Peak 6033 (Little Poison) by Livingston Douglas

Elevation: 6,033 ft
Prominence: 493

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This peak is not in the book. Published November 2019


Peak 6033 towers above US-93 and the Salmon River between Warm Springs Road and Poison Creek Road. The only public access is from the north (Warm Springs Road). Peak 6033 is merely a ridge bump (albeit a ranked one) on the long west ridge of Poison Peak. It is a short, fun, off-trail ridge climb from the Warm Springs Trail. The north face of Peak 6033 is split by a large gully. Consequently, the peak has TWO north ridges: EAST and WEST. The views from the North Ridge WEST are simply stunning. USGS Goldbug Ridge

North Ridge WEST, Class 2

Access

Warm Springs Road is located on the east side of US-93, 21.6 miles south of the Salmon-Challis National Forest Service office in Salmon, ID. From the south, it is located 34.9 miles north of Challis, ID. Turn east onto Warm Springs Road and follow the paved road for 0.3 miles to reach the small trailhead parking area for the [very popular] Warm Springs Trail. The elevation here is 4,400 feet.

The Climb

Hike up the Warm Springs Trail for about 0.3 mile. Just after passing through a gated cattle fence, you enter public land. About 100 yards after this gate, the trail reaches a shoulder on the west side of a prominent gully. The north face of Peak 6033 is split by this large gully. The trail is about to drop to the left/north and cross Warm Spring Creek on a footbridge. Leave the trail and scramble south up this steep shoulder of short scrub/grass. Higher up, gravel and scree join the mix. Aim for a rocky outcrop at the top of the shoulder. You will find some game trails to help you in this steep, but manageable, climb.

The rocky outcrop is a Class 2 scramble up some minor ledges. Once atop the rocky outcrop, hike south across a narrow but easy ridge section (short grass) to Point 5377, a gentle ridge hump. Drop southeast about 100 feet to a minor saddle then scramble up a rocky ridge/face section which bends left/east to reach the summit. Most of the open areas of talus/scree can be avoided by staying in the [more stable] scrub, but even the scrub has some shale-y scree/gravel now. The small summit of Peak 6033 is a mix of talus/boulders and thick scrub. I rebuilt the torn-down summit cairn.

North Ridge EAST, Class 2

Access

Same as for the north ridge WEST

The Descent

From the summit, traverse northeast to the [lower] northeast summit. This lower point requires a 35 foot scramble up from an intervening saddle. The false summit is a gentle hump of broken scree and scrub, not a tangled mess like the true summit. From the northeast summit, descend easy scrub and gravel scree north then northwest until the ridge forks. At this point, go right/east-ish briefly to stay on the north ridge EAST and avoid ending up in the center of the gully that splits the north face.

There are a few minor rocky outcrops to navigate along the ridge from here, but nothing serious. The final, steep descent to Warm Springs Trail has some game trails and is somewhat loose. The grass here is short but the scree/gravel is slippery. As you near the base of the ridge, angle left/west to intercept the popular trail just below, and east of, where you left it earlier in the day. Follow the trail west for just over 0.3 miles back to the trailhead.

Additional Resources

Mountain Range: Lemhi Range

Longitude: -113.94529   Latitude: 44.88869

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