Mackay, Idaho

Mystery Peak

North Fork Lake

Goats napping at el 10000. They woke up when I moved closer. Lower Cedar Spring is the video below.

Pass Creek cuts a gorge  thru the Lost River Range near Mackay. Use the graded road at mp  101.3 on US 93. It goes into the gorge and there are several creekside campsites scattered along the way with one restroom. Mackay has a good grocery and a laundromat. Idaho Trails  is a website that details all the trails and dirt roads on a topo map for the whole state.

• BEAR CREEK LAKE el 8800 has a trail all the way. Turn off the Pass Creek Rd at N43 59059, W113 26889 el 6700. Drive along Bear Creek for a mile on easy 4wd to a fork el 7050. The right fork soon ends with no turnaround. Take the left fork for 2/3 mile to the end at the TH el 7300. That last 2/3 mile is rougher but no major obstacles. Mtn bikes would work to the TH but there it gets too steep. It took me 2 hours, 40 minutes to the lake and back, 1500 gain. The lake is at 59567, 30709. A better hike would be one way with no 4wd needed. Leave a car at the turnoff el 6700 on the Pass Creek Rd. Then drive to the pass and go west on a graded road to the Bear Creek Lake upper TH el 8000, just past a group camp. The trail, shown on the topo,  goes over a divide el 9000 then down to Bear Creek where, at el 7950, is the signed spur trail to the lake, not shown on the topo. Mtn bikes are feasible to the divide, but I didn't walk the part of the trail from the divide down to the creek. It's all downhill from the divide to the lower car, so what's the worst that could happen? The spur trail to the lake is not open to bikes but it's too steep anyway. Have some beer in your car to bribe OHVers for a shuttle. They'll do anything for beer. Posted 2016.
• HIDDEN MOUTH CAVE is a big room with a couple of smaller side rooms. Drive up the Pass Creek Rd thru the gorge and take the first right after it opens up. A 4wd road goes up to the TH which is at N43 57440, W113 26236 el 7000. I rode my cycle there, but in a 4wd I would park 500 feet short of it where the road gets nasty. It's less than 10 minutes to the cave and the trail is steep. Posted 2016.
• INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN el 11330 has a jeep road to el 7300 on the SW ridge. Use the  graded Bench Rd running south of the peak  to get to BLM road #498 at N43 54138, W113 31073. Go a mile and a half on that road to a fork el 6400 on the west bank of Mahogany Gulch. Left goes to the SW ridge, right goes to the south ridge then on to the SW ridge. At el 7100 is a very steep part, requiring a locking diff,  then it levels off at a sunny camp spot, just short of a radio tower (or maybe it's a movie screen?). The route goes from the radio tower and up around the west side of crags and into the saddle el 8400 on the SW ridge. Hike past the radio tower to a game trail at 56666, 32451 el 7600. Follow that for 350 feet to a clearing, which shows on the topo. Go straight up the clearing to 56760, 32460 where the trail takes a minor dip. Gently angle up along the base of crags to a corner at 56875, 32355 and those are the last coords you really need. From there you just keep going up. I went from there along the base of the crags into the saddle at 56916, 32238 el 8400. Then it was easy going up the ridge at first. When it steepened I drifted right of center to stay under rocks. I hit treeline at 57223, 31656 el 9600. I then zigzagged back to the center of the ridge at el 10100. At el 11000 the ridge drops 40 feet and you cross a neck. Just stay on center and it's class 3. The BM, spelled " INVISABLE ", is at 57980, 30903. 7 hours, 4100 gain. The 300 feet going up into the saddle el 8400 is the steepest with some minor backsliding. There is some light brush below the 7800 level. It might be feasible to walk from the tower into Swauger Gulch and go up that way. Posted August, 2016.
