Fourth-highest peak in the Bridgers at 9,003 ft, and the one that actually looks like a mountain from the valley. Its prominence above Ross Pass gives it a real summit feel for something 13 miles from downtown Bozeman.
Climbing beta
- Scramble: the southeast side goes at class 2–3 — gain Ross Pass, then work around the peak to the easier southeast aspect rather than committing to the north side.
- The finish is a six-to-ten-foot-wide knife edge with big exposure off the northeast. No technical difficulty, but not a place to be casual. Summit register lives in an orange ammo box.
- North face: alpine trad up to 1,000 ft, 5.9–5.12 on Bridger limestone-and-gneiss — The Fellowship (5.10c), Trial By Fire (5.11), Blue Phoenix (5.12). Full alpine rack, and these are committing routes with a real descent.
- ⚠️ Distance and gain are left blank here on purpose — they vary a lot between the Fairy Lake and Brackett Creek approaches, and no figure was verified for either.
Notes
- Approaches: Fairy Lake Rd from the north, or up the south fork of Brackett Creek from Hwy 86 — the latter is about a 30-minute drive from town and is bike-able to shorten the walk.
- Best mid-summer through fall once the snow is off the upper mountain.
- Beta: SummitPost · Blue Phoenix, AAC