Lemke Climbs
SP Profile
  • About
    • Whats New
    • 2017 Goals/Wishlist
    • Contact
  • Washington
    • North Cascades >
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Sahale Peak, Boston Peak
        • Eldorado Peak, Klawatti Peak
        • Black Peak
        • Forbidden Peak West Ridge
        • Primus Peak Attempt
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Big Snagtooth
        • Liberty Bell Beckey Route
        • Burgundy Spire North Face 5.8
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Ragged Ridge - Katsuk, Kimtah and Cosho Peaks
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Colfax Peak
        • South Early Winters Spire via SW Buttress
        • Chilliwack Mini-Slam
        • Mesahchie Peak
        • Inspiration Traverse
      • 2016 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Shuksan Ski
        • Full Pickets Traverse
        • Mount Goode NE Buttress & Storm King
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Baker North Ridge WI3
    • Glacier Peak Wilderness >
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Buck Creek Pass, Cloudy Peak, Spider Gap
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Dome Peak, Spire Point
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Formidable NE Face 5.6 Second Ascent
        • Dumbell and Greenwood Mountains
        • Mt. Maude and Seven Fingered Jack
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Glacier Peak Wilderness Mountain Massacre
        • Clark and Luahna Peaks
    • Olympic Peninsula >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Buckhorn Mountain
        • Olympic Peninsula Road Trip
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Flapjack Lakes Hike
        • Grey Wolf Peak, High Divide Trail
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Ellinor
        • Mount Constance West Arete
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Olympus
    • Alpine Lakes Wilderness >
      • 2008 Trip Reports >
        • Chikamin Peak
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Rachel Lake, Rampart Ridge
        • PCT - Snoqualmie to Pete Lake
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Foss Lakes Hike
        • Necklace and Tank Lakes
        • Enchantments Day Hike
        • Granite Mountain (Snoqualmie)
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Colchuck Peak
        • Cannon, Enchantment and Stuart
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Ingalls Peaks
        • McClellan Peak
        • Dragontail Peak
        • Web Mountain
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Index Attempt
        • Snow Creek Wall Orbit 5.8+
        • The Tooth South Face
        • Eightmile Mountain
        • Argonaut Peak NE Couloir
        • Little Annapurna South Face 5.5
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Snow Creek Wall Outer Space 5.9
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Cashmere Mountain
        • Sherpa Peak North Ridge 5.8
        • Chair Peak NE Ridge
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Enchantments & Prussik Peak
    • Pasayten Wilderness >
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • The Craggies
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Tiffany Mountain
      • 2016 Trip Reports >
        • Pasayten Mini-Slam
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Remmel Group
    • Mountain Loop Highway >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Vesper Peak
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Dickerman
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Sloan Peak West Face 5.8
      • 2016 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Forgotten
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Exfoliation Dome Blueberry Buttress 5.8
    • Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Star, Courtney, and Grey Peaks
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Hoodoo Peak and Raven Ridge
        • Abernathy Peak
        • Mount Bigelow
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Reynolds Peak
        • Oval Peak
        • Gardner Peaks
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Chelan Sawtooth Trio
    • Mount Rainier Area, Southern WA >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Adams
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Rainier - Emmons Route
        • Mount Saint Helens
        • Goat Peak
