Lime Mountain

Overview

Lime Mountain is a large mountain located in the White Knob Mountains of Central Idaho. Standing at 11,179 ft. it is one of the four 11ers in the range and can easily be climbed in conjunction with the other three: Shelly, Redbird, and Cabin Mountain. It is a class 2 climb and ranks as the 79th highest peak in Idaho. This mountain is unique because of its incredibly broad and flat summit. It is perhaps the broadest summit of any 11,000 ft. peak in Idaho, being somewhat of a high plateau. Although the summit is broad and flat, the northern and eastern faces are quite precipitous. When approached from the west or the south though, the mountain rises gradually to the summit plateau, the highest point of which is located at the northeastern tip. The name Lime Mountain is misleading as it is neither green nor made of limestone.

Lime's Flat Top

Getting There

Access to this mountain is pretty much the same as it is for Shelly and Redbird Mountain. Follow Highway 93 north from Arco until you reach the microscopic community of Darlington. Turn left on Smith road and follow it towards the hills to the west. Eventually it will turn to the north and become Dove Road. Anywhere the road splits always stick to the left (west). Just past a very remote ranch house it will finally turn into Alder Creek Road and will enter the Challis National Forest. From here on the road gets worse until it deteriorates into an ATV track leading to the 10,000 ft. summit at the head of Stewart Canyon.  

The Broad Ridge

To climb Lime you must go over Stewart Canyon pass and into the basin beyond. There you will see a large broad ridge to the west that leads directly up to the summit plateau. This ridge is a very easy class 2 climb.

Red Tape

Lime Mountain

This area is frequented by ATV riders so be aware of that. A high clearance vehicle with 4WD would also be a good idea in this area. There has also been quite a bit of mining activity in the area so be mindful of mine shafts, especially in Stewart Canyon.

Weather

Camping

Flat Summit Area

There are plenty of places to camp in Stewart Canyon as well as in the basin below the peak. The summit plateau would also be a really neat place to camp but keep in mind that it is exposed to the elements and probably wouldn't be the best place to be during a storm.

External Links

Splattski's Trip Report

Lime from Redbird