Thunderbolt Mountain

• Standard (south) route: Class 1, 5 miles, 3500' gain (or less, depending on how far you drive up the jeep trail), 3 hours up
• West route: Class 2 or 3, 3.5 miles, 3700' gain, 5 hours up

Getting There

• South route: Drive to Warm Lake and look for Cabin Creek Road. 4WD recommended. You should be able to drive almost 5 miles, shortening the hike. The route shown may be accessible in a standard sedan, but there isn't a lot of road maintenence so your mileage may vary.
• West route: Take the left turn BEFORE Warm Lake to head down the South Fork. Use a map or GPS to find the drainage below Thunderbolt. It is not marked, and here are no landmarks. Park anywhere you can get your car off the road. Note that during the winter, heavy equipment from the Stibnite mine use this road, so don't be blocking it. A standard sedan can make this drive if equipped for the season.

Route

• South route: This follows a trail (Class 1) all the way to the summit. If you can find the trailhead, you're good.
• West route: This is a snow route that traverses an old burn then climbs a steep ridge. All winter precautions should be taken. From the 'trailhead', simply walk up the drainage. When you get to the toe of the ridge, either climb steeply up the right side and gain the ridge top, or angle to the left and follow the drainage to the saddle at the top. Fro the saddle, work your way up one of the steep gullies the last 500' to the summit.

Red Tape

For the South route, be sensitive about private property in the area. Otherwise, there is no red tape.

When to Climb

Camping

Warm Lake is a popular resort with a resort and Forest Service camping. There is also almost unlimited dispersed camping everywhere else in the area.

External Links

General Info

For more information about climbing this peak or others in Idaho, see Tom Lopez's excellent book, Idaho: A Climbing Guide.