• JAGGLE BENCHMARK el 10772 has a logging road up Jaggles Canyon to a meadow el 7900. 4wds can make it to el 7000. There is a sign for Elbow Canyon along Pass Creek Rd out in the flats. Turn there and go straight east a mile and a quarter to a fork reading N43 54965, W113 25711. Take the right fork for half a mile to another fork and keep left. Stay on the main road going south and it will swing back to power lines and go on to a gate at 51853, 22545. Turn left there and drive a short way to the mouth of Jaggles Canyon. The road thus far has been high clearance on packed dirt, a mtn bike would work to the mouth only.  The road up the canyon is not eroded but has patches of little rocks, making for a bumpy ride. 4wd might not be needed, but a jeep would barely fit. A camp at 52465, 20925 el 7000 is the end of the line for 4wds and I could see some had been there. I made it another 700 feet on my cycle to el 7150. It's a steep ATV trail beyond there. Hike up the trail to the meadow where the ascent ridge is in view. Cross the meadow and circle left to 52940, 20127 el 8100 where you can look directly up the ridge and see that it's not so tough. Go on up and stay on center all the way to the crest at  53277, 19323 el 10400. I cut left about 100 feet before the top and it got unstable. It's just a stroll to the BM at 53726, 19669 until the last bit which is a class 2 knife edge. A game trail goes up and over. For the descent, I followed that trail down the north side to the first saddle el 10600 then down the drainage on fine scree. BIG MISTAKE ! Stay off the fine scree. It's not deep enough. I used my walking stick for self arrest and got over to the larger scree then had no trouble with sliding. It might work better to go north to the main saddle el 10300 then descend.  At el 9600 it levels off and the rest of the way down is on easy dirt. I walked along the edge of the scree field on game trails and into the forest at 53429, 20152 el 9100 then down thru the trees to the meadow. Starting at el 7150, the loop took me 5 hours with 3700 gain. I was wearing long pants and the few patches of light brush didn't even slow me down. There wasn't a drop of water or snow, but I drank less than a quart. The survey tower on top was still standing. This is a 4 hour hike for an ATV.  Posted August, 2016.
• SUNSET PEAK el 10693 has an OHV trail to el 8450 on the rim of Mud Lake Canyon. Turn off the Pass Creek Rd at N43 58545, W113 26706 el 6600 and follow  OHV trail #4094 past Mud Lake and up over the divide el 8343. Drop down the other side to Wet Creek Basin and right away a spur trail comes into view that goes up to the rim of the canyon where everything is in view. Step over the fence and stroll up the canyon to the main saddle el 10050 then turn right and mosey on up on easy tundra to the summit at 58562, 22200. 4 hours, 2400 gain, never steep. This peak is so easy, it makes pie look hard. MTN BIKE APPROACH - bikes would want to enter the canyon at a lower point.  Follow #4094 to the first fork which is #4192. Go right on that into the canyon to a fork el 7700. Go left and soon it's a foot trail. I stopped there but it's less than a mile up canyon to join the upper route. ROCKY PEAK el 9600+ is what I call the dramatic peak about a mile and a half SW of Sunset Peak. It's the same approach as above for mtn bikes, but go right at the fork el 7700 in Mud Lake Canyon. I got my cycle to the 8000 level right at a big slab of bedrock. Go up the slope there to the top of the ridge at N43 58344, W113 24532 el 8300+. Then just go up the ridge on elk trails to the summit at 57918, 24043. Some minor crags near the top are easily passed on the right. That's a nice forest hike. That took me 3 hours with 1600 gain.  Posted 2016.
