#madison range

Madison Range, Montana – On Tuesday, January 2, 2018 a snowmobiler was killed in Cabin Creek on the west side of Sage Peak in the Madison Range roughly 19 miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana. Montana Flag | Pixabay Image The rider was in a group of 6 when the avalanche occurred. According to MTAvalanche.com, the group found unstable results and “opted not to highmark, deciding instead to…

Madison Range, Montana – On Saturday, October 7, 2017 a backcountry skier was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche while approaching the North Couloir on Imp Peak in the Taylor Hilgard Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in the Southern Madison Range of SW Montana. Two skiers were caught in the avalanche. One was fully buried and one was partially buried. Gallatin County Search and Rescue…

Location: No Man Lake, Taylor Hilgard Unit, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Madison Range, Montana Type: Out and Back Rating: Grade II Class 2 Trailhead: Indian Creek Trailhead – 6075′ Distance: 20 miles round trip Time: 6 to 12 hours round trip No Man Lake Elevation: 9,188′ Total Vertical: 3750′ Lat/Long: 45 4.1879 N / 111 29.3614 W Maps: No Man Peak, Koch Peak

Find More Montana Trip Reports

No Man Lake is a dammed reservoir/alpine lake in the Taylor Hilgard unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in the Madison Range of Montana. Sitting at 9,188′ in the cirque to the east of No Man Peak, No Man Lake is a remote mountain lake that’s well worth the hike to access it.

No Man Lake

There is very little information available about No Man Lake, so hiking up there was a bit of an adventure – especially after going big on Hilgard Peak the day before. But that’s what makes the mountains fun.

Bright and early on an August morning, Jeremy Wood and I decided it would be wise to drive around the Madison Range and hike to No Man Lake. We turned off of Highway 287 south of Ennis and rumbled down the dirt road toward the Indian Creek Trailhead as the sun began to crest over the Madison Range.

Heading Toward Indian Creek

We pulled into the large Indian Creek Trailhead parking lot at 6078′ and parked the van. It is not located in the same place that most maps mark it – most likely due to private land easements in the area. We geared up, used the outhouse at the parking area, and hit the trail. Sticking to the trail across the private land, we gained a bit of elevation, crossed a field, went through a gate, and dropped down to a road that parallels Indian Creek. We soon crossed the creek on a bridge and walked through the grassy yard of the Wonder Ranch.

Wonder Ranch Property Easement

Shortly after passing the Wonder Ranch we hit the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest Boundary and then in a hop skip and a jump we entered the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. The well trodden trail #328 parallels Indian Creek until it crossed the creek on a bridge at 6312′.

Entering the Beaverhead National Forest

After this bridge, the mellow trail continues to follow the creek and roll along the terrain through open forests and scenic meadows. Large peaks tower overhead to the north. It’s stunning terrain. Walking east into the rising sun gave the forests a surreal feel as we cruised along the trail.

Indian Creek

A mellow trail through meadows and forests

Cool mountains along the route

There were a surprising number of elaborate bridges along the trail – not something one usually expects in a wilderness area. But it kept our socks dry so it made us happy. After 4.5 miles and 925′ of gain we reached an overlook that dropped steeply down to a beautiful waterfall that plummeted out of No Man Creek. It must have been 100′ tall.

No Man Creek Waterfall

Trail #328 continues onwards and we kept moving. About a mile after the falls we came to an unmarked trail split at 7050′ and roughly 5.2 miles. After scratching our heads and wondering if this was our turn off. We decided to hoof it up the steep trail and came to a cool overlook that gazes up No Man Creek and down Indian Creek. The trail seemed more apparent here and based on GAIA GPS we knew we were now on Trail 329 that parallels No Man Creek through the forests.

An Unmarked Trail Split – Go Right

Looking west down Indian Creek

Looking Up No Man Creek

This is where the adventure really began. Due to reasons unknown to us, there were hundreds of downed trees that had fallen across the trail. Literally hundreds of large obstacles that we had to climb up, tip toe along, scoot under, or bushwhack around. The worst of it was over by the time we crossed No Man Creek around 7800′.

Miles of bushwhacking over downed trees

No man Creek Crossing

After crossing No Man Creek, we continued slowly working up the trail navigating around tree obstacles. Eventually the trail started to switchback up and then finally mellowed out as we approached No Man Lake at 9188′. We reached No Man Lake in 4.5 hours, 9.75 miles, and 3575′. If the trail had been in good shape I think we could have easily shaved an hour off of that time. In the back of our heads we knew we had to go back through the land where dead trees go to die to get out of here, but in the meantime we were in a stunning locale.

No Man Lake with No Man Peak In Background To Right

No Man Lake is definitely a dammed reservoir. Why is it dammed? I have no idea. A rock dam on the east side keeps the water in place. Decaying cement structures are built nearby and there are a few items (sledges, horseshoes, etc) from a different time scattered around the place. There are plenty of amazing places to camp too.

