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Mountain/Rock |
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47.30300°N / 113.911°W |
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Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling, Skiing |
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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9425 ft / 2873 m |
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ESM PeakA nice introduction to a marvelous range!
Area views fromand toEast Saint Marys Peak
Winter Ascents
"This is one of the few alpine peaks in the Missoula area that can be climbed in the winter as a "day hike" with relatively low avalanche danger. The road to the trailhead is often passable in winter due to its low elevation (it isn't gated) with an average 4WD and is a popular snowmobile route. However, I have visited the trailhead during most months of the year and seldom do we have to hike very far, if at all, to get to it. The normal (southeast ridge) route is objectively very safe and is a common winter training route for The New Rocky Mountaineers climbing club which is based in Missoula."
Getting ThereEasy. Sort of. Take U.S. Hwy 93 until reaching Saint Ignatius, then take the main turnoff (where you turn, there’s a Sinclair gas station, museum, cafe, and fruit stand on the west side of 93); go east for .3 mile until reaching a "T" junction, whereupon there is no choice but to go either right or left; go right for about a block, cross the small bridge, and immediately turn (angle) left. Stay on that street another .3 mile until coming to a stop sign, where you (again) must go either right or left: turn left. You are now on the St. Mary’s Lake Rd, and after 2.1 miles take a 90 degree right turn (the road is signed, but it’s easy to miss them first time around), go another mile until the road takes yet another 90 degree turn, only this time it’s to the left, and now you’re set—no more tricks. Continue another two miles (still St. Mary’s Lake Rd, remember) until the pavement ends, turning into a good gravel road; at that point it is almost exactly 4.5 miles to St. Mary’s Lake, and another short distance (a quarter mile or less) to the trailhead. There are no signs pointing to St. Mary’s Lake, and you can’t see it from the road, so I’ve provided a picture of the turnoff, with the rather distinctive, easy-to-spot, concrete building (left side of the road) that marks your way. Drive past that building on its right, then immediately take a left for maybe 150 yards, and park your vehicle (it’ll be obvious that you’re there). I’ve provided a picture of the campsite, which is the actual starting point... [text continues in "Route" section]
Route...head past the campsite a few yards until encountering a dry stream bed (surprisingly enough, it was dry on my first attempt at ESM, early July); head up the stream bed, and you'll soon begin to see trails forming on the left. Follow these trails, which, within a hundred yards or so, will combine, and you'll be on a (reasonably) good game trail, which will take you up to timberline. At this point the trail becomes sketchy, but the destination is obvious, and it is a matter of simply strolling along a tundra-covered ridge until the final rocky ascent, which is relatively easy scrambling. From St. Mary’s Lake to the ESM Summit is 3.5 miles; elevation gain is just under 5,500 feet, mostly in the first two miles (yes, it's steepunrelentingly so!).
Red Tape, Wildlife, & Cautions SectionRED TAPE Most of the western half of the Mission Mountains are on the Flathead Indian Reservation (also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes—"Flathead" and "Salish" are one and the same), and a Reservation Hiking Permit is required. These are easy to obtain at sporting goods stores throughout the Mission and Flathead Valleys, as well as Missoula and Thompson Falls, or throughout the Seeley-Swan Valley on the range's eastern side—or you can call the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Recreation Department in Pablo, at (406) 675-2700. The license is $15 per season, and expires every year on the last day of February—whether you purchase yours in March, May, or December, it expires the end of February. Another important, and unusual, detail to know about the Missions—which in this case does NOT affect either East or West Saint Marys, but is important enough to mention anyway: The McDonald Peak area on the Salish & Kootenai Reservation side of the Mission Mountains [the west side] is closed annually to allow grizzly bears to feed on a seasonal concentration of lady bugs and cut worms. This closure runs from July 15th through the last day of September, and minimizes potential confrontations between humans and bear. The closure area is shown on Topozone, as well as the Montana NGS Topo set, but neither source gives definite delineation of boundaries. I strongly recommend calling the above number in Pablo before finalizing summer plans in the McDonald Peak area!
In addition to the wildlife already mentioned, the Missions are home to elk, Canadian lynx, bobcat, deer, wolves, the occasional grumpy wolverine (all wolverines are grumpyit's a rule with them), badgers, martens, innumerable rodents large and small, both bald and golden eagles, osprey, and loons (over 50 different species of birds!), and flowers. And to top it all off, in the spring of 2005, a pair of trumpeter swans took up residence on the Mission's eastern flank, nesting on one of the Seeley-Swan Valley's many lakes. The female was killed when she flew into power lines, but the male raised the cygnets, and the fervent hope is that the family will return each summertrumpeter swans are wonderful!
When To ClimbJuly, August, September. Late June and Early October may well be okay, but are iffy, and vary from year to year. The Missions get a lot of snow; don’t be mislead by the comparatively quick melt-off on the precipitous western front—the snow doesn’t stick to the steep slopes, and those western faces get a lot of sunlight. Just be aware: There’s a lot of snow in them thar hills, bucko....
CampingThere is camping at the Twin Lakes Recreation Area, which is a mile-and-a-half past where you turn off the road to reach the trailhead. A Reservation Camping Permit is required, which may be purchased when/where you obtain the Hiking Permit, or may be purchased separately, at a later date. These permits are not site specific, and may be used anywhere in the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness (to repeat: one permit per year is all that is necessary, and each is $15.00). The sign at the entrance makes no mention of any length of stay restrictions. Any questions regarding the area? I've found the folks at the Cenex gas station in Saint Ignatius to have been very friendly and helpful in the past—I’d ask them. Also and lastly, Saint Ignatius does have at least two motels. In TributeOn March 1, 2011, Vernon Garner, Saintgrizzly, left us after losing a bold, inspiring fight against pancreatic cancer. Or maybe he won, for he is at last free of his pain and has "shuffle[d] off this mortal coil."Vernon was an important contributor on SummitPost, but beyond merely making good, informative pages, he actually inspired many who read his work. No one put more work into his or her pages than Vernon did, and many of those pages, especially those related to Glacier National Park, the place he loved above all others, are works of art in both the writing and layout. More than one person has wanted to visit Glacier or go back to Glacier largely due to what he shared about that magnificent place. Many people on SP counted Vernon among their friends, and many more saw him as one of the best, one of those who exemplified the spirit of this site. He was one of the best of us, he will be missed, and he will not be forgotten. As a tribute to him, Vernon's pages will remain in his name. Any member who sees a need for an addition or correction should please contact site management via the "Send PM to the Elves" feature. Rest well and climb on, Vernon. Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction |
RyanS - Aug 22, 2016 4:22 pm - Voted 10/10
New link for Mission Mountains Divide articlehttp://www.fseee.org/index.php/ground-truth/200198