Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, Jun 13 2009 - Rocky Mountian Front Camp and Climb (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):

Denise Grabowski

Write Up:
Front climbing - June 13-14 Coordinator: Joe Grabowski Denise Grabowski, Ken McDermott and David Shuler hiked the Choteau Mountain loop on June 13. This hike begins at the Clarey Coulee trailhead on the Teton River Road west of Choteau. The trail ascends to the south along the east escarpment of Choteau Mountain through subalpine meadows and benches with views out to the plains. The group climbed the east face of Choteau Mountain and then descended the west face into Jones Creek where a shuttle was waiting to take them back to camp at Cave Mountain Campground. The next day Denise Grabowski, Bill Haring and Ken McDermott did a complete circumnavigation of the castellated summit block of Ear Mountain in search of the only weakness in the cliffs that provides access to the summit plateau. The group ascended from the trailhead east of the mountain at the end of the Belleview Road which runs west from Choteau. Once at the base of the summit cliffs, the group went clockwise and eventually found the gully which leads them to the summit plateau. The true summit is at the north end of the sloping plateau. This is likely an old vision quest site as one can find the remains of a medicine wheel near the summit carin. If you climb the mountain from this trailhead, it is shorter to go counterclockwise around the cliffs to the ascent gully located on the west face. You may be tempted to ascend too soon but you may be turned back by difficult climbing. If so, just continue farther south to the next gully. Climbers were: Denise Grabowski, Bill Haring and Ken McDermott.

Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Tim Anderson at twamontana@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.