It’s a dammed reservoir!

Now, our goal wasn’t really just hiking to No Man Lake. Our goal was to climb No Man Peak. We carefully rock hopped around the southern side of the lake and worked our way up toward the peak. At about 10,000′ we stopped for water and decided that today wasn’t the day to summit the peak for a variety of reasons. Instead we skirted around the northern end of No Man Lake, crossed the rock dam, and made our way back to Trail #329.

Skirting The Rocky Boulders To the South of No Man Lake

No Man Lake with No Man Ridge In Background

No Man Peak

No Man Lake Montana

No Man Lake

As we headed back down the trail, we caught stunning views of No Man Ridge, Koch Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, and even the Sphinx. Such an amazing zone. Luckily, we’ll be back to tag No Man Peak soon.

Koch Peak in distance and the start of Sawtooth Ridge

Sawtooth Ridge

No Man Ridge

Our round trip covered just over 21.3 miles, 10.25 hours, and 5200′. If you just go to the No Man Lake and back the stats would be about 19.5 miles, 3750′, and around 9 hours – just guessing on that though.

View route for hiking to No Man Lake in Montana on HillMap:

Additional photos from hiking to No Man Lake in Montana:

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

DSC02711

Heading Toward Indian Creek

DSC02772

The Indian Creek Trailhead and Parking Area

DSC02771

Wonder Ranch Property Easement

DSC02715

Entering the Beaverhead National Forest

DSC02768

Indian Creek

DSC02718

A mellow trail through meadows and forests

DSC02719

Cool mountains along the route

DSC02720

No Man Creek Waterfall

DSC02725

An Unmarked Trail Split – Go Right

DSC02765

Looking Up No Man Creek

DSC02767

Looking west down Indian Creek

DSC02726

Miles of bushwhacking over downed trees

DSC02727

A small meadow with a campsite before crossing No Man Creek

DSC02761

No man Creek Crossing

DSC02728

No Man Ridge

DSC02731

No Man Lake with No Man Peak In Background To Right

DSC02732

No Man Peak

DSC02733

No Man Lake

DSC02735

Skirting The Rocky Boulders To the South of No Man Lake

DSC02736

No Man Lake with No Man Ridge In Background

DSC02746

No Man Peak

DSC02748

No Man Lake

DSC02750

No Man Lake Montana

DSC02753

It’s a dammed reservoir!

DSC02754

Koch Peak in distance and the start of Sawtooth Ridge

DSC02757

Sawtooth Ridge

DSC02759

No Man Ridge

This trip report for hiking to No Man Lake in Montana’s Madison Range is from August 30, 2016.

#amountainjourney #madisonrange #montana #eternalstoke

Location: Hilgard Peak, Taylor Hilgard Unit, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Madison Range, Montana Type: Peak Rating: Grade III Class 4+ Trailhead: West Beaver Creek Trailhead – 6,907′ Distance: 17.15 miles round trip Time: 9 to 13 hours round trip Hilgard Peak Elevation: 11,316” Total Vertical: 5650′ Lat/Long: 44.91640°N / 111.4597°W Maps: Hilgard Peak, Pika Point

Find More Montana Trip Reports

Hilgard Peak sits at 11,316′ in the Taylor Hilgard Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in the Beaverhead National Forest of the Madison Range of Montana. Hilgard is the highest peak in the Madison Range and the highest peak in Montana outside of the Beartooth Mountains.

Hilgard Peak as seen from Echo Peak

Turiano’s book, Select Peaks Of Greater Yellowstone, provides an in-depth look at Hilgard Peak. The peak was named after Professor E.W. Hilgard, who worked for the USGS in the mid-to-late 1800’s. Dave Wessel made the first ascent on Memorial Day 1948 by skis in one day.

Hilgard Peak as seen from Sentinel Peak

Access to Hilgard Peak is challenging. It’s a remote peak and can only be spotted from the road in a few places – including near Hebgen Lake. Most peak baggers use the West Beaver Creek Trailhead along FS Road 985 – although Hilgard can be approached numerous different ways.

Hilgard Peak

On a smokey August day, Jeremy Wood and I decided to climb Hilgard Peak. Driving down Highway 191 in the dark, we turned west on Highway 287 past Hebgen Lake. As we drove along in the morning light, we could just make out the pronged summit of Hilgard Peak in the distance.

Soon we turned on US Forest Service Road #985. We followed the dirt road north for roughly 3 miles until we saw a pullout on the west side of the road for the West Beaver Creek Trailhead – 6907′. We laced up our boots, packed our bear spray, and hit the trail.

West Beaver Creek Trailhead

Trail #222 immediately drops down and crosses Sentinel Creek. It then enters the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and wraps to the west. The trail follows the steep flanks of the mountain side high above the West Fork of Beaver Creek.

