tlockling - Mar 27, 2016 3:21 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 1987
1987 with Brendan
Brendan Kildare and I climbed this in 1987. Nobody else was there, but the fire tower ranger. He told me he worked in Glacier Park many years and moved here to be closer to civilization.Great hike. Did it again in 1998 with my wife and that was the year my friend Brendan died. This hike/ memories were for him .Dead at 33. Also in Early sept 1998 the bull elk were rutting/ bugling like crazy. We slept in meadows campsite below the summit trail. I thought those bulls were going to stomp on us. Saw many sandhills also.
jdarr67 - Sep 24, 2015 10:59 am Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2015
Perfect
Great weather again. No bear sign. A couple goats on Dome and White Peaks North. Stayed in fire lookout. Vivid starry night.
Matt Inman - Aug 5, 2015 11:37 pm Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2013
Mt. Holmes Trail
It's been two years since I made this hike, but this is how I remember it. This was only the second time I had done a long hike in grizzly country. I was nervous. Maybe a mile into the hike, maybe a little more, maybe a little less, the forest is young and dense (recovering from the fires of 1988 I understand) and crowds the trail, limiting visibility, and your ability to see a bear before you surprise it. This last for what seems like a mile or two. Eventually, you come out into a more open area, not so recovered from the same fires and visibility here is good, so I was not so nervous about surprising a bear. Well into the hike, six or seven miles in, near a little cabin,, the trees crowd in again, but not for long. It seems like just beyond the cabin, the trees thin out again and this last all the way to the top. It was hot and dry with little shade so a good hat would come I handy. The views from the top are awesome. I believe I could see the roof of a large building at the Old Faithful area glimmering in the sun. I did not see another person the entire day. Except for the few miles through the dense timber where I was worried about bears, I enjoyed the hike. A good twenty mile day.
awhite28 - Aug 10, 2014 8:57 pm Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2014
Holmes
Long, long day. I think the mileage on this page is wrong - I got 22 miles for the day. Saw a sow griz with a cub 8.5 miles in. They were 300 yards off the trail and didn't seem to care that I was there thankfully.
jdarr67 - May 2, 2014 6:35 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2013
Standard Route
Climb this every year for work. Fortunate enough to overnight in the fire lookout each time. It's a special place. Look for goats to the north on Dome Mountain.
NoSubas - Feb 24, 2008 3:48 pm Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2005
Slog on trail
Long hike. Highest danger was falling snags in the stiff summer breeze. Saw a Grizzly early on at Winter Creek. Had a brief chat with George up top.
Zac Finley - Aug 4, 2007 2:36 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2007
Day hike
Spent all day(7:11am -7:11pm) enjoying this hike. Stumbled upon a young grizzly about 2 1/2 miles in. He was walking on the trail towards my Colombian friend and I only 20 yards away. After a few seconds of staredowns he left us alone traverseing up the hillside. Besides the bear scare it was quite the hike to the summit. Good weather the entire way with a few snow patches left from a dry winter. Great views of Sheridan to the south, Electric to the north and Emigrant even further north. Also spotted a new fire from the summit with the ranger on duty.
A group of us from Grant Village camped somewhere along the way, but only two of us headed up to the summit in dense fog the next morning. Not knowing there was a station on the summit, we were surprised to practically bump into it in near zero visibility.
Did this one with a fellow employee from Tower Falls Hamilton General Store. Jason from Georgia, Summer of 2000. We started at the trailhead at 7pm and hiked all night. We rarely used headlamps and we shared duties yelling to let grizzlies know that we were coming. Hours and hours of yelling. I vividly remember how peaceful it was on the summit, shining my light into the lookout tower and illuminating the guy sleeping inside (didn't wake him up), and looking DOWN at stars. I think we summited around 1am, but my memory is hazy. We stumbled back to the car after dawn and slept most of the next day.
Jolee - Mar 11, 2006 6:02 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 1996
In the Lake...
What a nice backpacking trip. Fell into grizzly lake with a full pack on while crossing over a log. some great campsites - lots of signs of bears!
