This peak has great views, but is not easy to get to. Just north of Idaho City, forest road 304 heads into the woods. Based on the map I had, I assumed it would be dirt but not too bad, passable in a sedan. This was a bad assumption. The first part wasn't so bad, but I was glad the rental company had given me an SUV with a bit of clearance. Four wheel drive wasn't necessary.
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| There were views near the summit. |
The road was rough. I was glad to be going 10MPH on a lot of it. Eventually 304 winds its way up to the Bald Mountain campground. I was done with driving, so I just parked and walked the rest of the way. I definitely could have driven farther up. The mile or so up to the summit was pretty easy, just following the access road. Just keep an eye out for all the OHV users. Some of them seem a bit crazy.
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| Summit outhouse. Nice views. |
There is a fire lookout on top. It was staffed, but the gate was closed and there were a bunch of signs warning you not to go up. This was surprising, usually people in fire lookouts are happy to see other humans; I think they get a bit lonely. But their coldness didn't stop me from enjoying the view and setting up. There was a bit of cell service, so I was able to put up some spots. I was also glad the temperatures were in the mid-70's, compared to ~100 in Boise. A good day to be in the mountains.
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| A rather faded sign letting you know you're at the summit. |
Sadly, there was quite a bit of RF noise, and conditions weren't that great. I made a handful of contacts, but wish there had been more people out so I could've sat and enjoyed the view a while longer. The hike back to the car was quick, and I then navigated some more rough roads to get over to Rabbit Creek Summit for another peak.
Trailhead: Bald Mountain Campground, or drive all the way to the summit.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Walk up the road to the top.
Red Tape: None.
Video: Coming Soon!
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