Exposed Trail

I did not know this area was so badly burned before I left. It was a pretty depressing sight. Flip side is no trees equates to good views. The whole area is thousands of acres of burned standing timber so not the safest or most predictable trip. There was some salvaging going on when I went but I predict there can be days of no operations and windfall will start bringing some trees down. They have cleared the uphill of the paved road going up but not the side roads you take to Althouse and Tanner.

Broken Top has been on my list for a few years. Trip reports vary in difficulty, so I finally had the chance to check it out solo. 

From Green Lakes TH I hike / jogged (hogged?) to Green Lakes in about an hour. From there the trail cuts between the lakes and then steepens. The trail up the Northwest Ridge saddle is sandy and steep. I took a break in the saddle to refuel for the steep ridge climb. 

My wife and I camped at Camp Misery TH and then I got up at About 7 to make the 3.23 mile walk to the summit. Starting elevation was about 5,700' and the summit is just over 7,500'. Great views at the top and I have never been to this summit when there was not goats. I counted between 10-12 different goats on the summit today. 

Went to Little Applegate after Applegate. It was a jeep road the last bit on RD 4513-300, off of road 4518. I started the hike up at 42.68112, -121.70485.  There is a bit of an open path up to the summit using an old grown over road. Easy trek, about 1mi RT. The mountains around here are some of my favorite to hike because of the ground. Most everywhere is a layer of pine needles over pumice so it is like walking on a soft cushioned ground.

WTA has a good Trail Report at https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2015-03-26.4118740807 with good general directions to PCT parking off the paved FS-5603 road. 

It's rare to find trails that are as well worn as Quartzite in this area. This trail is basically an urban hill near Chewelah, WA and sees regular use. The first half mile is the steepest, with several forks to switchbacks. All trails lead back to the main trail. In every case, take the less steep fork and avoid creating an erosion a path. The campsite at the one mile point is a good rest stop with summit register. The real summit though (and AZ) is another 1/2 mile. Follow the trail as it traverses two false summits to the actual summit at 1.5 mi in.

W7I/SI-151 is located near Lava Hot Springs Idaho. The summit is on Idaho Public Land but accessed through posted private land. You MUST get permission from the land owner who is generally reasonable when permission is asked and he has no cultivated crops.

I thought I would update this summit. It has been 10 years since KG7E put up a blog.

if you are planning on doing this summit make sure you do it from Atomic City off of highway 26. If you use Goolgle maps it will suggest you take highway 20 if you are heading from Arco Idaho or Idaho Falls/ Pocatello. if You take Highway 20 you will be going through the Idaho National Energy Laboratory which is closed to the public.

Depending on how much you like the paint on your vehicle, Quilcene Ridge might be a drive-up. Even so, where the slide alder starts significantly encroaching on the road it's only a quarter mile to the summit. So walking is an option.

Second attempt to get Calispell Peak. The approach and drive up make this a difficult hike to access with most vehicles. Even with a 4WD truck, you can do damage to your vehicle attempting to drive to the top. The smart move is to park on Calispel Peak Rd and hike from the 3.5 mi point to the summit, unless you'd like to do an alignment on your car.