Exposed Trail

  Indian Mtn is South of Pocatello Idaho.  Travel to  Mink Creek Recreation Area Rd. Take a left and head South on Mink Creek Road several miles.You will see a sign saying Kinney Creek Trailhead on your left.  There will be a trail heading East following the creek. About 3 miles up the creek watch for a single 4x4 board going across the creek which connects to a single track trail that will lead you to the summit of Indian Mountain.  .  It is all exposed.

We selected the southern route for Elk Point.  This southern route allows for a double activation with Sula Peak W7M/RC-138. This mostly open-ridgeline route has good views of distant Bitterroot Mountains, Anaconda Pintler Mountains and closer views of the Sapphire Mountains

Bald hill isn’t really bald.  It is a fine grassland on its south exposure, but is tree covered on the remaining west, north and east exposures.  Access is available any time of year, albeit steep.  It is prime winter range for 50-100 elk each year so avoiding December through February could prevent disturbing the elk.

You are entering bighorn sheep range in this summit’s area.  Two trail options are available.  Both are great trail hikes all the way to the summit.  The dry environment of this area makes it a good early Spring or late Fall season hike.  Wind can be challenging on the upper grassland

Mount Tiny is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area near Georgetown Lake.  Mount Tiny is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Little Rainbow Mountain, W7M/BR-071.

Little Rainbow Mountain is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area. The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks.  Little Rainbow is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Mount Tiny, W7M/BR-079   

Three Lakes Peak is just within the Flathead Indian Reservation along the Reservation Divide. The summit has great views of the Confederate Salish-Kootenai Tribes land, the Flathead River, three alpine lakes, the Mission Mountains and the Ninemile Valley.  A Flathead Reservation Use Permit is required. 

Vermilion Peak is accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains.  It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Mount Headley, W7M/LO-018.  The summit has fine views of nearby summits and distant peaks, like the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area. 

I went to Bend to visit my in-laws over the weekend and had time for one summit. Figured I would get my monies worth and go for a ten pointer I knew I could activate, Mount Bachelor. 

I activated Mount Bachelor in 2018. For that activation I took the lift to the Pine Marten Lodge and hiked to the summit from there. I told myself the next time I activated this one I would start my hike from the bottom. 

After failed attempts at Burnt Hill [W7W/NO-108] and Display Mountain [W7W/SO-105], I drove down Donkey Creek Road east of Highway 101 to a spot where the satellite views from Google Maps and AllTrails.com show a road splitting off to the east [47.303033, -123.834128].  

I parked here and passed a gate -- no 'no tresspassing signs' or other indications I was on private land (see photo).