Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
45.31940°N / 116.5319°W |
Route Type:
|
Hike/Scramble |
|
Time Required:
|
A long day |
|
Difficulty:
|
Class 2/3 |
|
Approach
Take Highway 95 to Riggins, which is 153 miles north of Boise or 118 miles south of Lewiston, Idaho. Just outside the south edge of Riggins, look for a large brown recreational sign for the Seven Devils and Heavens Gate. This will be Forest Service road 517. Turn west on this road and follow it about 17 miles, almost to Windy Saddle. About 0.5 mile before Windy Saddle take the rough road down to the left which continues about 0.3 mile to the rustic Seven Devils Guard Station. There is a trailhead here and a few places to park in front, but away from the building.
Route Description
Hike south on Trail 101 for a little over 5 miles where the trail crosses Hanson Creek. Leave the trail and continue up Hanson Creek for about 0.5 mile (440 vertical feet) to the steep headwall below the hanging basin that contains Hanson Lakes. The bottom of Hanson Creek burned in the mid-90s and today is littered with down trees that are covered by thick seral vegetation such as fireweed and brush. The going is very slow and difficult.
From the headwall note the bare slope immediately to the north. Climb this slope straight up for 1,800 vertical feet to the base of summit formation. This slope is very steep in places and depending on the line taken there will be two or three bands of cliffs to negotiate. When a band is encountered, simply pass laterally left or right until a passage through is found then continue up. The upper half of the route will find small talus and scree that will be difficult, slow going.
When the base of the near vertical summit pyramid is reached, note the steep couloir that forms a southwest grove in the mountain. Ascend this steep slot to where it opens onto the blocky back of the summit. This couloir will require some hand over hand scrambling and the steep, loose substrate will take some time to negotiate.
On the top the blocks are arranged into a vertical opening that one has to pull up through to get to the upper summit level. Then simply walk east a few yards to the top.
Essential Gear
Good hiking boots are all that is required. An ice axe and crampons are recommended for a spring or early summer attempt when snow will be present.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.