Entering The Lee Metcalf

Steep Trail Heading West Into The Mountains

After 4.65 miles, the trail splits at 8550′. Trail #222 continues on to Blue Danube Lake and Trail #152 heads to the NW toward Avalanche Lake. It took us 1.75 hours and 1715′ to reach this point.

West Beaver Creek

The Trail Split

We followed the trail to Avalanche Lake at 9015′. We reached the lake in 5.75 miles, 2.25 hours, and 2225′. There are some large fish in this lake and some well established campgrounds.

Avalanche Lake

We skirted around the north side of the lake and followed mellow off-trail terrain up toward the ridge to the north. There were a handful of unnamed lakes and the walking was straightforward.

A grassy ramp with large boulders made for easy walking to the ridgeline between Avalanche Lake and Hilgard Peak. We ended up a bit west of the saddle at roughly 10250′, but it seemed to work out just fine. It took us 3.75 hours, 7.45 miles, and 3610′ to reach this point.

Approaching the Ridge Toward Hilgard. We climbed up where the grass goes the highest.

The Ridge Line Before Dropping Down Toward Hilgard

  From here we dropped about 500′ into the basin south of Hilgard Peak. This section was steep, loose, and firm. It took longer than planned due to conditions.

Steep, Firm, and Loose descent from ridge

Once at the bottom of the slope we had a long walk across uneven terrain, boulder fields, and steep moraines toward the base of Hilgard Peak.

Hilgard Peak In The Distance. it’s a Big Day

Steep and rocky approach

We crossed directly across the empty Lake Elise and upwards toward the unnamed lake at 10,465′ below Hilgard Peak. We reached this lake before our final approach in 8.5 miles, 5 hours, and 4275′. The lake is stunning as is the entire cirque. We even had 1x cell phone service with Verison at this point.

Lake Eglise?

Almost there?

Unnamed Lake at base of Hilgard Peak

We chose to ditch a bit of weight here in order to travel to the peak fast and light. We quickly climbed about 400′ up scree and grass to the East col below Hilgard Peak’s east ridge at 10,900′. From here, the climb gets a bit more serious.

Final Approach to the climb

Where To Go?

We based our route selection on Turiano’s description – including his warning “Experienced mountaineers will not need a rope for this climb, but novices would be in danger without.” We had a rope and all the gear. Ultimately we did not use it, but maybe should have.

As you can see in our photos, we climbed up loose rocks and slabs toward the gully that has a shadow in it. As we neared the shadow we worked right toward the ridgeline. Then a grassy slope opens up above the exposed gully. A few crux moves with solid hand and foot holds allowed us to cross over the exposure into a steep and loose gully above the shadow.

Looking Up East Ridge of Hilgard. Scramble up the slabs on right and then cross gully above the shadow

Climbing Up The grass before crossing the exposed gully above the shadow

Downclimbing the gully above the exposure

We climbed this gully up and then worked left onto another grassy slope. From here we climbed worked up a few ledges and climbed a small crack back right on to the ridge line.

Route Finding

Back to the right and up the crack

Looks intimidating, but with one move, it wraps off to the right to the ridge

Then we followed the ridgeline up to the top – only to realize that this was the 5.2 knife edge ridge that drops significantly to the west and a bit less significantly to the east. We downclimbed back and crossed easy and exposed terrain to a small gully that reach the col directly below the summit. A few more steps and were on the summit of Hilgard Peak.

Summit on Right. Knife edge ridge on left.

Almost to the summit

The 5.2 Knife Edge Ridge? Or the 4th class walk to easy gully climb below it?

We reached the summit in 6.25 hours, 8.9 miles, 5000′ up and 560′ down. Our final ascent route sounds a bit complicated, but it’s pretty straightforward as long as you are willing to sniff out the proper route. Turiano rates this climb as a III Class 4. I think easy 5th class could also be argued.

From the south summit of Hilgard Peak the views were mind blowing. The south summit is definitely the higher of the two summits. It would be fun to traverse to the north summit, then continue on to Dutchman and Echo Peak – a classic Madison Range Traverse. Not in the cards today though.

Hilgard North Summit

Hilgard, Dutchman, Echo – Looks Traverse Worthy.

Instead we enjoyed the views – Echo Peak, Dutchman Peak, Sentinel Peak, Peak 10930, Imp, Koch, Hebgen Lake, and so many unnamed peaks spread out in all directions. Numerous colorful lakes spotted the basins far below. It was unreal and I took way too many photos.

Amazing Views of to the South

The Approach To Hilgard Basin

View To The North Toward Hilgard Lake and Hilgard Basin

The Madison Range Spreads Out To The North

Echo in the Shadow, Dutchman in The Sun

After a leisurely half hour on the summit of Hilgard we decided we must go. It was still a long ways home. We carefully downclimbed our ascent route. We grabbed our gear near the unnamed lake and hustled back across the basin to the distant ridgeline.

