Medicine-Lodge

Medicine el 9255' and Lodge el 9161' are two little peaks with big views. Located in the Medicine Lodge drainage on the Idaho side of the Beaverhead Mountains, a visit to these soothing summits will bring you good medicine.

On 11/2/07 the summit area of Medicine was found free of human artifact.

From the gentle slope of Lodge, the view is SW past Medicine to the twin southernmost peaks wholly within Montana. These are Cul-de-sac el 10529' and to its right, Sunny South el 10601'. The summit of Cul-de-sac is a geographic anomaly in that if you follow any compass direction of N,S,E,W, you'd end up back in Idaho. Framing Cul-de-sac in this photo are Italian Peak and Tuscany Peak, both on the Idaho-Montana Continental Divide. All 19th century maps of Idaho and Montana greatly distorted this section. The convoluted geography of the area wasn't understood until after the Carpenter Stateline Survey of 1904-06.

This shot from the summit of Medicine looks NW past the Continental Divide into Medicine Lodge on the Montana side, then on to the continental divide peaks of Mount Carpenter el 10684' (L) and Mon-Ida Baldy el 10773' (R). Confused? Then, take a break at......

Fritz Creek Cabin, courtesy of Dubois Ranger District, Targhee National Forest. This cabin is open to users on a first come basis, except in July-August when the Medicine Lodge Cattlemen's Association has first dibs. Located at the base of Lodge Peak, the cabin is a great starting point for adventures in the adjacent bi-state mini wilderness.

Rick Baugher Feb 8, 2008