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Lane Peak, Plummer Peak (Tatoosh)
        • The Unicorn (Tatoosh)
      • 2016 Trip Reports >
        • Little Tahoma
    • WA Rock and Ice Cragging >
      • Index Town Walls
      • Vantage
      • Mount Erie
      • Exit 38
      • Leavenworth
    • Other Washington
  • Colorado
    • San Juan Mountains >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Sneffels Lavender Snow Climb
        • Uncompahgre, Matterhorn Peaks
        • Redcloud, Sunshine Peaks
        • San Luis Peak
        • Vermilion, Fuller Peaks
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Stewart Peak, Baldy Alto
        • Jones, Niagara, American Peaks
        • Wetterhorn Peak, Handies Peak
        • Wilson Group
        • Arrow Peak
        • Mount Sneffels SW Ridge
        • Jagged Mountain, Chicago Basin
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Teakettle Mountain
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Dallas Peak
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Vestal Peak Wham Ridge, Greystone Peak
    • Elk Mountains >
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Four Pass Loop
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Castle, Conundrum Peaks
        • Snowmass Mountain
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Cathedral Peak
        • South Maroon Peak
        • The Pyramids
        • North Maroon Peak, Sleeping Sexton
        • Capitol Peak, Mount Daly
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Malemute Peak
    • Sangre de Cristo Mountains >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point
        • Challenger Point
        • Mount Adams
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Spread Eagle Peak
        • Humboldt, Obstruction, Columbia Peaks
        • Mount Lindsey, Huerfano Peak
        • Little Bear Peak
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Crestone Needle Ellingwood Arete
    • Sawatch Mountains >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Iowa Peak
        • Point 13,618 - Hunky Dory Lake
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Gold Dust Peak, Notch Mountain
        • Mount Jackson
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Belford
        • Shavano, Tabeguache Peaks
        • Mount Antero, Cronin Peak
        • Twining Peak
        • Mount Massive
        • Casco Peak
        • Mount Huron
        • Mount Elbert
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Oxford
        • Mount Hope
        • Mount Yale
        • Lackawanna Peak
        • Mount Columbia
        • La Plata Peak
        • Rinker and Twin Peaks
        • Bull Hill, Mount Princeton
        • Missouri Mountain
        • Mount Oklahoma
        • French Mountain
        • Mount Ouray
        • Grizzly A, Garfield Peaks
        • Mount Harvard
        • The Three Apostles
    • Greater Park Range >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Kneeknocker Pass, Piney Lake
        • Drift Peak
        • Sherman Peak, Dyer Peak
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Gore Range Traverse
        • Quandary Peak
        • Pacific, Atlantic Peaks
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Clark Peak
        • Crystal Peak, Peak 10
        • Fletcher Mountain
        • The DeCaLiBron
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Loveland Mountain
        • The Mosquito Traverse
        • Mount Arkansas
        • Clinton Group
        • Eagles Nest, Peak C
    • Front Range >
      • 2008 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Evans, Spalding
        • Mount Bierstadt
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Parnassus, Bard Peak
        • Cupid, Sniktau, Grizzly D Peaks
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • James Peak
        • Mount Silverheels
        • Grays and Torreys Peaks
        • Mount Edwards
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Flora, Longs Peak
        • Square Top Mountain
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Petit Grepon South Face 5.8
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Meeker Dreamweaver Couloir
    • Colorado Ice Climbing >
      • Lincoln Ice Falls
      • Ouray Ice Park
      • Avocado Gully and The Drool
      • Hidden Falls
    • Colorado Rock Climbing >
      • Eldorado Canyon
      • The Flatirons
      • North Table Mountain
      • Shelf Road
    • Other Colorado >