The approach to Hilgard

The climb back to the ridge about Avalanche Lake was quick, but definitely challenging terrain. But at the top it was all downhill. We cruised down to Avalanche Lake, refilled our water bottles, and set our legs on autopilot down the trail and back to the car.

It’s all downhill back toward Avalanche Lake and the truck

Round trip our adventure to climb Hilgard Peak took 11 hours. We covered 17.18 miles and 5650′. Always a blast to climb a new mountain – especially when it’s the highest in the range. Hope to ski it next time.

Watch panorama views from the summit of Hilgard Peak:

View route of our climb of Hilgard Peak Montana on HillMap:

Additional photos from climbing Hilgard Peak in Montana:

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

DSC01745

Hilgard Peak as seen from Sentinel Peak

DSC02141

Hilgard Peak as seen from Echo Peak

DSC02624

Hilgard Peak

DSC02600

West Beaver Creek Trailhead

DSC02602

Entering The Lee Metcalf

DSC02603

Steep Trail Heading West Into The Mountains

DSC02604

West Beaver Creek

DSC02606

The Trail Split

DSC02609

Avalanche Lake

DSC02619

Approaching the Ridge Toward Hilgard. We climbed up where the grass goes the highest.

DSC02628

The Ridge Line Before Dropping Down Toward Hilgard

DSC02629

Hilgard Peak In The Distance. it’s a Big Day

DSC02630

Steep, Firm, and Loose descent from ridge

DSC02633

A rocky walk toward Hilgard

DSC02634

Almost there?

DSC02702

Steep and rocky approach

DSC02703

Lake Eglise?

DSC02640

Unnamed Lake at base of Hilgard Peak

DSC02636

Final Approach tot he climb

DSC02645

Where To Go?

DSC02646

Looking Up East Ridge of Hilgard. Scramble up the slabs on right and then cross gully above the shadow

DSC02698

Climbing Up The grass before crossing the exposed gully

DSC02695

Route Finding

DSC02648

Finding the way

DSC02655

Back to the right and up the crack

DSC02657

Looks intimidating, but with one move, it wraps off to the right to the ridge

DSC02658

Summit on Right. Knife edge ridge on left.

DSC02660

Almost to the summit

DSC02663

The 5.2 Knife Edge Ridge? Or the 4th class walk to easy gully climb below it?

DSC02664

Hilgard North Summit

DSC02674

Amazing Views of to the South

DSC02684

Echo in the Shadow, Dutchman in The Sun

DSC02688

The Approach To Hilgard Basin

DSC02685

The Madison Range Spreads Out To The North

DSC02682

Hilgard, Dutchman, Echo – Looks Traverse Worthy.

DSC02673

Looking East

DSC02697

Downclimbing the gully above the exposure

DSC02704

Last big push back to the ridge dropping down to Avalanche Lake

DSC02706

The approach to Hilgard

DSC02708

It’s all downhill back toward Avalanche Lake and the truck

This trip report for Hilgard Peak in Montana’s Madison Range is from August 29, 2016.

#amountainjourney #madisonrange #montana #eternalstoke

Location: Cedar Mountain East Summit, Taylor Hilgard Unit, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Madison Range, Montana Type: Peak Rating: Grade II Class 3+ Trailhead: Multiple Options Distance: 16+ miles round trip Time: 7 to 10 hours round trip Cedar Mountain East Summit Peak Elevation: 10,768′ Total Vertical: 4550’+ Lat/Long: 45.2267, -111.5116 Maps: Fan Mountain, Lone Mountain, Lake Cameron, Sphinx Mountain

Find More Montana Trip Reports

Cedar Mountain is located in the Taylor Hilgard Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness inside the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest in the Madison Range of Montana. It’s a massive mountain that resembles a mountain cathedral. Cedar Mountain has an incredible ridge line that wraps around a stunning cirque that holds the aquamarine Cedar Lake.

Along the ridge you’ll find high points like 10459, 10768 (East) and 10479. Yet, the West Summit of Cedar at 10,780′ is not even labeled and is the highest point.  This trip report covers our journey to the top of Cedar Mountain’s East Summit – point 10768′. According to Montana.gov, this is the highest point on Cedar Mountain.

Cedar Mountain

Cedar Mountain As Seen From Fan Mountain

Cedar Mountain As Seen From Lone Mountain

Cedar Mountain’s ridge line wraps around a large cirque that contains the stunning aquamarine Cedar Lake before it tumbles out on Cedar Falls and drains out into Cedar Creek. It’s one of the more beautiful settings in the Madison Range, but it’s remote and hard to access.

