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Chimney Rock (ID) approach info?


BigWave

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Hey all you sunny eastside dwellers, I'm headed back over to Spokane in a couple of weeks (first half of May) and was wondering if there is any chance of driving to the TH for Chimney Rock. I apologize in advance for posting a ID question in a WA forum, but I figured that some of you will know. Thanks. bigdrink.gif

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May is really pushing it on the west siide approach if you really want to climb anything but the standard route on the West Face. You won't make it all the way up the road (no big deal the last mile or so stays drifted in at the last shaded corners) and there will be snow from there up in the trees.

 

Takes a bit for the rock and lichen to dry out to offer the best climbing.

 

The majority of good trips I have done into Chimney started in the first and second week of June. The last weeks of May and first week of June still offers lots of snow and a slightly longer walk in.

 

Weather changes will typically mean new snow through mid June.

 

I would try the east side approach as it is easier on cars. Just a bit worse on the legs. I suspect that would be a better early season approach

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The East side approach isn't as good as it used to be. mad.gif Over the last few years the Pack River Road has not been maintained as well as it used to be and is almost as bad as the Hunt creek road. Also, the approach is now about a mile and a half longer because the road is blocked at the Pack River Bridge.

 

In recent years I've found it's quicker to go in from the west side.

 

Ted

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Here are the results of a typical blustery day in early June. A few inches of new snow, wind, running water and a cold, nasty retreat off the east face! A bad day will get you 6 to 8 inches of snow which will make the walk out no fun at all.

 

agx.sized.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Spung and SMG, I'd love to know too, but haven't heard from anyone. No Chimney approach road info at all on the IPNF website (normal). With fed observance tomorrow, Priest Ri USFS office is probably closed, but ID State Parks Coolin office may be open, and they *may* know approach road info: 208-443-2200 or 208-443-2929. They should be able to tell us if we can go up the normal Hunt Creek Rd, or if they're logging on it and they're sending folks up from the Indian Creek side like they were trying to do last summer.

 

Regardless, this is about the time of year the Horton Ridge Rd opens up all the way to the TH. With or without the wet weather, if I was headed up there this weekend, I'd bring up my skis...more choices.

 

Nice pics Dane. I've gotten nailed by wet snow in white Grammici cotton up there, too, in July and August.

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Spoke to Jim at the ID Dept of Lands office in Coolin. Ed of their office was reportedly skiing up there this past week on a day trip. I've emailed him, but don't expect a reply until next week.

 

For now, official road access to Chimney from the East Priest Lake Road is same as last year, from Indian Creek and the north to get to the old Horton Ridge lookout. Hunt Creek road currently has logging trucks running up and down it, salvaging the burned timber from last year's fire, caused ironically by logging. So if you don't have a CB and know the trucker's channel, you'd be at risk there. They're possibly logging 7 days a week to get timber out, since they have a limited 40-day contract to do so.

 

I'm headed to Canada for a family graduation, so have fun this weekend guys. If I get a message back from Ed, I'll post again.

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was up there on Wed. and you can pretty much drive up to the trail for the reg approach within a week you should be able to get to the TH, not sure about pack river, but saw that people have came from it. The newer approach that is on Summitpost.org you can drive all the way up to the TH, and a small portion of the approach there isnt much snow. Other wise the snow conditons are good alot of skiers up there when we were, loving it

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Spoke to Ed of the Coolin USFS office: apparently he's a phone guy, and doesn't check his email but "once a month." smile.gif

 

He says the logging company is running 8 trucks up and down Hunt Creek Road, starting around 4 am and running to about 5 pm during weekdays. Not operating on weekends. If you have a CB, they are on Ch. 8. Otherwise I would wait for a truck and travel behind (he'll radio the others as well) to be safe.

 

It's not a 40-day contract to salvage the lumber, but a one-year. But they hope to "be done in about 40 days" according to Ed, before fire danger stops their operation for the summer and while the timber is still good.

 

He was skiing up there last week on Wed, and could drive up Horton Ridge Rd until just before the last 1/4-mile or so traverse below the old lookout site. Very likely that will be open for this weekend he thinks. Indian Creek access to Horton Ridge Road, because it is on a northerly aspect, probably is still with snow in spots and not feasible, Ed thought.

 

He said the skiing is good on both sides of Roothann Ridge, with 10-12' depth in the north bowl and leading down toward drainage shared with Chimney Rock west face.

 

Have fun for those of you headed up there this weekend.

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