Elevation: 7,234 ft
Prominence: 103
This peak is not in the book. Published January 2020
Big Hole Pass Benchmark is located south of Big Hole Pass (7,055 feet) on the Continental Divide. The easiest ascent route is via the CDT/FSR-078 from Big Hole Pass to just north of the grassy summit hump. Regrettably, the USGS benchmark is no longer there. The nearest ranked summit is Morgan Mountain (8,308 feet), about 2 miles south of the benchmark. USGS Big Hole Pass
North Ridge, Class 2
Date of Climb: July 26, 2016
Access
Big Hole Pass is located exactly 9.6 miles east of US-93 via Gibbonsville Road/FSR-079. From Montana, Big Hole Pass is exactly 17.7 miles west of MT-43 via FSR-624. There is a small parking area at the pass and a small campsite under a large pine tree. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) crosses Big Hole Pass here and follows the spine of the Continental Divide both northward and southward.
The Climb
This is mostly a Class 1 road/trail hike on the CDT up to a point just north of the summit hump. From Big Hole Pass (7,055 feet), hike southward on the CDT, which follows FSR-078 along the crest of the Continental Divide. Leave the CDT/road after about ¾ mile of hiking as the road is about to skirt the West Side of the summit hump that holds the Big Hole Pass Benchmark. A short scramble on short grass and broken scree leads to the top of the open summit hump. The actual benchmark is no longer there.There is no summit cairn. This endeavor requires only about 200 feet of uphill and goes quickly.
South Ridge (Descent), Class 2
Access
Same as for the North Ridge Route
The Descent
From the top of the summit hump, descend SSW on easy open terrain (short grass and broken scree) to re-join the old jeep road/CDT. The descent is about ¼ mile and drops just over 100 vertical feet to reach the old road.
Regions: Beaverhead Range->EASTERN IDAHO
Mountain Range: Beaverhead Range
Longitude: -113.8265 Latitude: 45.5411