Montana Is Stunning.

Cedar Mountain can be approached from numerous different trailheads. Perhaps the most popular access begins at the trailhead located at the bottom of the Jack Creek Road on the West side of the Madison Range. Access from the Big Sky side is blocked by private land. If you are granted access from Moonlight Basin or via the Yellowstone Club, Cedar Mountain is a much closer objective.

Starting from the end of the Jack Creek Road, Hop onto the Jack Creek Trail #317. It goes uphill through forests for roughly 3.4 miles when it hits a dirt access road. The access road continues on to 7,100′ near Shadow Lake. This is where I remembered to start (and stop) my Gaia GPS and Suunto Ambit3 Peak. From here the trail becomes a real trail once again and soon enters the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

The Trail Begins At Shadow Lake

From the Shadow Lake turnoff to the first trail split is roughly 2.1 miles and gains about 615′. Here the trail splits again. To the right Trail 344 takes you to Trail 321 and onwards to Cedar Lake. To the left, the Jack Creek Trail continues. We opted to follow the Jack Creek Trail because we wanted to summit via the ridge.

First Trail Split

We continued on the Jack Creek Trail for 2 miles and 1100′ until it intersects the Cedar Loop Trail. At this point, turn southwest and follow the trail uphill. Be respectful and don’t enter the private property owned by the Yellowstone Club. We followed the trail for a little while longer and then stuck to the ridge line, which is also the boundary for the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

Cedar Loop Trail Splits with Trail 317

The Cedar Loop Trail on the Wilderness Boundary

Mountain Goat!

The ridge makes for decent walking and the views are outstanding. A few sections look intimidating as you approach, but as you sneak up on them numerous ascent options open up. The final push to point 10459 on the ridge line was a grueling slog up loose rock.

Our approach toward the Cedar Ridgeline

The Ridge Approach

The Flanks of Cedar and the Hilgards In the DIstance

A mountain of loose rock

After reaching point 10459, you can spot Lone Mountain, Fan Mountain, Cedar Lake and both summits of Cedar Mountain. The ridge rolls up and down. Careful route finding along the ridge is necessary, but it’s also relatively straightforward. Loose rock underfoot is the biggest concern – especially because the views are so distracting.

Lone Mountain and the Spanish Peaks

South Side of Fan Mountain

Cedar Lake – Can you see the trail?

Reaching The Ridge Near Point 10459

The ridge goes up and hits a sub peak around 10,600′ then drops down to about 10,400′ at a col before the final summit push. The last section of ridge is has one almost 4th class section and then with a bit more walking you’re on top of Cedar Mountain’s East Summit. The views are mind blowing.

Looking back along our ridgeline approach

Watch your step

Cedar Lake with both East and West Summits

A rocky ridge walk

Getting Closer

Final Ridge Approach

Sphinx Mountain and the Helmet, Pioneer, Spanish Peaks, Lone Mountain, and the distant Taylor Hilgards. A good eye can make out Echo and Koch in the distance. Cedar Lake drops out below you and Ennis Lake and the Madison Valley can be seen far below. We could have spend all day there, but we chose to descend after about 20 minutes.

Sphinx and the Helmet

Lone Mountain and Pioneer Mountain

The Cedar Mountain Cirque

Our Ascent Route From the Summit

One route option that we considered was to continue around the cirque and drop down on the far side above the lake near point 10479. Due to a few timing issues, we decided to to backtrack down to the last col at 10,400′, and down climb the scree to the lake as this was definitely faster than heading along the unknown ridge line – although we plan to come back and complete the Cedar Mountain Ridge Traverse.

Looking West Toward Cedar Mountain West Summit via the Ridge

The West Summit Of Cedar

Cedar Lake

  In another 45 minutes, we were at 9500′ staring across the aquamarine Cedar Lake and up toward the summits and rocky ridgeline far above our heads. There are remnants of wheelbarrows and other items laying around the lake, which is actually dammed. People tell me there are big fish in the lake too, but I can not verify that.

Our descent route from the ridge

Cedar Lake – 9,500′

Cedar Mountain Cirque and Lake

Looking back at Cedar Mountain East and our descent from the col

The Dam

A faint climber trail works down the northwest face below the lake and drops quickly from 9500′ to 8700′. A massive waterfall tumbles down the cliff face of Cedar Mountain below the dam. You’ll find a well established horse camp located here near trail 321.

Heading Down The Trail 321 ALong Cedar Creek

Cedar Creek and Fan Mountain

Steep Terrain for a trail

Cedar Falls

The trail drops steadily downhill over the course of about 3 miles to an elevation of 7366′ where it intersects trail 344. From here Trail 321 fades to the west, while Trail 344 crosses a meadow and climbs steadily up almost 350′ in 0.6 miles back to where it intersects Trail 317, the Jack Creek Trail. Follow the Jack Creek Trail all the way back to the access road at 7100′ at Shadow Lake.