      • Colorado National Monument >
        • Independence Monument
  • Wyoming
    • Wind River Mountains >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Gone With the Winds
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Union Peak - Solar Eclipse
    • Teton Range >
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Grand Teton Owen Spalding 5.4
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Owen Attempt
    • Wyoming Absarokas and Gros Ventre Range >
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Jackson Peak
    • Yellowstone National Park >
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Top Notch Peak
    • Bighorn Range and Great Divide Basin >
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Boars Tusk
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Loaf Mountain
        • Cloud Peak
    • Devils Tower
    • Cody Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Montana
    • Beartooth Mountains >
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Whitetail Peak Group
        • Beartooth Mountain
        • Spirit Mountain Group
        • Mount Peal
        • Granite Peak Group
        • Castle Rock Group
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Castle Mountain NE Couloir
        • Mount Inabnit and Sylvan Peak
        • Mount Hague South Slopes
        • Mount Villard and The Granite Peaks Traverse - 5.4
        • Spirit Mountain NE Ridge - 5.4
        • California Ice WI 4
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • The Ramp 5.8
        • Linea Alba 5.10d
        • Iceberg Peak
        • Metcalf Mountain North Rib 5.8
        • Villard Spires HP West Ramp
        • Cairn Mountain
        • Snowbank Mountain
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Wood Group
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Bears Tooth
        • Glacier Peak Catch-a-Sunrise FA
    • Montana Absarokas & Gallatin Range >
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Black Mountain
    • Southwest Montana Ranges >
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Sacajawea Peak
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Arrow Peak
        • Koch Peak
        • Saddle Peak
        • Baldy Mountain
        • Sphinx Mountain
    • Glacier National Park >
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • A Taste of Glacier National Park
      • 2017 Trip Reports >
        • Divide Mountain
    • MT Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Utah
    • Uinta Mountains >
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Kings-Emmons Ridge Run
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Hayden Peak
        • Iron Hayden Wall Rock Climbing
    • Wasatch Range >
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • The Sundial Eleventh Hour 5.8
    • San Rafael Swell >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Ramp, Cistern Canyons
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Salt Wash, Black Mountain, Moroni Slopes
        • Ding, Dang Canyons
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Little Wild Horse, Bell Canyons
        • Quandary Canyon
        • San Rafael Knob
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Miners Hollow (Knotted Rope Canyon)
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Temple Mountain
    • Capitol Reef National Park >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Cathedral Valley Tour
        • Sheets Gulch
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Halls Creek Narrows
        • Brimhall Canyon and Strike Valley Overlook
        • George Benchmark
    • Moab Area, Canyonlands, Arches >
      • 2009 Trip Reports >
        • Maze District
        • Needles District
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Maze District
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Exploring Moab
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • White Rim Trail Biking
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Elephant Butte, Bullwinkle Tower and Lizard Rock
        • South Six Shooter
        • Elephant Canyon
        • Parriott Mesa
        • Ancient Art
        • Castleton Tower North Chimney 5.8
    • Robbers Roost Country >
      • 2008 Trip Reports >
        • Horseshoe Canyon, Goblin Valley
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Bluejohn Canyon
      • 2011 Trip Reports >
        • Happy Canyon Narrows
        • Shenanigans, Leprechaun Slots
      • 2012 Trip Reports >
        • Larry Canyon
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Merry Piglet Slot
        • Lower Maidenwater Canyon, Turkey Knob
        • Morocco Canyon
        • Monkey Business Slot
        • Hog Canyon Slots
        • Upper Maidenwater Canyon Slots
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Mount Ellen
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Buck Canyon
    • Escalante National Monument >
      • 2010 Trip Reports >
        • Phipps Canyon and Arch
        • Red Breaks Slot
        • Dry Fork Slots, Coyote Gulch
        • Little Death Hollow/Wolverine Canyons
        • Egypt 3 Slot
      • 2015 Trip Reports >
        • Egypt 1 Canyon
    • Zion/Bryce >
      • 2013 Trip Reports >
        • Ataxia Tower Ashtar Command 5.9
        • Mount Kinesava Cowboy Ridge
      • 2016 Trip Reports >
        • Birch Hollow
    • Cedar Mesa Region/Valley of the Gods >
      • 2014 Trip Reports >
        • Eagle Plume Tower Eagle Feather 5.10b
  • California
    • High Sierras, Southern CA Ranges >
      • Telescope Peak, Death Valley - February 2012
      • Tahquitz Rock Whodunit 5.9 - June 2016
      • Tahquitz Rock Long Route 5.9 - July 2016
    • Yosemite National Park, Central CA
    • Northern CA Cascades >
      • Lava Beds National Monument - August 2015
  • Oregon
    • Oregon Volcanoes >
      • Three Fingered Jack - August 2015
      • Mount Scott - August 2015
    • Blue Mountains
    • Trout Creek Rock Climbing
  • Alaska
    • 2015 Trip Reports >
      • Eagle Peak and Mount Ewe - June 2015
      • "Jatt" Peak and Portage Pass - June 2015
      • Rainbow Peak - June 2015
      • Mount Brooks Attempt - June 2015
      • Arrigetch Peaks Trek - July 2015
    • 2016 Trip Reports >
      • Ab Mountain Hike - May 2016
      • South Suicide Peak - May 2016
      • Mount Hunter West Ridge Attempt - May 2016
      • Cantata Peak Attempt - June 2016
      • East Twin Peak - June 2016
      • Mount Alice - June 2016
      • Crow Pass and Hope Point Hikes - June 2016
      • Indianhouse Mountain Attempt
      • Lynx Peak - June 2016
      • Harding Icefield Hike - June 2016
      • Hatcher Pass and Grapefruit Rocks Climbing - June 2016
  • Other US
    • Arizona >
      • Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail - November 2011
      • Beanfest at Cochise Stronghold - April 2016
    • Idaho
    • Nevada >
      • Red Rocks Ginger Cracks 5.8 - March 2016
      • Red Rocks Mescalito Dark Shadows 5.8 - March 2016
      • Red Rocks Birdland and Olive Oil - April 2016
      • Red Rocks Frogland 5.8 - October 2016
      • Red Rocks Johnny Vegas 5.8 - December 2016
      • Red Rocks Schaeffer's Delight & Triassic Sands - April 2017
    • New Mexico >
      • Philmont Trek August 2008
  • International
    • British Columbia >
      • Mount Matier - May 2016
      • Taiya Peak - May 2016
      • Bugaboo Spire NE Ridge - August 2016
      • Mount Sabine Easy Honey 5.10b - April 2017
      • Mount Sir Donald NW Ridge Attempt - May 2017
      • Squamish Ticks
    • Alberta >
      • Mist Ridge Hike - September 2016
      • Mount Temple Attempt - October 2016
      • East Wendell Peak - February 2017
      • Loder Peak - March 2017
      • Tower Mountain Attempt - April 2017
      • The Rimwall - April 2017
      • Mount Yamnuska Directissima 5.9 - May 2017
      • Mount Lawrence Grassi - May 2017
      • Mount Lorette - June 2017
      • Roche A Perdrix - July 2017
      • Mount Edith Cavell East Ridge 5.3 - August 2017
      • Mount Louis Kain Route - Sept 2017
      • Eiffel Peak - Sept 2017
      • Canadian Rockies Ice Climbing
    • Yukon >
      • Canyon Peak - May 2016
    • Mexico and Central America >
      • Mexico - Pico de Orizaba, Izta - March 2012
    • South America >
      • Chilean Chronicles Volume 1 - An Introduction to Patagonia - April 2014
      • Cordillera Blanca - Tocllaraju and Urus - July 2014
      • Argentine Chronicles Volume 1 - Nahuel Huapi National Park - February 2015
      • Chilean Chronicles Volume 2 - Exploring Pucon and Success on Lanin - March 2015
      • Cordillera Blanca - Ishinca Peak and Artesonraju - July 2016
      • Cordillera Blanca - Quitaraju & Alpamayo - July 2016
      • Exploring Southern Peru - July 2016
    • Oceania >
      • Exploring New Zealand's South Island - January 2017
  • Vanlife
    • Conversion Journal