• WET BENCHMARK el 11309 towers over Bear Creek Lake. A cycle/mtn bike trail goes to el 9000. Take the Pass Creek Rd to the pass and go west on a graded road to the Bear Creek Lake TH, just past a group camp. The reading there is N44 01245, W113 29286 el 8000. I rode a 125 up the trail to a bad spot el 8600 about .8 air mile from the start. With help, I could have walked the cycle past that and then easily rode on to the divide el 9000. Hike up the ridge from the divide using game trails. Just before the ridge tops out, use a trail on the right at N44 00066, W113 30681 that cuts into a saddle el 10400 where the rest is in view. Peak 10800+ is right next to this saddle and would make for a shorter hike. To get at Wet BM, you have to gently lose 500 feet down to the north end of the basin below then easily walk across it and decide which saddle to use for the peak. I went up to the north saddle then had a faint game trail on up to the top, but there was some class 3 rock and a knife edge to deal with. I came down the south saddle and it was class 1. Going up the south saddle would be the easiest but you have to circle over cliffs to get into it, meaning gaining an extra 100 feet. Game trails help a little because there is a guzzler in that saddle. The BM is at N43 59572, W113 32261.  Using the divide el 9000 as the starting point, the hike took me 7 hours with 3300 gain. Easy terrain. The only water I encountered was a few snow patches. A party with 2 cars could make an even better hike by returning via Bear Creek Lake. Just follow the main drainage down from the basin el 10000 to the lake and hit the trail on the east shore at N43 59567, W113 30709 el 8800 then stroll on down to Pass Creek Rd where you spotted a car reading N43 59059, W113 26889 el 6700. Part of the trail from the lake isn't shown on the topo, but everything else is. You can see a lot of this as you're going up. Posted Aug 3, 2016. 
• LOWER CEDAR CREEK has a maintained trail with bridges to a mega spring. From US 93 at Mackay, take main street for 2.5 miles to a sign for the creek reading N43 54602, W113 34105. Turn there on a gravel road that goes a bit over  4 miles to the TH el 6800. The last 2 miles are high clearance but it's mtn bikeable. It's a mile and a half on a rocky trail to the spring el 7350. There are ruins of a wooden aqueduct built by miners. Posted August, 2018.
• MOUNT McCALEB el 11682 is not one I hiked, but I rode out to see what access is like.  From US 93 at Mackay, take main street for 2.5 miles to a sign for the Lower Cedar Creek reading N43 54602, W113 34105. Turn there on a gravel road and go 3.7 miles then make a U turn to the left to get on the next level. Then go nearly half a mile to a wooden post at 57634, 34994. Go left there for about 2 miles to where the FS closed the road at the forest boundary on the south slope at 58705, 36810 el 7000. Hikers go up to the west saddle el 10650 then turn to the summit, all class 2. 4wd is needed at a couple of spots for the drive in. This access is all public land. Posted August, 2018.
• UPPER CEDAR CREEK has a short trail that's useful for anyone camping at Mackay Reservoir. A mtn bike can make it into a more fruitful outing. I would ride to the sign el 6200 at mp 115 on US 93 then go 4 miles up the dirt road to the mouth el 7100 where the foot trail starts. The last 3 miles of road are high clearance. About 5 minutes up the trail are 2 wades then no more. Nearly a mile up is where a left fork is pouring in. I would stop there because the trail gets difficult and fades in brush after another half mile. It's a shady trail but some itchy plants need pruning. Posted August, 2018.

