Lem to Hi

Lem to Hi If you've successfully thrashed your way to Wright Peak el 10744', it would make sense to continue north on the main Lemhi crest to Buck Lakes Peak el 10775'. This is what I did on 10/4/00. Found no sign of previous summit occupation. Built a tiny cairn and left a register.

View N to Buck Lakes Peak on 10/4/00. This is the first mountain south of Lem Peak.The Red Point Ridge divides North Morgan Creek and Cow Creek. This remote section on the west flank of Lemhi Range can be approached from Morgan Creek. The carrot is the possibility of getting 3 summits: Red Point el 9953', Red Point Peak el 10214', and North Morgan Peak el 10487'.

View NE to Red Point Peak el 10214'. The north face of this mountain is composed of huge slabs of shingled quartzite. There was no sign of any prior summit visitation. Built cairn and continued picking my way along slabs, towers, and loose rock to:

North Morgan Peak el 10487', one of the most remote summits in the entire Lemhi Range. Again, no sign of previous visitation. Cairn placed 9/4/02.

Now, how to get back? Retrace the tedious ridge route back over two mountaintops? Or, a quick descent down into North Morgan Creek, then 4 miles along a live stream bottom? Oh how tempting it was to drop down, but DON'T ! The creek bottom could be a brush trap waiting to ensnare. It was already late and the risk of getting benighted was too high. Laboriously, I made the high and dry, but safe, return.

View N to Lem and Buck Lakes Peaks. On 9/9/95 Chuck Ferguson and I had a nice push to the top of May Mountain el 10971'. Chuck's best marathon time was in the low 2:40's. My best time, way back when, was low 2:50's, so I followed Chuck a lot. Chuck took this summit photo of me next to the triangulation station Hi, which was first occupied by T.M. Bannon ca 1913, and later by W. H. Chapman in 1956. We estimated May Mountain is climbed by one party every three years.

Article and photos courtesy

Rick Baugher

April 7, 2008