A serious horse camp near Cedar Falls

Last Glimpse of the Y Couloir on Cedar Mountain – Is There Still snow in there in August?

Climbing Cedar Mountain East Summit was an amazing adventure. If I could do it again, I would continue along the ridge and complete the Cedar Mountain Ridge Traverse. Or if I only wanted to climb Cedar Mountain East Summit, I would hike to Cedar Lake and then climb the scree slope up to the col below the final summit.

Both East and West Summits From The Lake

Our adventure, only calculating from Shadow Lake to the East summit of Cedar Mountain and back to Shadow Lake (because that’s what my watch tracked) took 8 hours. We covered 15.95 miles and 4550 vertical feet.

Watch panorama views from the summit of Cedar Mountain’s East Summit:

View route of our climb of Cedar Mountain East in Montana on HillMap: http://www.hillmap.com/embed/ag1zfmhpbGxtYXAtaGRychULEghTYXZlZE1hcBiAgIDw5-KGCAw

Additional photos from climbing Cedar Mountain East Summit in Montana:

This trip report for climbing Cedar Mountain’s East Summit in Montana’s Madison Range is from August 12, 2016.

#amountainjourney #madisonrange #montana #eternalstoke

Location: Echo Peak, Taylor Hilgard Unit, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Madison Range, Montana Type: Peak Rating: Grade II Class 2 Trailhead: Sentinel Creek Trailhead – 7,150′ Distance: 20.5 miles round trip Time: 8 to 14 hours round trip Echo Peak Elevation: 11,250′ Total Vertical: 5250′ Lat/Long: 44.94202°N / 111.46274°W Maps: Hilgard Peak, Pika Point Weather Forecast: Echo Peak Weather

Find More Montana Trip Reports

Echo Peak is the 3rd highest peak in the Madison Range of Montana. Located in the Taylor Hilgard Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Echo Peak sits at 11,250′. It’s big, remote, non-technical climb that’s well worth the effort.

Echo Peak Above Expedition Lake

Jeremy Wood and I set out to climb Echo Peak in Montana on a cool August morning. Temperatures hovered just above freezing as we drove north on Forest Service road #985. We parked at 7,150′ in the Potamogeton Park (named after a freshwater aquatic plant) area at the end of the road. We geared up and hopped on the old heel-toe express on the Sentinel Creek trail #202 at 7 AM.

Potamatogen Park – FS Road 985

Multiple trails leave from Potamgeton Park. The Sentinel Creek Trail leaves from the southwest end of the parking area. It drops down, crosses a creek, and enters the Lee Metcalf Wilderness before it heads north. It rolls and meanders through forests and meadows – prime grizzly habitat. After about 3 miles, it makes a sweeping turn to the west and begins to cross numerous streams that flow into Sentinel Creek.

Taylor Hilgard Unit – Lee Metcalf Wilderness

The Sentinel Creek Trail #202 is well maintained. It must see quite a bit of horse and human traffic all though you feel like you have the entire wilderness area to yourself. Since the latest maps have been printed, the trail has been been rerouted. Remnants of old trails linger in the woods. Stick to the dusty trail and continue to gain elevation as you move uphill. After about 6 miles, the trail pops out into a wide open basin east of Expedition Pass.

Peaceful brook flowing through the high alpine meadows

Expedition Pass

After 7.95 miles, Sentinel Creek Trail #202 splits. Hilgard Basin Trail #201 heads south and Trail #202 continues on to Expedition Pass to the W-NW. The trail split is on the ridge between Hilgard Basin and the basin east of Expedition Pass at roughly 9,800′. Take trail #201 into Hilgard Basin. We reached this point after 3 hours and 2875′ of elevation gain. FYI – this trail split is at a different location than is seen on the USGS Map.

Sentinel Creek Trail #202 and Hilgard Basin Trail #201 Intersection

View from Pass

From this point Echo Peak is within sight. The trail drops down via numerous switchbacks into Hilgard Basin towards Expedition Lake. Before we reached Expedition Lake we ventured off trail around 9,700′ so we could beeline it toward Echo Peak.

Echo Peak and Hilgard Basin

Echo Peak

The open terrain is easy to traverse across. There are numerous named and unnamed lakes scattered across Hilgard Basin. We skirted around these water features toward Point 10290, which is above Sunset Lake. In August there was a steady flow of water coming down a grassy section of moraine to the east of point 10290 and to the southwest of Thunderbolt Lake. It made for easy hiking up to a small basin below the north ridge of Echo Peak.

Echo Peak

Circle of Life

Options For Scrambling Up The Moraine – We went left in the grass

In this small basin there were a few patches of lingering snow, a melted out lake, and a bit of rocks to hop over. Here you can choose your own scramble to gain the north ridge of Echo Peak. We opted for a small saddle just before the final summit push. It held a bit more grass and seemed to be the least steep option.