Newfoundland Mountains, Hogup Mountains

Desert Peak as seen from S. Newfoundland BM

Squirrel Spr is guarded by vicious "attack squirrels" like this one. You have to get their permission before you can drink. They're easily bribed with popcorn.

A mine in Dells Canyon with a chute made of barrels welded together.

Big Pass

Sheep trail on the descent from Military Peak to the guzzlers.

The Newfoundland Mtns are obscure to hikers but ranchers and miners have used the range for decades. The mines have played out and a wildlife organization bought the grazing rights so now only bighorn sheep graze there. Dirt roads come in from the north and south. Use a site like caltopo.com to view 7.5 topo maps and get all the coordinates you'll need. The main dirt road comes south from highway 30 to Kelton then goes west for nearly 3 miles to Table Mtn. It goes south there for 24 miles to a fork at The Fingerpoint where the topo shows BM 4377. The right fork there goes to Hogup at the RR tracks. Then it's 12 miles along the north side of the tracks to the first crossing, which is west of the old one shown on the topo. 2wd ends there. Go south from the tracks on a rutted road for a mile and a half to a main 4-way. Left goes around a low point then along the east side of the range. Right goes along the west side. To get to Hogup from I-80, use exit 62 and drive a paved road to Hill AF Base entrance then veer right on a graded road that is an easement thru the base. The road circles the east side of Lakeside Butte then goes west to cross the tracks, as the topo shows. Then it's 14 miles along the tracks to Hogup. Two local men told me that the Kelton route is entirely public, even the part along the tracks. The southern route is not public, but they have never seen it gated in the decades they've used it. The RR has plenty of signs saying stay out, but no gates. I came thru on a weekday, but next time I would go on a Sunday. The north route has 70 miles of dirt road and the south has 40. One option on the north route is to use a road that splits off and goes thru Big Pass in the Hogup Mtns, but that road is not as good. I was told that the road going west out of Kelton to highway 30 is good. Posted 2016.