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: June 19th, 2002
Nasty weather all of my first day....it rained, and it was just a big mess, That summit gets a ton of wind en route. A little tricky through the snow patches near the top...worth the hike.
Route Climbed: Mt Holmes Trail/Tilobite Lake Date Climbed: May 23, 2005
First big hike of my second summer working in Yellowstone. Stil a ton of snow and the "trail" was nonexistent. Descended via Trilobite Lake. Tough going with all the snow and deadfall. First grizz sighting of the season just south of the lake.
Route Climbed: Mt. Holmes Trail / Trilobite Lakes Date Climbed: July 24, 2004
Hiked in on 7/23 and spent the night at campsite 1C4, which made for a quick hike to the summit on the morning of 7/24. For variety we descended the northeast ridge down to the Trilobite Lakes area - much prettier than the ascent trail, but somewhat of a routefinding challenge getting back to camp.
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: April 21 1994
This was an eye-opener for an unexperienced and very eager young climber (me). We embarked around 10 in the morning and about 2 km later, after floundering through waist-deep snow, for close to an hour, we were forced to admit defeat. It was such a beautiful looking peak. We were very disappointed. We learned a valuable lesson on this day... when attempting peaks in the backcountry in early spring, come prepared with snowshoes or you arent going anywhere.
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: September 1995
At the end of the summer season at Mammoth Hot Springs, about ten us who worked in the park spent three weeks bagging peaks. We saved this one for last due to the distance. The trip is worth the effort; even the effort of walking past Grizzly Lake for 6 miles in the dark. Scary! We only saw an owl, though, no bears.
tlockling - Mar 27, 2016 3:21 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 1987
1987 with BrendanBrendan Kildare and I climbed this in 1987. Nobody else was there, but the fire tower ranger. He told me he worked in Glacier Park many years and moved here to be closer to civilization.Great hike. Did it again in 1998 with my wife and that was the year my friend Brendan died. This hike/ memories were for him .Dead at 33. Also in Early sept 1998 the bull elk were rutting/ bugling like crazy. We slept in meadows campsite below the summit trail. I thought those bulls were going to stomp on us. Saw many sandhills also.
jdarr67 - Sep 24, 2015 10:59 am Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2015
PerfectGreat weather again. No bear sign. A couple goats on Dome and White Peaks North. Stayed in fire lookout. Vivid starry night.
Matt Inman - Aug 5, 2015 11:37 pm Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2013
Mt. Holmes TrailIt's been two years since I made this hike, but this is how I remember it. This was only the second time I had done a long hike in grizzly country. I was nervous. Maybe a mile into the hike, maybe a little more, maybe a little less, the forest is young and dense (recovering from the fires of 1988 I understand) and crowds the trail, limiting visibility, and your ability to see a bear before you surprise it. This last for what seems like a mile or two. Eventually, you come out into a more open area, not so recovered from the same fires and visibility here is good, so I was not so nervous about surprising a bear. Well into the hike, six or seven miles in, near a little cabin,, the trees crowd in again, but not for long. It seems like just beyond the cabin, the trees thin out again and this last all the way to the top. It was hot and dry with little shade so a good hat would come I handy. The views from the top are awesome. I believe I could see the roof of a large building at the Old Faithful area glimmering in the sun. I did not see another person the entire day. Except for the few miles through the dense timber where I was worried about bears, I enjoyed the hike. A good twenty mile day.
awhite28 - Aug 10, 2014 8:57 pm Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2014
HolmesLong, long day. I think the mileage on this page is wrong - I got 22 miles for the day. Saw a sow griz with a cub 8.5 miles in. They were 300 yards off the trail and didn't seem to care that I was there thankfully.
jdarr67 - May 2, 2014 6:35 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2013
Standard RouteClimb this every year for work. Fortunate enough to overnight in the fire lookout each time. It's a special place. Look for goats to the north on Dome Mountain.
WoollytheMammoth - Aug 31, 2013 11:40 pm
Great Fall DayAn enjoyable hike all the way up.
