Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mt. Borah (Idaho) - 9.16.2008
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
ragman and rodman
Member
Member


Joined: 28 Apr 2005
Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics
Location: http://rgervin.com/
ragman and rodman
Member
PostSat Sep 20, 2008 1:49 pm 
At 12,662 feet, Mt. Borah is located in the Lost River Range and is the highest point in Idaho… where reaching the summit requires some Class 3 climbing… the majority of which is found near or on the appropriately named Chicken-Out-Ridge. Knowing that we were going to get a very early start on this climb, we drove to the trailhead the day before our climb to get a look at the target and see if we could get some trip information from people who had already done the climb. Having read that snow can linger in the Chicken-Out-Ridge area, we wanted to know if it would be necessary to carry our ice axes. A climber from Pennsylvania told us that an ice ax was not necessary. The trailhead is located at ~7200 feet… where we started hiking by moonlight at 5:30 a.m… reaching Point 10632 in 2.5 hours after hiking ~2.6 miles on good trail… then continued to ~11,400’ as the trail became more faint… eventually moving to the knife-edge ridge and some Class 3 climbing up to ~11,600… where we found a black rock formation that proved to be the crux of the climb for us. After eventually finding an acceptable (but not the best) solution to getting around the black rock formation, the rest of the climb was uneventful… following good path on the west side of Chicken-Out-Ridge to the flat area between Borah and C-O-R… then finishing the last 800 feet of elevation up to the Mt. Borah summit (12,662’) on reasonable path. It took us 5 hours 30 minutes (including a 30 minute waste of time at the black rock formation) to hike/climb the 4.1 miles to the summit… gaining 5662 feet of elevation. Excellent views from the summit of the Lost River Range and the distant Sawtooth Range. After spending an hour on the summit, we returned via the same route we used on the way up… with one exception… we found the best solution in dealing with the black rock formation… reaching the car in 3 hours 45 minutes. Photos of our hike/climb to Mt. Borah Trailhead Access: Drive US 93 fourteen miles north of Mackay to the signed turnoff for Mt. Borah… then drive a dirt road ~3 miles to the end of the road. Many thanks to Dan Robbins and his idahosummits.com website for the trip information on this climb. ..

"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area. ----------------
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 5129 | TRs | Pics
Location: Alaska
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
PostSat Sep 20, 2008 2:49 pm 
Great job guys up.gif up.gif I made it to "Chicken Out Ridge when I was 15 years old. Maybe someday I'll get back there.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
John Morrow
Member
Member


Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics
Location: Roslyn
John Morrow
Member
PostSat Sep 20, 2008 3:08 pm 
What a great accomplishment and neat looking scramble/climb, gents! That is one high and out there mountain range. Pretty grand! Got to get there someday. Thanks for the great description. John

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
don b
Member
Member


Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Posts: 369 | TRs | Pics
don b
Member
PostSat Sep 20, 2008 4:00 pm 
In your picture of the last 800' my daughter and I scrambled up the skyline on the right. Fun, easy and firm. It made for a nice round trip as the trail is a bit messy. We really enjoyed the trip.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Slide Alder Slayer
Member
Member


Joined: 14 Jan 2002
Posts: 1960 | TRs | Pics
Slide Alder Slayer
Member
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 10:57 am 
Excellent trip report, sort of above the tree line there; and while I have you, an additional thanks for your report on Hibox, the map and pictures were very helpful.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Mtn Dog
Technohiker



Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 3336 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue, WA
Mtn Dog
Technohiker
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 5:34 pm 
OK, the picture of you guys with the Idaho State Flag is really cool! What's with the GPS track? Was Ragman taking shots only once every 15 minutes?

Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
EastKing
Surfing and Hiking



Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!
EastKing
Surfing and Hiking
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 6:04 pm 
Good Job and Great TR and photos!

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
ragman and rodman
Member
Member


Joined: 28 Apr 2005
Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics
Location: http://rgervin.com/
ragman and rodman
Member
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 6:09 pm 
SAS... glad the photos and GPS route were helpful on doing HiBox... sounds like there was a lot of controversy on HiBox last week... when rodman and I first did HiBox 3 years ago, we used Tom's trip report for the beta. Mtn Dog... rodman is the GPS guy and he wasn't on the trip... so I just tried to show our "general route"... perhaps I should have explained it a little better.

"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area. ----------------
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Mtn Dog
Technohiker



Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 3336 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue, WA
Mtn Dog
Technohiker
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 7:52 pm 
I forgot it was Rodman with the GPSr, your track makes a lot more sense now. With an open sky for much of this hike you would have had a really clear signal and good accuracy; but on the sunny and clear day you had you also did fine without it.

Footprints on the sands of time will never be made sitting down.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Justus S.
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 1298 | TRs | Pics
Location: WA
Justus S.
Member
PostSun Sep 21, 2008 9:12 pm 
Thanks, for the report and pictures, such a barren landscape. I wouldn't mind a trip up that peak in the future.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mt. Borah (Idaho) - 9.16.2008
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum