Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Livingston’s route description for this peak covers an ambitious traverse starting at the Bear Creek Trailhead and climbing over Peak 7314, Peak 7860, Peak 9142, and Big Elk Mountain before reaching this peak. Published November 2020

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Peak 7911 is one of five peaks that surround Muddy Creek: Peak 7314, Peak 7860, Peak 9142, Big Elk Mountain (9,476 feet), and Peak 7911. This is a challenging multi-peak adventure that covers 11.0 miles with 5,150 feet of elevation gain round trip. It includes some trail hiking, a bit of bushwhacking, and a long, up-and-down ridge traverse. Peak 7911 is, in reality, a ridge bump on the LONG north ridge of Big Elk Mountain. It almost qualifies as a ranked summit. USGS Red Ridge

Access

Same as for Peak 7314. This is the final leg of a 5-peak adventure.

Trail Update

Muddy Creek Trail is now FST-272, not FST-164 as the Book indicates on Page 371 under the Big Elk Mountain information. After 1.7 miles, FST-272 reaches a [signed] trail junction at a ridge saddle on the long north ridge of Big Elk Mountain, just southwest of Point 7010. FST-272 is labeled FST-044 here, for whatever reason. At the [signed] triple junction on the saddle, go left/south onto FST-147/Big Elk Mountain Trail to climb to the top of Big Elk Mountain.

Once again, this trail is NOT labeled FST-164 as the book indicates. Sadly, the USGS topo map fails to show ANY of FST-147/Big Elk Mountain Trail and only shows the first mile of FST-272/Muddy Creek Trail. The trail signage at the base of FST-272 (at its junction with FST-273/Bear Creek Trail) incorrectly states “Big Elk Creek Trail 1.7 Miles” when it should state “Big Elk Mountain Trail 1.7 Miles.”

Southwest Ridge, Class 2

The Climb

From the 7,620-foot connecting saddle with Big Elk Mountain, leave FST-147/Big Elk Mountain Trail and scramble northeast up a rounded ridge of brush and sagebrush (weaving required) to reach the gentle summit of Peak 7911. The summit had no summit cairn so I built a small one.

Northeast Ridge, Class 2

The Descent

From the summit, bash your way northeast down through thick, nasty brush and stumble on FST-147 to your left at some point. Get back on FST-147 and follow it down the ridge to a saddle and [signed] ridge junction just below Point 7010. Go right/southeast onto FST-272 (signed as FST-044 here) and follow it back down to Muddy Creek and then down to Bear Creek. Ford Bear Creek and immediately reach the junction with FST-273/Bear Creek Trail. Go right/east on Bear Creek Trail and follow it about a mile back to the Bear Creek trailhead.