#2: [19-Aug-17]

#1: [23-Jul-00]

29-Aug-2026 -- What a rewarding confluence! As I planned this trip, using google earth to mark possible paths, I knew this would be a steep assent, but I wasn't prepared for how steep it would end up being. Starting from about 7775 ft of elevation at the bottom of the ridge, the hike up to almost 9000 ft where the ridge levels off is no joke.

From reading previous visits to this place, I decided not to scale the ridge starting from directly below the confluence, but rather by climbing the ridge starting from the southeast, where there is a trail clearly visible from both the ATV road and google earth. This trail leads to the top of the ridge, where one can then descend to the confluence. Because I was feeling adventurous, I decided to not only visit the confluence, but to continue up the ridge going northwest all the way to the peak (which I can't find a name for, but which is about a mile southwest of Mormon Gulch Peak), and then come back down and visit the confluence on the way out.

Lacking an ATV, I simply hiked the 2.8 miles along the ATV road to the beginning of the trail leading to the top of the ridge. From the bottom it looked very steep. I had to equalize the pressure in my ears once as I climbed! The ground is very rocky and loose, with some grasses and sage brush holding it together. The trail levels off as it reaches the "spine" of the ridge, which is very narrow, with only about 10 feet of level ground between the slopes. The hiking became much easier for a little, and I followed the GPS along the ridge until I reached the place where I was directly above the confluence.

Looking at the clouds, I decided I did have time to finish the hike to the peak, and to hit the confluence later. But boy was it disheartening to see the true scale of the peak up close.

This whole mountain is a giant pile of sharp scree, and reaching the nearby peak was a brutal climb, which involved some bouldering toward the end. The views from the peak, which sits at about 10,620 ft, were breathtaking and in my opinion well worth it. But it was very cold and windy and time to turn around to hit the confluence. Sliding down all that scree along the top of the ridge as I descended did result in my hiking shoes being ruined, and by hands slightly bloodied, but soon I was on the ridge again directly uphill from where my GPS told me the confluence was.

This slope from the top of the ridge to the confluence was all loose rock, and the slide down was a little treacherous. From the top of the ridge, the confluence is roughly 250 ft down. There are stunted conifer trees on the slope that provide good stopping places on the way down. The confluence is right at the base of an old, gnarled, dead tree, and very near a rocky outcropping. There is space to stand without sliding, and to set gear down without the fear that it will beat you to the bottom of the mountain.

I took pictures and chased around the "all zeros" spot for a little while. The view from the confluence is slightly obstructed by the confluence tree, as well as a tree slightly up the slope, but there is still much to see. The peak is visible to the northwest, and the Lost River Range and the Little Lost River Valley can be seen to the southwest. I took a video panning around 360 degrees, starting from due east, which can be found at Dropbox

After a rest, I decided to just send it and slide down the rest of the way to the bottom of the ridge. Luckily the decent stayed controlled, and I made it to the bottom safely. But for anyone else planning to visit this confluence, it is a very steep slide that has a lot of potential to go wrong.

A quick hike along the ATV road led me out of the mountains, and on my way out I met a couple hunters driving up, who had seen me on top of the peak from all the way down in the valley!

P.S. The ATV road takes you near the remains of an old mining operation that is well worth checking out!