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Jamin Smitchger
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Joined: 02 Oct 2004
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Location: Pullman
Jamin Smitchger
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PostSat Jun 09, 2007 11:40 am 
I am sorry for the tardy trip report, but better late than never. For the entire week it had been really hot so last weekend I decided to get up high to see some snow. I started out on Sunday the 3rd from Pullman at about 3pm, and the temperature registered 102 degrees when I went through Lewiston. I reached Riggins, Idaho, which is touted as the whitewater capital of the world, at about 6pm. Just past the town of Riggins, I took Seven Devils Road and FR 517 to the trailhead at 7,600 feet.
green valley
green valley
I quickly found out that I had totally underestimated He Devil. I was taking the direct climbing route from Seven Devils Lake to Goat Lake that is mentioned in Summitpost. It looked like the only way up to the pass above Mirror Lake was to ascend a steep 45-55 degree snow finger and do a short section of rock. I would rate the moves at high class 3-class 4, but it is probably possible to find an easier route. I found a beautiful, snow-free campsite at the pass, and I set up camp. It was really wonderful. For the past 9 months, I have always camped on snow, and camping on bare dirt was a welcome change. There were great views of The Tower of Babel and the frozen Mirror Lake. I built a fire at the highest elevation in my life, 8400 feet.
Snow finger
Snow finger
Tower of Babel from pass above Mirror Lake
Tower of Babel from pass above Mirror Lake
Class 3? route to goat lake, snow finger in center
Class 3? route to goat lake, snow finger in center
Camp
Camp
I awoke at 6 pm and began the traverse along the ridge to the pass to Goat Lake. I quickly lost the trail, but I found easy traveling right below the gendarmes on the ridge. Once at the pass, it was simple class 3 scrambling to Goat Lake.
He Devil (on right) and She Devil (on left)
He Devil (on right) and She Devil (on left)
Tower of Babel and pass above Goat Lake
Tower of Babel and pass above Goat Lake
Goat Lake
Goat Lake
At Goat Lake at 7800 feet, I decided to try the couloir between He Devil and She Devil because it seemed more interesting. According to Summitpost, this route “did not have any issues.” The couloir was ok. There was a sustained 45 degree snow slope up to the top, but I could have done an easier route to my left if I had wanted.
Couloir between He and She Devil, ascent route on right
Couloir between He and She Devil, ascent route on right
Looking down ascent route
Looking down ascent route
Once at the pass between He and She Devil, I began to climb up the east ridge of He Devil. There was some easy scrambling up to a sort of chimney, which was rated class 4 in Summitpost. I started climbing up it, and I quickly found that it felt like low class 5. I began to have visions of myself downclimbing the route because it terminated in a dead end. I did not have a rope, rock gear, or shoes so I decided to not climb up the chute.
The East Ridge of He Devil
The East Ridge of He Devil
Views
Views
At this point, I was a bit disturbed because it appeared that I would not make the summit. I decided to make a descending traverse on the south side of the summit and try to find a way to the easy class 3 route up the northwest ridge. It looked like there were 3 possible routes. An easy snow slope up toward Purgatory Lake was quickly discarded because it just seemed too far to walk. Another route directly up the south face was discarded because it looked extremely steep and scary. The only route that was left was The Couloir. The Couloir is the name that I have given to the route that ascends the westward trending gully up to the saddle about .2 miles southwest of the summit. The fact that some of the contours were cut on the topo map did not prevent me from deciding to try this spectacular route.
The Couloir
The Couloir
The 50-55 degree snow on the route seemed to be in great shape, but I was worried about the rock that I could see up ahead. When I got closer. I could see that there were two gullies up to the summit. The one on the left looked like low 5th class, but the one on the right, joy of joys, looked like only 4th class. This gully was extremely narrow, which is probably why it did not show up on the topo map. In just a few minutes of climbing, I topped out on The Couloir and I saw that there was only easy class 2 scrambling left in order to reach the summit. I reached the summit a few minutes later. Most of the lakes that I could see were open, but there were a couple that were still frozen solid. Beautiful views were had toward Hells Canyon and down to most of the lakes in the Seven Devils.
Looking down The Couloir from top
Looking down The Couloir from top
Hells Canyon and Wallowas
Hells Canyon and Wallowas
Views
Views
The descent back down to the trailhead was uneventful. I lost my camera case to a greedy moat, but nothing else happened. I decended via the class 2-3 route on the Northwest Ridge. On the descent, I began to feel saddened that I had to leave. I will never forget the way I felt as I packed up camp and turned my back on the massive bulk of the Tower of Babel. Although I conquered what is probably the highest point in the Seven Devils, nothing really changed except in myself.

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wadel
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Location: Pullman, WA
wadel
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PostMon Jun 11, 2007 9:11 am 
Great TR, Jamin! I've been in the area a few times but never that early (been to the top of He and She Devil and Mt. Baal). BTW, I think it is Sheep Lake rather than Goat Lake.

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Crazyforthetrail
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Location: Lakewood, WA
Crazyforthetrail
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PostMon Jun 11, 2007 11:29 am 
Great post!
Thank you for the post and beautiful pictures!!!!

Save The Earth--It's The Only Planet With Chocolate!
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Jamin Smitchger
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Jamin Smitchger
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PostTue Jun 12, 2007 10:35 am 
You are probably right. I do not know the area very well. It was a great trip.

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wadel
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wadel
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PostTue Jun 12, 2007 10:41 am 
Did you see anyone else while you were there? Some years you can't even make it up the road this early.

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Jamin Smitchger
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Jamin Smitchger
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PostTue Jun 12, 2007 2:12 pm 
I saw one climber at the pass to mirror Lake, but there were other people at the campground.

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