2.7K Bucket List by cteicheira
first prev 1 next lastHeise Rock (AKA Elephant Rock)
Ririe, Idaho
5.0 miles E of Ririe, IdahoThis volcanic plug sits just off the road near the Heise Hot Springs Golf Course. It is also referred to as Elephant Rock or Chuck's Choss Pile. Aid climbers practiced on this small crag beginning in the early 1970s. With the birth of sport climbing in the '80s, Jeff Hursh started bolting some the most obvious lines on the south side. When Chuck Oddette moved to Idaho Falls in the late '80s, he immediately saw the great potential for numerous lines and quickly went to work developing Heise Rock.
Iceberg Lake
Many Glacier, Glacier National Park
0.9 miles W of Many Glacier, Glacier National ParkA pleasant trip into Glacier National Park, coming out to be about 9 miles round trip. The lake sits at the basin of mountains carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. Along the way, hikers will have incredible views of several of the peaks in the area: Mount Grinnell, Swiftcurrent Mountain, Mount Wilbur, and Ptarmigan Wall.
Starting at the Swiftcurrent Inn, the trail steadily climbs in elevation, though once hikers reach the fork in the trail and continue to the left, the elevation levels out for a bit. From the trailhead, the trail will go through a very open area, which is where the views will be stunning. However, about 1.5 miles into the trial, hikers will go through a thick forest as they progress towards Iceberg Lake. Along the way is the Ptarmigan waterfall, though it is hard to get a full view of it from the trail, and the area around the waterfall is very steep and unsafe for hiking. Continuing past the waterfall and keeping left at the trail junction, hikers will eventually exit the forest and be greeted by the steep walls of a cirque, whose basin holds Iceberg Lake. The walls of the cirque are actually an arete, also known as the Ptarmigan Wall, and towers 1500 ft above the trail. As the trail comes to the lake, visitors will get to walk through an Alpine meadow, and depending on the time of year, see many wildflowers in bloom.
This area is known to have bears and so hikers are advised to carry bear spray, stay in larger groups, and make noise when going through areas with particularly high bear activity. Ask the park rangers if any of the trails or areas are closed at the time before beginning on a hike.
Paramount Wall / Blanche Rock
Ririe, Idaho
6.1 miles E of Ririe, IdahoSitting high above the road, the routes at Paramount offer great exposure and relief from the afternoon summer sun. Chuck Oddette, Steve Reiser and Jed Miller established the routes from 1989 to 1990. While not the hardest climbing around, Paramount is home to great lines in the 5.9 - 5.10 range a perfect place for the budding lead climber. All routes except Fly By Night, Positively Negative, and Spraypaint can be done with a 50-meter rope.
Courtesy of SEIClimbing.com