A disappearing high elevation lake

The Summit Of Echo Peak

After 4.25 hours we reached the ridge at 10,800′. We had covered 4,111 vertical feet and 9.65 miles to reach this point. LTE service made our phones chime to life. From here, expansive views of the Madison Valley and the Taylor Hilgards spread out before us. But there is still the final summit push.

Hilgard Basin

The last push up the north ridge is very straightforward. There is little exposure and it is a non-technical climb. As we followed the climbers trail, we both agreed it was one of the easier summit climbs in the Madison Range. Grassy and mossy ledges mixed with solid rock made for a mountain-stairstep like experience. In no time we reached the summit of Echo Peak at 11,250′. A large cairn marks the summit of Echo.

North Ridge Of Echo Peak

North Ridge of Echo Peak

Echo Lake

On most maps of Echo Peak something called the “roof” is labeled at 11,211′. The Roof is a triangulation station that is southeast of the true summit – allowing it to be sighted from the East. Many maps show the elevation of Echo Peak as 11,214′, but close examination of any topo map shows a full contour line at 11,240′. Montana.gov lists Echo Peak as the 45th highest peak in Montana at 11,250′. This meshes with the GPS readings I had on multiple devices when we summited Echo Peak. So in my opinion the elevation of Echo Peak is 11,250′ – the third highest point in the Madison Range.

Cairn Marks The Summit

Easy To Enjoy The Views

The top of Echo Peak is wide and grassy as it flows down to the west. It’s sheer and exposed to the east as it drops off steeply into Hilgard Basin far below. There is certainly some good ski potential in this fun zone, but today it was all about the views. We reached the summit of Echo Peak in 4.75 hours, 4,595′ and 9.9 miles.

Grassy slopes of Echo Peak looking north

We wandered around the summit plateau of Echo Peak and soaked in the sights. Hilgard, and Dutchman were off to the south. Someday I’d like to do the Hilgard-Dutchman-Echo Traverse – a cool, technical ridge traverse adventure. Hilgard Basin and it’s numerous lakes dotted the immediate landscape. To the north you can see Peak 10930, Sentinel Peak, Woodward, Imp, Koch, Sphinx, Lone Mountain and numerous other noteworthy mountains. In the distance to the East Sage Peak, Hebgen Lake, and Yellowstone National Park were visible. Impressive.

Views Of Hilgard and Dutchman to the south

Looking West From Echo Peak

Woodward, Peak 10930, Sentinel Peak and Hilgard Basin

Hilgard Peak From The Summit Of Echo Peak

Hilgard Lake, Clear Lake, Tallus Lake, Gnome Lake, Cataract Lake, Painted Lake

Do I see a future ski line?

Koch Peak and Imp Peak

Dutchman and Hilgard

After a leisurely 45 minute summit session, we decided it was time to head back to the car. We began our descent 5.5 hours after we left the car. We boogied down the north ridge, down climbed the moraine, and stopped to refill our water bottles in the flowing water on the lower moraine. The Steripen worked great to purify our water.

Heading Down the North Ridge Of Echo Peak

Steripen at work

The top of Echo Peak is wide and grassy as it flows down to the west. It’s sheer and exposed to the east as it drops off steeply into Hilgard Basin far below. There is certainly some good ski potential in this fun zone, but today it was all about the views. We reached the summit of Echo Peak in 4.75 hours, 4,595′ and 9.9 miles.

Expedition Lake

Round trip our adventure to climb Echo Peak in Montana took 9 hours – 7 AM to 4 PM. We covered 20.55 miles and 5,253′ according to my Suunto Ambit3 Peak watch. Highly recommend this summit to add to your bucket list. Might be good to camp in Hilgard Basin for a night or two also!

Read more about Echo Peak in Tom Turiano’s Select Peaks Of The Greater Yellowstone.

Watch panorama views from the summit of Echo Peak:

View route of our climb of Echo Peak Montana on HillMap:

http://www.hillmap.com/embed/ag1zfmhpbGxtYXAtaGRychULEghTYXZlZE1hcBiAgIDwx4OICgw

Additional photos from climbing Echo Peak in Montana:

This trip report for hiking Echo Peak in Montana’s Madison Range is from August 5, 2016.

#amountainjourney #madisonrange #bigsky #montana #eternalstoke #echopeak

Location: Woodward Mountain, Madison Range, Montana Type: Peak Rating: Grade II Class 2 Trailhead: Upper Taylor Fork Trailhead – 7,250′ Distance: 10.35 Time: 5 to 8 hours round trip Woodward Mountain Elevation: 10,659′ Total Vertical: 3700 Lat/Long: 45°00′34″N 111°24′51″W Maps: Koch Peak, Lincoln Mountain

Find More Montana Trip Reports

Woodward Mountain is a beautiful mountain located on the Lee Metcalf Wilderness boundary in the Madison Range of Montana. The peak sits at 10,659′ near the junction of Lightning Creek and Taylor Creek. This peak is clearly visible as your 4×4 vehicle drives down the Taylor Fork Road toward the Upper Taylor Fork Trailhead.

