Trail 528

USFS trail 528 as it passes just below Vermilion Peak

Graves Peak (Attempt #1)

Early in July a friend suggested a trek to a mountain peak (Graves Peak) to which neither of us had been and I thought it a great suggestion. Unfortunately, we did not make the trip as we planned, but in mid July I set out to do it alone. This is a series of photos of my effort, a very pleasant excursion even though I did not reach the peak that day. Starting from Vermillion Pass, the route would involve about three miles by mountain bike on an old logging road followed by a hike of a mile or two to the top of Graves.

Graves Peak in the distance.

Vermilion Peak, photographed from Vermilion Pass.

The road north of Vermilion Pass sill had snow banks along it.

Vermilion Pass: a little storm could be seen in the offing.

Scenery to the north of Vermilion Pass.

The start of the old logging road.

This was typical of the old road: it had not been maintained for many years and small firs have gotten a good start in reclaiming it. In other places it was necessary to push through thick growths of Alders.

Graves Peak from the start of the trail.

The turn-back point; snowed out! This would be the start of a mile or two of fairly steep trail, but with that much snow on the trail and moderately heavy rain beginning to come down, the rest of the trip was postponed for another day. (I didn’t get this darned old by being completely foolhardy!)

Vermilion Peak

On September 24th, the last work day for USFS trail maintenance for 2008, we completed maintenance on the trail to the top of 6682 foot Vermilion Peak in western Montana’s Cabinet Mountains. (Actually the trail to the peak is an offshoot of USFS trail 528T.) I think, despite the weather that day, which was cloudy and cold after a snowfall during the night, a few photos of the area turned out well enough to be worth posting. It’s an awesome area for wild country and wildlife.

The peak photographed from 700 feet below at Vermilion Pass:

The site of an old Lookout at the top:

The Cabinet Mountains to the northwest:

The view south over the Clark Fork River Valley:

An open hillside just below the peak:

About half way between Vermilion Peak and Highway 200, the ice cold water of Graves Creek forms this pool

just before it drops to the canyon bottom.