• SLEIGH CANYON has an easy 4wd road to the end at some white tailings. A trail goes up the north fork to a seasonal stream on bedrock at N41 12304, W113 20382 el 4700. That would be a lovely spot when the water is running. Posted 2016.
• DELLS CANYON has some good mine stuff. Turn off the east side road at N41 11340, W113 19268. The road starts out good but turns ugly for the last half mile. Some old trucks are there and then a spotty trail goes up canyon a short way to some structures. The tram system was still standing. I stopped at the 5500 level. Some seeps had water and likely there is stream after winter rains. Posted 2016.
• SQUIRREL SPRING is what I call the handiest water source we found. Turn off the east side road on the SE side of Desert Peak and go up a nasty road for 2/3 mile to the trough at N41 10445, W113 21266 el 4600. This is below the water tank shown on the topo. Water was dripping fast from a pipe. The huge north basin shows many springs on the topo but the only one with water was at 13359, 21531 el 5000. Those were small puddles with a microscopic flow. That basin would be infested with streams after a wet winter. WEST SPRING is what I call the spring NW of Desert Peak next to peak 4954. That had a seep with 2 gallons of water at 12798, 22791 el 4700. I could see that it's a sheep hotspot early in the season when there's more water. I didn't check the other spring on the west side. Posted September, 2016.
• NORTH NEWFOUNDLAND el 6110 is what I call the main peak at the north end. Turn off the west side road at N41 15710, W113 21785 and drive a 4wd road to a camp spot at el 4700. Hike up the main canyon and get on the left side at 14328, 22123 el 4900 then go on up to the summit at 14280, 22801. 2 hours, 1400 gain. That peak has a nice setting with juniper and granite slabs. Posted 2016.
• DESERT PEAK el 7005 is the high point of the range. The SW ridge is the easiest route. Take the west side road from the 4-way for about 7 miles (Stay right at tricky forks) to a nasty 4wd road at N41 12223, W113 24176. Take the 4wd road almost to the pass south of the peak. Hiking from the pass would likely backfire because crags are in the way. I started at a mine el 5300 right before the pass and went up the obvious ridge and topped out left of the crags. Two ammo boxes were on the summit at 11161, 22090. 2 and a half hours, 1700 gain. There's room to camp at the mine. Posted 2106.
• MILITARY PEAK el 5902 is what I call an easy one north of Big Pass. A sheep trail goes most of the way. Turn off the west side road at N41 06270, W113 24813 and go a mile and a quarter on easy 4wd to the last easy turnaround at 06524, 23570 el 4750. Mtn bikes can make it in about 3/4 mile. The road shrinks to an ATV trail and goes to several guzzlers at the pass. A dozen sheep were hanging around there praying for rain. Walk to a main saddle at 07046, 23403 el 5100 north of the guzzlers. Now go left up the ridge on the trail and it goes along the east side of crags then it goes back on top and on to the last saddle before the peak. The trail goes around the peak but it's easy to go up a gully to get to a flagpole on the summit at 08119, 23666. A military BM is 400 feet SW. 3 hours, 1300 gain. A good hike to view sheep. Posted 2016.
• SOUTH NEWFOUNDLAND BENCHMARK el 6058 is at the south end of the range, right at the AF base boundary. The NW ridge is the easiest route. Drive down the easy west side road for 20 miles and park at the base gate. Walk to the NW ridge at N41 01963, W113 22930 el 4750 and go up. I found the route to be obvious, but here's what I did just in case. At a minor saddle el 5100, I moved left of center to get past crags. Then at 02011, 22429 el 5700 I cut over to the main saddle north of the peak. Then I went up to the summit block and walked around the west side then easily up the south side to the BM at 01871, 22294. 3 hours, 1800 gain. Posted 2016.
• MTN BIKE OPTIONS - if I only had a 2wd and bike, I would ride in from the RR about 7 miles and camp on the west side. I would hike up to West Spring at N41 12798, W113 22791 and get water. It would be easy to pedal on down to the AF base fence. The west side road is so easy, I would let all the air out of my tires just to make it a challenge. Hardcore riders could make a 35 mile loop by walking the ATV trail over Big Pass. I could pedal in from the RR and hike Desert Peak then pedal back out to the RR, all in less than 7 hours. Early in the season is the best time for the springs to be running, as soon as roads dry out. Posted 2016.
• TANGENT PEAK el 7047 is the high point of the Hogup Mountains. A good cycle/mtn bike loop can be done. Park at Hogup Bar in a quarry along the Kelton road at N41 37249, W113 07994. Ride SW on a fork from there that goes west then south to Big Pass el 5700. A grassy ridge reading 28457, 08900 goes from there up to the Terrace BM on the summit at 28899, 10463. That's a 2 hour hike with 1400 gain. Then keep going south on the road for a couple of miles and go left on a road that circles around the mountains and follows a bench at el 5200 back to the north then drops down to the Kelton road. That's a 30 mile loop and is shown on the topo. Good views. CROCODILE MOUNTAIN is another ride that can be done from the quarry. Ride north on the Kelton road a bit over a mile and turn east on a rutted road that goes on top of the mountain. Loco BM is at the south end. The road runs to the north end then stops, but you can drop back down to the west on a steep road then ride back on the shoreline road. I had a good Vz cell signal on the shoreline road at N41 39526, W113 06519. Posted 2016.
• THE NAUTILUS el 5400 is what I call a peculiar little peak along the Kelton road. It looks like a submarine that surfaced on Lake Bonneville then froze there. Turn off the Kelton road at N41 23443, W113 08388 and go 3/4 mile on a crude road to the peak. It's easy to walk the deck of the sub. A trail on the SW side goes up to the recon tower. Posted 2016.
• HOGUP BENCHMARK el 4680 is south of Hogup but the road to it got cut off by the canal. So unless you can build a ramp and jump the canal, you can walk the salt flats from the bridge near the pumps. It takes 45 minutes to get to it at N41 13728, W113 04880. I found survey junk but no BM. That whole peninsula is isolated now. Posted 2016.
• GRASSY BENCHMARK el 6596 is the high point of the Grassy Mountains which sit along the paved road in from I-80. A jeep road goes most of the way.  Turn off the paved road at N40 53166,  W112 54825 and go 5 miles to a well and cattleguard. Turn left and go 6 miles to el 6300 then walk across a saddle at N40 56495, W113 03478 el 6100. Then go up to the summit at N40 56334, W113 02863. 70 minutes, 700 gain. The roads are eroded but still easy for jeeps. Posted 2016.

  

  The Nautilus, The lake almost took the top off.