Woodward Mountain From The Taylor Creek

On a sunny July day, Jeremy Wood and I decided to climb Woodward Mountain. There is no defined or standard route up to the top of Woodward Mountain. Pretty much every route is a scramble. Based on map research and limited beta our plan was to head up Lightning Creek, climb the East Face, tag the summit, down climb the west face to the north drainage and head out the Taylor Creek trail – basically a loop that traverses the peak. Here’s our trip report.

Woodward Mountain

We parked at the Upper Taylor Fork Trailhead at 7,250′ and hit the trail in the early morning light. We quickly walked up the Taylor Creek Trail #17 for half a mile. At the first trail junction, we turned on to Lightning Creek Trail #7.

Taylor Creek Trail / Lightning Creek Trail Split

The Lightning Creek trail weaves through the forests and crosses a large parcel of private land. Be respectful and stay on the trail at all times. It’s well marked. After another 2.3 miles we turned on to the Alp Creek Trail #158. The trail crosses a creek and gains a bit of elevation. Soon we entered the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Shortly after we popped out into a wide open meadow. This was about 3.9 miles down the trail around 8325′ in elevation.

Leaving Trail To Head To Woodward Mountain

From here we turned west and started hiking up the East face of Woodward Mountain. The hiking was easy as we moved steadily uphill through wide open meadows filled with rocks, wildflowers, and trees. We continued upwards toward the ridge line. The final approach to the ridge had lots of loose rock and was a bit challenging, but we soon made it to the ridge.

Friendly Off Trail Meadows

Lots of Loose Rock

Steep Scree

A few mountain goats played on the rock covered slopes and we continued putting one foot in front of the other toward the summit of Woodward Mountain. The rock is very sharp and would eat up a dog’s paws.

The Rock Covered Ridge Line

Looking Down our Ascent Route

The final push is steep but wide open, and then it narrows into blocky slabs with precipitous drops off to the west side all the way to the summit. It seems that the entire mountain could fall down into the enormous cirque thousands of feet below at any moment. We reached the summit in 3.25 hours after covering 5.25 miles and 3525′.

Woodward Mountain Summit Approach

Block Summit

Precipitous Drops

  After a few moments on the summit of Woodward Mountain at 10,659′ we found a place to sit down and enjoy the views. Wow. Koch Peak, Tunnel Ridge, Peak 10809, the Taylor Fork, and beyond. Echo, Hilgard, Imp, and the Spanish Peaks lay in the distance.

Good Place To Check Out The Map

Amazing Views

Echo Peak

The Taylor Fork Road In The Distance

Tunnel Ridge

Good Place To Enjoy The Views

With strong LTE signal at the summit, we consulted GAIA GPS and finalized our plan to descend Woodward Mountain via the west face and into the Northernmost drainage down to Taylor Creek.

Our Descent Route

The steep western face was covered in loose and inconsistent sharp scree. At approximately 10,000′ we headed north and walked down a stunning and mellow drainage below colorful limestone. We hung on the far right side of the drainage walking on loose rock and relied on GAIA to navigate back toward Taylor Creek. I would not recommend ascending this side of the mountain, but you could do it.

Loose and Inconsistent Scree

Anyone see a ski line?

Unnamed Peak South Of Woodward

Northern Drainage

A mellow walk downhill

Limestone Formations

The Taylor Creek Drainage

We crossed the Taylor Creek at 8000′ and scrambled up to Trail #17. We reached this point in 5.25 hours and 7.3 miles. From here it was smooth sailing on the trail back to the car. There was one last wet crossing of the Taylor Creek before we hit the junction of Trail 17 and 7 again. A few short minutes later and we were back at the car. Another peak in the bag.

Crossing Taylor Creek

Woodward Mountain and Taylor Creek

Round trip our east to west traverse of Woodward Mountain in Montana took 6.25 hours. We covered 10.35 miles and 3701′. The views from the top were well worth it.

Watch panorama views from the summit of Woodward Mountain:

View route of our hike to Woodward Mountain on HillMap:

http://www.hillmap.com/embed/ag1zfmhpbGxtYXAtaGRychULEghTYXZlZE1hcBiAgICw442eCww

Additional photos from hiking Woodward Mountain:

This trip report for hiking Woodward Mountain in Montana’s Madison Range is from July 29, 2016.

#amountainjourney #madisonrange #bigsky #montana #eternalstoke #woodwardmountain