Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, Aug 31 2013 - Heavens Peak Lookout (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):		Brian Kennedy, Larry Hiller
Participants:		Brian Kennedy, Ken Meckel, David Endebrock, Stacey Endebrock, Jeremy Rossman, Frank Wesolovski, Larry Hiller, Jason Wilkes, Greg Notess, Cecelia Notess

Click for Album

Write Up:
Coordinators: Brian Kennedy and Larry Hiller Using the Camas Lake approach to reach Heavens Peak Lookout has not been done on a GMS climb before and only a few of us had been to any of the lakes in the Camas Creek drainage so our trip was somewhat exploratory. Our day began at the Trout Lake Trailhead near the head of Lake McDonald. After hiking over Howe Ridge to Trout Lake, we continued up past Arrow Lake and finally Camas Lake. We crossed marshy meadows above the lake and bushwhacked on a good elk trail up to the saddle below the lookout. There we found traces of the old lookout trail coming up the east side from upper McDonald Creek. We mostly followed its old switchbacks, but years of rock slides had obliterated some areas, forcing us to scramble between missing trail sections. Still, it was in amazingly good shape up higher and we used it all the way to the lookout. Those lucky few who staffed the lookout during its brief working life --- years ago enjoyed some of the best views in Glacier. What a great place! Our descent down to McDonald Creek went well as we followed a good route through the brush. Halfway down that changed and a brutal bushwhack slowed our progress and tested our patience. Forests of alder and Devil’s Club that’s over your head will do that. Bloody but unbowed, we finally reached McDonald Creek and then found the Flattop Mountain Trail that we took to Packer’s Roost and much- needed refreshments. A 12-hour day we won’t soon forget! Climbers were: Ken Meckel, Larry Hiller, Jeremy Rossman, Frank Wesolovski, Cecelia Notess, Greg Notess, Jason Wilkes, David Endebrock, Stacey Endebrock and Brian Kennedy.

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.