Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. The trail where Livingston’s climb started once led to the base of Point 7139 which met another trail that lead to the summit of this impressive summit. Trail maintenance in Idaho is on the upswing. So this trail may be maintained again at some point in the future. Published November 2023

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Peak 7375 sits above the headwaters of Fritzer Gulch on the east side of Panther Creek in the Eastern Salmon River Mountains. It is seldom climbed. Peak 7375 is most easily climbed from Trail Creek Trail to its northeast. USGS Gant Mountain

Access

From US-93 at North Fork, drive 26 miles west on FSR-030/Salmon River Road to a signed junction with FSR-055/Panther Creek Road. Drive 6.7 miles south on Panther Creek Road to a small pullout at the base of Fritzer Flat. This pullout is at 4,015 feet and 45⁰12’06”N, 114⁰19’05”W.

Map Errors

The Salmon National Forest map shows FST-017 heading up Fritzer Gulch but no such trail exists. The USGS topo map and Salmon National Forest map both show a pack trail on both the north ridge and southeast ridge of Peak 7375 but no such trail exists.

Southwest Ridge, Class 3

The Climb

From the roadside pullout, bushwhack east up through the tall, thick field grass and scrub in Fritzer Flat. Find a weak game trail on the right/south side of the small stream in Fritzer Gulch. Follow this narrow path past a massive downed tree (where the trail ends) that lays across the deep stream drainage. Bushwhack another 100 feet upstream to find a suitable spot to drop into the steep drainage. Cross the drainage to reach the base of the south face of the southwest ridge.

Scramble up the south face in a mix of field grass, scattered pines, and scree/gravel. This face climb is very steep and loose. But it is critical in getting you above the massive rocky buttress at the southwest end of the ridge crest. Reach the crest of the southwest ridge in a small, flattish area that is just above (and right/northeast of) massive rocky buttress on the toe of the ridge. Scramble northeast then north then northeast up the steep, meandering ridge crest on knobby ridge blocks/boulders, slippery tall field grass, loose scree, and scrub to reach flatter terrain at 6,350 feet.

The rocky ridge outcrops can either be climbed or skirted (Class 3). When returning down the ridge, this section is slow, very slippery (due to matted field grass and field grass on top of boulders), and loose due to underlying talus. The brush in this ridge area includes thorny bushes which will penetrate leather gloves. It is pretty brutal. Once in the flatter, easier, upper southwest ridge, skirt sections of thick brush, boulders, and downed trees as necessary by staying in field grass on the right/southeast side of the ridge.

The final northward push to the forested summit cap requires skirting brush and aspens on their right/east side. An easy bushwhack through some gapped aspens leads to the semi-open summit.  There were no signs of previous ascent so I built two cairns atop the twin summit boulders. I also stood atop two other boulders to the west that are of similar height, just to be sure. Due to nearby pine trees, there are no views from the top. The southwest ridge has burnt pines as well as live pines. It has numerous pines that were blown down by the wind and were broken off 5-15 feet above the ground (unusual). Most of the downed trees are small so navigating around (or over) them is not too difficult.