NoSubas - Feb 24, 2008 3:48 pm Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2005
Slog on trailLong hike. Highest danger was falling snags in the stiff summer breeze. Saw a Grizzly early on at Winter Creek. Had a brief chat with George up top.
Zac Finley - Aug 4, 2007 2:36 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2007
Day hikeSpent all day(7:11am -7:11pm) enjoying this hike. Stumbled upon a young grizzly about 2 1/2 miles in. He was walking on the trail towards my Colombian friend and I only 20 yards away. After a few seconds of staredowns he left us alone traverseing up the hillside. Besides the bear scare it was quite the hike to the summit. Good weather the entire way with a few snow patches left from a dry winter. Great views of Sheridan to the south, Electric to the north and Emigrant even further north. Also spotted a new fire from the summit with the ranger on duty.
Sam Page - Jul 22, 2007 8:40 pm
Mid-summer 1993A group of us from Grant Village camped somewhere along the way, but only two of us headed up to the summit in dense fog the next morning. Not knowing there was a station on the summit, we were surprised to practically bump into it in near zero visibility.
CBakwin - Jul 6, 2007 11:40 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2007
Mt. HolmesFour hours up, half hour on the top with the lookout, three and a quarter down. Hot day. Long slog. Great views.
jakefrisbee - Mar 14, 2006 8:37 pm
Mt Holmes TrailDid this one with a fellow employee from Tower Falls Hamilton General Store. Jason from Georgia, Summer of 2000. We started at the trailhead at 7pm and hiked all night. We rarely used headlamps and we shared duties yelling to let grizzlies know that we were coming. Hours and hours of yelling. I vividly remember how peaceful it was on the summit, shining my light into the lookout tower and illuminating the guy sleeping inside (didn't wake him up), and looking DOWN at stars. I think we summited around 1am, but my memory is hazy. We stumbled back to the car after dawn and slept most of the next day.
Jolee - Mar 11, 2006 6:02 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 1996
In the Lake...What a nice backpacking trip. Fell into grizzly lake with a full pack on while crossing over a log. some great campsites - lots of signs of bears!
Livelife4Summits - Jan 6, 2006 1:25 am
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: June 19th, 2002Nasty weather all of my first day....it rained, and it was just a big mess, That summit gets a ton of wind en route. A little tricky through the snow patches near the top...worth the hike.
Alcas24 - Nov 3, 2005 1:17 am
Route Climbed: Mt Holmes Trail/Tilobite Lake Date Climbed: May 23, 2005First big hike of my second summer working in Yellowstone. Stil a ton of snow and the "trail" was nonexistent. Descended via Trilobite Lake. Tough going with all the snow and deadfall. First grizz sighting of the season just south of the lake.
craghag - Jun 7, 2005 1:56 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. Holmes Trail/ Trilobite Lakes Date Climbed: July 24, 2004Watch out for low hanging tree limbs! "Hey George, wash your dishes"!
Joseph Bullough - Jul 27, 2004 6:07 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. Holmes Trail / Trilobite Lakes Date Climbed: July 24, 2004Hiked in on 7/23 and spent the night at campsite 1C4, which made for a quick hike to the summit on the morning of 7/24. For variety we descended the northeast ridge down to the Trilobite Lakes area - much prettier than the ascent trail, but somewhat of a routefinding challenge getting back to camp.
tlogan - Mar 19, 2004 10:43 pm
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: April 21 1994This was an eye-opener for an unexperienced and very eager young climber (me). We embarked around 10 in the morning and about 2 km later, after floundering through waist-deep snow, for close to an hour, we were forced to admit defeat. It was such a beautiful looking peak. We were very disappointed. We learned a valuable lesson on this day... when attempting peaks in the backcountry in early spring, come prepared with snowshoes or you arent going anywhere.
b. - Sep 3, 2003 1:12 pm
Route Climbed: Mount Holmes Trail Date Climbed: September 1995At the end of the summer season at Mammoth Hot Springs, about ten us who worked in the park spent three weeks bagging peaks. We saved this one for last due to the distance. The trip is worth the effort; even the effort of walking past Grizzly Lake for 6 miles in the dark. Scary! We only saw an owl, though, no bears.