Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 48.23842°N / 115.69874°W
Additional Information County: Lincoln
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Summer, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 8634 ft / 2632 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

 
Outcrop Near the Summit of  A  Peak
One of the outcrops near the summit.


"A" Peak is the second highest point in the Cabinet Mountain Range and resides within the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area. Designated a Primitive Area in 1935, the 94,360 acre area then became part of the National Wilderness Preservation Act of 1964, and is defined as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain...."

"A" Peak has had several names over the years. In 1897 the General Land Office plat for Montana called it Summit Peak. A 1914 Kootenai National Forest map shows it as Craig Peak. It seems the Forest Service settled on "A" Peak in 1922, for it's shape and as a shorter version of Apex Peak, as it was labeled on a 1927 Lincoln County map.

The Cabinet Mountains are composed of Sedimentary Layers that were lifted and folded, then carved and shaped by glaciers. The Cabinets can receive over 100 inches of rainfall per year and snow accumulation can exceed 500 inches in the high country. Wildlife in the Cabinets is diverse. Anything from Marmots to Mountain Goats and Grasshoppers to Grizzlies. Although Black Bears outnumber the Grizzly population in the Cabinets - both should be taken very seriously.

 A  Peak
"A" Peak from Granite Lake


From the north at Granite Lake, "A" Peak dominates the scenery, towering over 4,000 feet above the water. It's this sheer face of "A" Peak that makes it so enticing, however, one can scramble to the peak from Vimy Ridge from the west or Snowshoe Lake from the south.


Routes

Western Approach

Snowshoe Peak From  A  Peak
Snowshoe Peak (on left) from the Summit of "A" Peak.


Please message me with information on additional routes.

 A  Peak
Go up... more or less

Vimy Ridge Camp /  A  Peak
A Peak From Vimy Ridge

Camping

'A' Peak & Snowshoe Peak from Snowshoe Lake


Back-country camping on Vimy Ridge provides excellent views but severe weather exposure.

Grizzly Bear Habitat
Watch out for Bears.

Red Tape

The Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area has typical wilderness regulations. No permits are required for hiking or camping but signing in at the trailhead is required.

Additional Information

Summit Register
When we summited in 2004 we did find a very old summit registry (pencil & paper) hidden under a rock. It was in a glass jar with a rusty lid. We carefully signed it and put it back, wondering how long this delicate container had been atop this mountain.

Kootenai National Forest
www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai
1101 U.S. Highway 2 West
Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-6211

Cabinet Ranger District
2693 Highway 200
Trout Creek, MT 59874
(406) 827-3533

Trails of the Wild Cabinets
by Dennis Nicholls
Available for purchase at Keokee Books



Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Cabinet MountainsMountains & Rocks