ from Storm Lake.
Trail Miles: 4.5 roundtrip.
Off-trail miles: 1.4 miles roundtrip.
Water: Depending the time of year a stream exists above Storm Lake along the trail. Then none exists along the trail.
Bunker Hill is an unremarkable summit that can be reached, cautiously, with a 4WD vehicle. After you leave the highway, the way up has a number of branch points; GPS or a map will be handy. When you get to the yellow gate, take down your antennas and be carefree about your paint getting scratched, otherwise, park here and hike up. It is roughly a 300' climb over half a mile.
Here is a gaiagps map with driving and hiking information: W7O/NC-038 route.
Mount Headley is easily accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Vermilion Peak, W7M/LO-056. The summit is the tallest in the area and has fine views of nearby summits, lakes and distant peaks. Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls while traveling the Graves Creek Road to the summit. A large pullout on the Northside of the road is at about mile 3.0. It is not signed.
0.9 miles, +500 ft, -100 ft
This is a pleasant hike through a thick lodgepole pine forest. The summit is a grassy meadow with some trees and views of the forested hills to the west. It is prudent to take a chain saw for the drive in, in case if the road is blocked. Note that the road is not open to motorized use from Oct. 15 – June 30. The road is suitable for all vehicles.
Gifford Peak is a forested summit above Blue Lake in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. This area is a popular destination for day hikers and backpackers, directly on the Pacific Crest Trail, so be prepared to meet crowds any day with good weather. The lake can be approached from either Falls Creek Horse Camp or the Thomas Lake Trailhead. Once there, take Thomas Lake Trail to the northwest corner of the lake, and proceed up the ridge off-trail. The ridge is pronounced and easy to follow to the true summit.
Approach: Rough gravel road in from Hyak. Little parking and congested driving at hairpin curve ~1.7 miles before the trail head. Just past the hairpin curve the road is extremely steep, rocky and potholed, to the point only vehicles with good clearance can get through. (I have an Outlander PHEV that did fine going up, and scraped on one rock coming down.) Once at the trail head it was busy, but easy to find an open parking spot on a Sunday afternoon.
Any opportunity to hike the Pacific Crest Trail for SOTA is a welcome one - and this may be one of the best we've experienced of this lovely national treasure of a trail. While only a bit less than five miles round trip and 1000 feet of gain, there is a challenging steep bushwack (Mode Sanglier - On!) that takes a bit of the shine off of the trail experience. A GPS will be important to successfully identifying the edge of the AZ.
Follow any road map to Soda Mt. Rd or Hobart Bluff TH off of Hwy 66. You will follow the gravel road down past Hobart Bluff Trailhead, there is a parking area and restroom here. Go on past the trailhead aways until you reach the gated driveway for Soda Mountain on the right. It is a 1.5 mile walk up to the summit using the road. Minimal parking area as you will be in wilderness and there is very few pullouts to park in.
