Elevation: 10,112 ft
Prominence: 452
This peak is not in the book.
Little Bear Peak sits just over a mile southeast of Bear Mountain. The summit can be reached from almost any direction, but Summerhouse Canyon provides the most direct route and the road is reasonable for high-clearance vehicles. See the Bear Mountain page for access details. You may also consider approaches from Bear Canyon and Bull Creek but I do not have any recent access information on those approaches. USGS Moffett Springs.
West Ridge, Class 2
Access the West Ridge from Summerhouse Canyon. You can easily drive to a nice meadow at 7,400 feet with a high-clearance vehicle in dry conditions. The road deteriorates soon after this good parking spot and I recommend starting the climb from this point. Hike north up the canyon to the base of the ridge and then follow it up to the summit ridge. A quick jog to the north takes you to the summit. See the GPS track below. The forested ridge is of moderate but continuous steepness and is mostly free of deadfall.
My GPS track for Little Bear Peak and Bear Mountain.
The meadow at 7,400 feet in Summerhouse Canyon with Bear Mountain in the background.
The most rugged part of the peak’s West Ridge is where the ridge joins the summit block.
The summit of Little Bear Peak as viewed from the south.
The Northwest Face of Little Bear Peak.
Bear Mountain-to-Peak 10122 Ridge Traverse, Class 2-3
The ridgeline between Bear Mountain and Peak 10112 is an enjoyable section of Lemhi Range terrain. I crossed it when it was mostly covered by snow. The ridge has two low spots. When starting your climb from the summit of Bear Mountain, you will discover that the eastern end of Bear Mountain’s summit ridge is the most challenging section of the traverse as it is as close to knife-edged as you can get without significant exposure. With the snow gone, this section of the ridge might have a couple of Class 3 sections. If the ridge is covered with snow, bring an ice axe.
Additional Resources
Regions: EASTERN IDAHO->Lemhi Range
Mountain Range: Lemhi Range
Year Climbed: 2015
Longitude: -113.43219 Latitude: 44.34509