Peak 9122 by Livingston Douglas

Elevation: 9,122 ft
Prominence: 502

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This peak is not in the book. Published November 2019


Peak 9122 sits above the mouth of Morse Creek Canyon. The easiest ascent routes are via either the mostly-open west ridge from the mouth of the canyon or the mostly-open south ridge. The upper sections of forest on these routes are relatively easy bushwhacks. Both of the aforementioned ridges are not overly steep. The lower sections of forest get very thick with brush here and should be avoided. The northwest ridge is totally forested and has a challenging start. The first 1,000 vertical feet of that ridge is quite steep. USGS East of May

Northwest Ridge, Class 2

Access

Morse Creek Road/FSR-094 is located 10.2 miles south of US-93 on the Pahsimeroi Highway. It is located just north of the hamlet of May, ID. The turnoff from US-93 is at the townsite of Ellis, ID. There is a small post office there on the right/east side of US-93. The Pahsimeroi Highway is a paved road all the way to the [signed] Morse Creek Road turnoff. Drive northeast up Morse Creek Road. At 4.3 miles, reach the Challis National Forest boundary and the mouth of the canyon. At 6.4 miles, reach the [signed] Morse Creek Campground. Drive across the bridge over Morse Creek and park in the campground. The elevation here is 6,280 feet.

The Climb

From the outhouse at the Morse Creek Campground, bushwhack southeast straight up the steep, forested slope. The brush in the forest is very thick and it is a battle. Angle left/east to intercept the northwest ridge early on. This initial 200-300 feet of elevation gain is the crux of this ridge climb. The undergrowth is tall, thick, and prickly.

Thankfully, once you reach the ridge crest, the slope eases and the brush thins out. Grind your way south up through the dense forest. The ridge bends left/southeast at about 7,400 feet. Keep climbing higher as the forest opens up and the bushwhack gets easier. The open pine forest has a stable gravel base. There is some blowdown to contend with but it’s not too bad. The ridge bends right/south at 8,000 feet and then bends noticeably left/southeast at Point 8613.

Continue up the ridge to Point 9032 in a flat ridge area. You are now on the summit crest, though the high point is another 0.4 mile away to the east. Cruise across the open forest to reach the forested hump that is the high point. The summit is a pine tree with a small cairn next to it. The terrain here is semi-open pine forest.

Northeast Ridge, Class 2

Access

Same as for the northwest ridge

The Descent

This route is part of a ridge traverse from Peak 9122 to Peak 9442. From the summit, you can see Peak 9442 in the distance and its connecting ridge. However, the northeast ridge is not visible due to thick tree cover and is not obvious because it is rather ill-defined high up. Bushwhack north-northeast down the face/slope and you will soon find the well-defined northeast ridge. A good elk trail on the ridge crest will help you from here. Follow the ridge northeast down to a saddle at the base of the south spur of the southwest ridge of Peak 9442. The elevation here is about 8,620 feet. This is the terminus of the northeast ridge.

Additional Resources

Mountain Range: Lemhi Range

Longitude: -113.76609   Latitude: 44.60989

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