North of Lem

North of Lem Fellfield Mountain el 10225' is part of the northernmost cluster of 10000' summits in the Lemhi Range. It is located one mile east of the main crest and overlooks Hayden Basin. Once you get to Basin Lake, the approach to this summit is reasonable.

One characteristic of the northern Lemhi Range is the presence of felsenmeer (sea of rocks). A fellfield is smaller in scale, a field of shattered angular boulders as a result of frost action. This view looks east across the boulders to Fellfield Mountain on 7/11/99.

Steel Head el 10222' is on the western side of the Lemhi Range and rises 5700' out of the the Salmon River. On 6/24/05 I found no sign of prior summit visitation. View NE from Steel Head to 10720' Tendoy Peak.

From the summit of Steel Head this view looks SE to Lem Peak el 10985'. You can see the trace of a jeep mining trail in the upper reach of Allison Creek, but the access to Allison Creek is strictly private. This makes a huge swath of country very remote. My trek to Steel Head started with a ford at McKim Creek near some vacation shacks dubiously called 'Crascade Acres'. From here things went downhill- stinging nettle, rattlesnakes, an earthquake tremor. Finally, lightning drove me off the summit.

From the summit of Tendoy Peak the view is SE along the wild northern Lemhi crest to Lem Peak on 7/11/99. Tendoy Peak was reached by surveyors in 1956. Lem was a USGS triangulation station occupied by T.M. Bannon in 1912. May Mountain (station Hi) is in the distance behind the right slope of Lem.

Information and photos by

Rick Baugher

April 5, 2008