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Boundary Peak

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 2:37 am
by gwave47
Via the Queens Mine route how long would anyone expect it to take to summit boundary round trip from the trail head? How comparable is it to Borah Peak in Idaho? I noticed it's .6 miles longer than Borah Peak round trip, but it's 1,000 feet less in elevation gain, so I would think it wouldn't be as difficult of a hike as the initial 2 miles on Borah. Also Borah has a few sections of class 3 and this seems to be a class 1 trail. Just asking because I don't plan on being at the trail head until noon and want to try to summit in 6 hours round trip. Borah took 8 hours, so I would think this is feasible but want someone to correct me if i'm wrong.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 2:46 am
by MoapaPk
Boundary is definitely not a class 1 trail. There isn't much of a trail, there is a lot of loose talus, and I guarantee that you will be putting your hands down occasionally. When are you going?

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 3:02 am
by gwave47
July 21st - 26th.... not sure which day yet.

Boundary Peak

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 4:01 am
by Winex
My son & I hiked Borah last August and Boundary July 08. I thought Borah was much more difficult than Boundary. If you did Borah in 8 hours, Boundary in 6 is doable. It took us about 8 hours to summit and return, but we weren't in a rush. The "legendary" scree wasn't too bad and passed quickly. I would love to return some day and do it again.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 3:11 pm
by cp0915
Agreed that Boundary is not class 1, though much of it is. There are several short class 2 sections.

Regardless, it's easy, short and 6 hours shouldn't be a problem (for someone in reasonably good shape). If possible, though, it's totally worth setting aside time for a Montgomery bag too. Montgomery is a far sweeter peak, and it's right there!

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 6:21 pm
by MoapaPk
I just looked at the GPS logs. For both Montgomery and Boundary, with a large group and 1/2 hour on each summit, we took just under 9 hours RT. We also started farther down in Trail Canyon.

Montgomery is mild class 3 and feels more like a mountain. Boundary is just 280' above the saddle between the two peaks.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:24 pm
by Scott Wesemann
Having done both of these peaks I would say Borah is far more physically demanding than Boundary. The Borah trail is much steeper and it is a pretty tough day, and I would think it will take you a few hours more for the round trip.

PostPosted: Tue May 25, 2010 9:24 pm
by gwave47
MoapaPk wrote:I just looked at the GPS logs. For both Montgomery and Boundary, with a large group and 1/2 hour on each summit, we took just under 9 hours RT. We also started farther down in Trail Canyon.


So if I was just summitting Boundary without Montgomery, then it is very possible to make a round trip time under 6 hours?

Well

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:00 am
by hgrapid
I did Queens Mine Route in 2008. Boundary was pretty easy. Even if you start from the mine itself, and drive no further, it isn't that bad a day. A good hiker can make it up and down in 6 hours. Montgomery is another story. That is really tough. Brings lots and lots of water, and food. The ridge to Montgomery is very hard. Then on the way up the final stretch, we encountered a problem on the left side. It looked like it was easy class 2, but then there was a huge drop off. Better off going to the right side, or up the difficult class 3 rocky area. You don't have much choice. Just don't make the same mistake we did, because we didn't make it. We weren't prepared for just how difficult the ridge between Boundary and Montgomery is. It will take you at least 2 hours extra; maybe more.

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 5:49 am
by MoapaPk
gwave47 wrote:
MoapaPk wrote:I just looked at the GPS logs. For both Montgomery and Boundary, with a large group and 1/2 hour on each summit, we took just under 9 hours RT. We also started farther down in Trail Canyon.


So if I was just summitting Boundary without Montgomery, then it is very possible to make a round trip time under 6 hours?


Yes, barring dinosaur attack, acute flatulence, or a hail of frogs.

Re: Well

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:16 pm
by cp0915
hgrapid wrote:Montgomery is another story. That is really tough. Brings lots and lots of water, and food. The ridge to Montgomery is very hard...It will take you at least 2 hours extra; maybe more.


All things are relative. I found it marginally trivial, and an easy 'bonus' effort after Boundary. It just depends on what shape you're in and what you're used to. For someone accustomed to scrambling and climbing in the Sierra, the North Cascades, the Tetons, wherever, the Boundary->Montgomery combo is no big deal.

PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:45 pm
by elichten
I just did Boundary about two weeks ago. From the Queen Mine to Boundary and back it took us 12 hours, but we're slow. Steady, but slow.

There was also a lot of snow on the route, and we spent too much time mucking around in the scree fields. If we'd gone straight to the ridge after the first slope, we probably would have shaved 1.5hrs off our time.

There was too much snow for us to try for Montgomery. :(

If I was going to do it again, I'd hike in to the Trail Canyon Saddle and camp there instead of at the mine. Would make summit day much shorter, and hiking out afterwards wouldn't be a big deal.

PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 6:27 am
by markv
Looking for company? Wife and i will be in the area around then, and adding Boundary would be #40 for us.