Kupunkamint Mountain Climber's Log

Viewing: 1-17 of 17
Dansmlgnp

Dansmlgnp - Nov 20, 2020 9:23 pm

2018  Sucess!

Part of a large linkup. Got stormed off and descended into the divide creek valley. Made for a unique hike back to the Jeep at the Divide mountain/radio tower road.
With Derek and Hannah

RoryKuykendall

RoryKuykendall - Mar 26, 2015 11:47 pm

June 2012

2012 - w/ Sean Doyle, Xenja Poljakowa, Lia Hardy, and Erik Lokensgard in combination w/ White Calf (NE and SW peaks),Peak 8283, Peak 8358 and Curly Bear Mt.

We climbed so many mountains that day that I couldn't even remember if this was one of them.

distressbark

distressbark - Jul 20, 2013 11:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 25, 2013

South Ridge  Sucess!

With good buddy Tyler Haasch. Rain at the Cut Bank Trailhead altered our plans to climb from the boundary trail, so we headed up the maintained trail towards Morningstar Lake instead. The weather cleared about an hour into our hike, so we left the trail after crossing the creek that drains the great west basin of Kupunkamint. We bushwhacked upstream and eventually went up and around a large waterfall before gaining the south ridge. Followed a mostly class II route up and across talus following the south and then west ridge to the summit from there. Delighted to experience an extremely calm summit! Descended the large scree basin that heads south a little ways west of the summit - enjoyed 1,000 feet of mixed scree and snow sliding. Encountered rain as we entered the forest on our way down, which made for a wet 1/2 hour of bushwhacking before we rejoined the trail a few hundred yards west of Cut Bank Campground.

GlacierDan

GlacierDan - Apr 17, 2013 1:18 pm Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2010

K-Punk  Sucess!

A fair day, just went up Kupunkamint up from the RS and down the drainage West of the mountain to the CB trail. With Heidi, Vin, and Ken.

ManyGlacierMountaineer

ManyGlacierMountaineer - Feb 24, 2013 7:17 pm

Kapunkamint

2011 - w/ Adrienne Hearne, Anders Olson and Joshua Olson.

Due to intense winds, all of the team except for myself decided to remain below the summit ridge. I uttered/screamed my trademark phrase "Give me the camera and 15 minutes".

2012 - w/ Xenja Poljakowa, Lia Hardy, Erik Lokensgard and Rory Kuykendoll, in combination w/ White Calf (NE and SW peaks),Peak 8283, Peak 8358 and Curly Bear Mt.

Started from Divide Mt. Road and ended in St. Mary. For those of you counting, that is a 6 summit ridgewalk.

awhite28

awhite28 - Dec 17, 2012 8:28 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2010

K-Punk

Unbelievable winds on the summit ridge so we were forced to turn back ~100 yards from the summit.

awhite28

awhite28 - Dec 17, 2012 8:28 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2010

K-Punk

Unbelievable winds on the summit ridge so we were forced to turn back ~100 yards from the summit.

GNPgumpy

GNPgumpy - Jun 19, 2011 1:19 pm Date Climbed: Jun 18, 2011

Hurricane

Alan Wiley and I attempted Kupunkamint and White Calf, but only made it to the saddle next to Kupunkamint due to the unbelievable wind. We were both blown over at least once before reaching the saddle. I've experienced lots of wind before, but nothing like that. We guessed it would have taken another 10-15 to stroll to the top if it were windless.

distressbark

distressbark - Jun 29, 2011 10:06 pm

Re: Hurricane

We encountered simlilar winds on our summit attempt June 25, 2011. Turned around no more than 10 minutes from the top. Fortunately we were able to brace the wind long enough to briefly take in the spectacular view from the summit ridge! We followed a series of meadows back towards the Cut Bank road, and to our surprise, we encountered an old trail that lead directly back to the ranger station! A fantastic day in the park!

JFKitty - Aug 21, 2010 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2010

Kupunkamint Mountain  Sucess!

Despite feeling like a fall day in August, it was a great climb and beautiful day.
Climbed with Rebelgrizz and watched Cougar14 fly by me and to the top.

The Levitator

The Levitator - Aug 21, 2010 12:08 am Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2010

Kupunkamint Mountain  Sucess!

The morning was cloudy and windy which wasn't a big surprise. The worst part is probably the beginning just because of all the plants and the mud. The bushwhack and the climb to the summit itself is fun and easy. The sun came out later, but the wind stayed. The summit had views of it all. Peaks in Cut Bank, Logan Pass, Two Medicine and St. Mary's. There was too much wind to continue along the ridge. Climbed with Rebelgrizz and JFK.

EarMountain

EarMountain - May 25, 2010 4:20 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2007

Kupunkamint  Sucess!

2007 with April on a nice sunny day.

sanfordstone

sanfordstone - Aug 20, 2009 1:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2009

The Kupunkamint Carousel  Sucess!

I took a trio of Havre natives and a fine southern gentleman up White Calf from the Divide saddle, we took the ridge to Kupunkamint and then to the unnamed peak and finally headed for Curly Bear. The wind was quite significant and seemed to shift in whatever direction was least helpful! We hit the "gap in the ridge" that Edwards describes- my group was pretty exhausted at that point and the prospect of losing a lot of elevation and the regaining even more seemed a bit of reach at 4pm. So we hiked down a gully next to a neat little waterfall, ran down some scree and eventually hit the burn. Hiking through the burn was actually a lot of fun- not much deadfall at all (yet). Eventually we hit the Red Eagle Trail and hiked out another 7 miles or so.

We named the trip The Kupunkamint Carousel because of all the ups and downs of the little "peaks" on the ridge, and also because we basically went in a big circle. Clever, I know.

There was a register on White Calf- 2 groups climbed it in 07 and 08, but we were the only ones up there in 09 so far! No registers or even cairns on the other peaks- it felt like we were the first people up there, which was a pretty neat sensation. Jim, how did you get around the "gap in the ridge" to continue on to Curly Bear?

pyerger

pyerger - Aug 11, 2009 10:47 am

from divide peak  Sucess!

Have climbed a couple of times, with G.M.S., and friends. Once climbed from divide peak.

Saintgrizzly

Saintgrizzly - Aug 11, 2009 12:01 pm

Re: from divide peak

You did Kupunkamint from Divide? It's my understanding that cliffs between Divide and White Calf are severe enough so as to almost preclude doing Divide/White Calf/Kupunkamint together. That must have been a long day! There are, of course, climbers in the G.M.S. that would be more than capable....

(Or, are the cliffs maybe not all that bad? Just curious....)

jimegan

jimegan - Aug 5, 2009 3:56 pm Date Climbed: May 13, 1993

kapunkamint  Sucess!

Climbed with OTHG
Also climbed as part of loop starting with White Calf and ending with Curly Bear on 8/28/97 with Vern, Bill Haring and a youngster in his 20s

Saintgrizzly

Saintgrizzly - Aug 5, 2009 1:32 am Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2009

"Standard" route for Kupunkamint...  Sucess!

Climbed with GMS, with intent of doing both Kupunkamint and White Calf, but forced off summit by horrific winds—there were 13 in our party, and while on the upper reaches of the mountain, every one of us was blown off our feet at least once! So rather than deal with the wind on the ridge to White Calf, we retreated.

I've climbed enough in GNP that spectacular views should never come as a surprise, but for some reason I had underestimated Kupunkamint, and was a little surprised at the stunning summit vista it presented. Very, very nice! And despite the wind (which was unexpected, because the valley was calm—not usually the case east of the Continental Divide), a memorable-in-a-good-way outing.

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