Main Fork Rock Creek: July 22 - July 24

Awaking the next morning we started hiking up the switchbacking trail towards Shelf and Moon Lakes. It was short but steep, something I'd rather have then the long flat approaches we did previously. In only a couple hours we made it to Shelf Lake and set up camp. We quickly made up our day packs and hiked the easy grassy terrain to Moon Lake and began ascending orange talus up Mount Rearguard. As we gained elevation the impressive east face of Spirit Mountain was inspiring and I wondered if anyone had ever climbed it before. I also noticed an awesome NE couloir on Spirit that looked like a great snow route to climb but it was too late then. After an hour of grueling talus slogging we crested the west ridge of Mount Rearguard but just in time for a storm to roll in (man this place sure is stormy). We found a nice cave-like rock to hide under for a half hour before making the rest of the easy ascent to the summit. The summit area of Rearguard was very interesting since there were a couple 5th class towers but the highest point was an easy class 2 walk up.



Moon Lake
Enlarge
Moon Lake
Spirit Mountain
Enlarge
Spirit Mountain and Moon Lake
Spirit Mountain
Enlarge
Spirit Mountain E face
Spirit Mountain...
Enlarge
Spirit NE couloir on right


We descended down the Hellroaring Plateau which was an easy grassy and talus walk for quite a ways. When we got to the edge of the plateau just above Shelf Lake we descended a very loose pile of crap talus and scree slope back to the lake and pulled out the fishing rod. Just as we got back to the tent though it began raining (whew). That would have sucked if we were still on the plateau! So we waited out the storm and we noticed it get considerably colder. We managed to catch and cook one fish because it got so chilly. We did have a spectacular sunset though after the storm.



Hellroaring Plateau
Enlarge
Descending Hellroaring Plateau
Shelf Lake reflection
Enlarge
Shelf Lake Sunset


When we got up the next day we were treated to a beautiful sunrise. We hiked the grassy terrain to Moon Lake again but this time cut left since the plan was to climb Spirit Mountain. The lupine wildflowers were beautiful in the morning sun. We crossed the Moon Lake outlet stream and ascended a grassy slope to a small tarn and traversed around and above Frosty Lake. This area had lots of loose rock but we crossed over a small rib and hit the south slopes snow route.



Spirit Mountain...
Enlarge
Spirit Mountain and Lupines
Spirit Mountain...
Enlarge
Spirit from Shelf Lake
Frosty Lake...
Enlarge
Frosty Lake
Frosty Lake
Enlarge
Frosty Lake


We put the crampons on and began climbing the snow which was moderate at first and stayed around 35-40 degrees nearly the whole way up but closer to the top it got steep and we actually had to cut right off the snow to climb rock so we could get above the massive cornice guarding the top. This short third class rock scramble was some of the loosest crap I've ever been on. Once we made the summit plateau we walked a short ways east to the highest point. Views of Mount Rearguard were beautiful and a thin but low cloud deck made for a cool but stable day.

South slopes...
Enlarge
South slopes snow route

We had a nice break at the top and began the traverse to Forget Me Not Mountain. This was a long talus slog atop desolate plateaus. Stephan mentioned all these summit plateaus we were walking on were god forsaken places and I could only imagine how horrid they would be in the middle of winter. We descended to the broad saddle between the two peaks and hiked up to what we thought was the highest rock on Forget Me Not Mountain. The summit area was so huge it was hard to determine what the highest point was. Regardless though the view off the north face was one of the best drop offs I have ever seen. Views of the Bears Tooth and Beartooth Mountain as well as our entire route up from Black Canyon Lake were clearly visible. What a place to reflect this was. After a long time to think and reflect, we made the trip back to Shelf Lake (which involved a bomber glissade down the snow slope) and hiked out to the car. The drive back out the long road seemed to take forever since we so looking forward to food in Red Lodge so much. Once returning to town bikes still lined all the streets and we snagged a great dinner at another local eatery and finished it off with fantastic ice cream at the Scoops Diner. Part one of our Montana project was complete. We summitted eight of the 26 ranked 12ers in the southeastern portion of the Beartooth Mountains. We were well on our way and still had lots of fun and exploring to do. Please stay tuned for part 2 of my Montana 12ers project which will describe our climbs of the Granite Peak area and the Castle group. There will also be a part 3 coming out next year which will describe the peaks we didn't have time to get this past summer including the Wood group in the northern margin of the mountain range. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the photos!



Sundance Mountain Summit View


Sundance Mountain Summit Panorama

Powered by
✕