Jeff Lubeck

Johnstone Peak is about seven miles from my driveway.  At a shade under 10,000 feet in elevation (9,949) it is known as a great perch for a spectacular view of the Pioneer Mountain Range.  I have considered ascending Johnstone Peak for almost 30 years.  During that time I have hiked and mountain biked on trails that placed me within seven-tenths of a mile and 1,300 vertical feet from the summit. The closest being the saddle of the Parker Gulch – Bear Creek trail.

Six days earlier Kyle and I mountain biked the demanding (8.51 mile 2,250 vertical foot) Parker Gulch – Bear Creek trail finishing under guidance of the light of a full-moon.  The next day (Wednesday) I ventured to East Lansing Michigan to meet up with The Usual Suspects to take in (amongst other things) the Michigan State versus Boise State College Football game.  I returned home late Sunday night.  On Monday (Labor day), I decided the 3.8 mile (one-way), 3,552 vertical foot hike/scramble/climb to the top of Johnstone Peak would be a fun way to finish the holiday.

The Pioneer Mountain Range from Summit of Johnstone Peak by Jeffrey Lubeck

The first 3 miles and 2,250 feet of vertical of the route (to the Parker Gulch Saddle) is single track trail that is steep but in superior condition.  Although I had about 12-15 lbs of camera gear on my back, I decided to keep a assertive pace and reach the saddle in one hour and two minutes.  The next 700 feet of vertical is steep cross-country hiking to the ridge-line.  The remaining 600 feet of vertical is a class 2-3 rock scramble/climb that follows the ridge-line and involves a decent amount of rock.

The route to Johnstone Peak via the Parker Gulch Trail.  Orange line is Jeff’s route.

After about 50 minutes on the summit, I headed back down.  The total distance ended up being about 7.6 miles and took 3.5 hours including time on the Summit.

At 11,714 feet in elevation, Ryan Peak is the tallest of the Boulder mountains of Idaho.  From the North Fork of the Wood River trail-head in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA), Ryan Peak rises almost a mile in the sky (5,172 feet).

Ryan Peak from the east – courtesy Summit Post.

On Saturday morning my son, Kyle and I decided to take on the challenge of summiting Ryan Peak.  In about three and one-half hours we covered five and one-half miles in distance and almost mile up in elevation to reach Ryan Peak for a delightful lunch.

Looking west at Glassford Peak (11,602) from the top of Ryan Peak.

The effort to reach Ryan Peak does not involve climbing of a technical nature (i.e., ropes and other rock climbing tools).  However, the hike to West Fork Saddle (10,004) is strenuous.  Depending on route choice, the remaining 1,710 feet of gain can be a very demanding Class 3 Rock Climb.  We chose a direct route which is clearly the steepest and kept us using all fours simultaneously most of the time.  Once on the ridge line of the mountain what appears to be a Class 4 effort to the top is actually a stunning Class 2+ hike.  However, it does involve establishing some careful hand holds and foot placement on rock. A slip likely means a fall and unplanned descent of a few thousand feet.

Looking south at Kent Peak (11,664).

Our route up and down Ryan Peak as recorded on my Garmin Forerunner 405.