Little Rainbow Mountain is within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area. The summit provides excellent views of high mountain lakes and open alpine SOTA peaks. Little Rainbow is a great SOTA double with its neighbor Mount Tiny, W7M/BR-079
Elevation gain: 2800’ from Storm Lake.
Trail Miles: 4.5 roundtrip.
Off-trail miles: 1.4 miles roundtrip.
Water: Depending the time of year a stream exists above Storm Lake along the trail. Then none exists along the trail.
Three Lakes Peak is just within the Flathead Indian Reservation along the Reservation Divide. The summit has great views of the Confederate Salish-Kootenai Tribes land, the Flathead River, three alpine lakes, the Mission Mountains and the Ninemile Valley. A Flathead Reservation Use Permit is required.
Two routes are described. The Alternate route is shorter, but much steeper and nearly double the elevation gain. The Reservation DivideTrail is good, but in some meadow crossings it is easy to lose the trail due to forb and grass overgrowth.
Bunker Hill is an unremarkable summit that can be reached, cautiously, with a 4WD vehicle. After you leave the highway, the way up has a number of branch points; GPS or a map will be handy. When you get to the yellow gate, take down your antennas and be carefree about your paint getting scratched, otherwise, park here and hike up. It is roughly a 300' climb over half a mile.
Here is a gaiagps map with driving and hiking information: W7O/NC-038 route.
Vermilion Peak is accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Mount Headley, W7M/LO-018. The summit has fine views of nearby summits and distant peaks, like the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.
Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls while traveling the Graves Creek Road to the summit. A large pullout on the Northside of the road is at about mile 3.0. It is not signed.
Mount Headley is easily accessed via a moderately climbing trail in the southern Cabinet Mountains. It also makes an easy SOTA double when teamed up with Vermilion Peak, W7M/LO-056. The summit is the tallest in the area and has fine views of nearby summits, lakes and distant peaks. Be sure to stop and view Graves Creek Falls while traveling the Graves Creek Road to the summit. A large pullout on the Northside of the road is at about mile 3.0. It is not signed.
0.9 miles, +500 ft, -100 ft
This is a pleasant hike through a thick lodgepole pine forest. The summit is a grassy meadow with some trees and views of the forested hills to the west. It is prudent to take a chain saw for the drive in, in case if the road is blocked. Note that the road is not open to motorized use from Oct. 15 – June 30. The road is suitable for all vehicles.
I approached this peak on a backpacking trip from the west, from Bear Lake, and hiked on Indian Heaven Trail to Lemei Trail; this made it 6 miles and 1100' gain. You can approach instead from Lemei Trailhead, making this a 9 mile, 2500' gain hike.
Gifford Peak is a forested summit above Blue Lake in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. This area is a popular destination for day hikers and backpackers, directly on the Pacific Crest Trail, so be prepared to meet crowds any day with good weather. The lake can be approached from either Falls Creek Horse Camp or the Thomas Lake Trailhead. Once there, take Thomas Lake Trail to the northwest corner of the lake, and proceed up the ridge off-trail. The ridge is pronounced and easy to follow to the true summit.
From Marcola take Tree Farm Road. About a 1/4 mile past the end of the paved road (gravel beyond this point) you will find the locked Gate and Posted No Trespassing. There are homes both sides of the road right up to the gate.
The property is controlled by Giustina Land and Timber. The have a website that you can check on acess:
www.giustinalandandtimber.com/land-acess/
Phone number: 541-345-2304 or 541-345-2301
Brundage Mountain SOTA brings the thought of riding a chair lift at the ski resort to the summit. In actuality, the true summit is a mile north of the ski resort are requires a bushwhack for most of the 4 mile round trip. The views from the summit mostly make up for bushwhack and somewhat dangerous final ascent to the summit.