In early July I visited the Elkhorn Range of Northeast Oregon and the Cabinet Range of Northern Idaho and Northwest Montana. My goals were to climb an Oregon highest peak in the first range and several US 48-state prominence peaks in the second, with mixed success.
I began on Tuesday July 7 by driving to Baker City, Oregon, and checking road status at the local Forest Ranger Station. Then I drove up along Pine Creek on the east side of the Elkhorns to the west. This road is quite rough – I recommend 4WD, good clearance, and tough tires (at least 6 ply) to drive up the Pine Creek Road to where parking is allowed beyond private property. I spent a pleasant evening and night camped beside the road.
Cougar Pond Southwest Peak
The next morning, Wednesday July 8, I hiked up further along the road, which eventually becomes more of an ATV track as it approaches Pine Creek Reservoir. I hiked past the reservoir and followed the track as it switchbacked up the slope to the north towards a saddle. The last 400 feet to the saddle was on an unimproved trail through a flowering meadow. Some mountain goats were visible on the slopes above and to the NW. Rock Creek Butte rose far above me to the west. From the saddle, Cougar Basin lies below to the north and the unofficially named “Cougar Pond Southwest Peak” rises above to the west. Cougar Pond SW Peak is Oregon’s 39th highest peak (with at least 500 feet of prominence). I followed open ground and thin forest to find the summit on the NW end of the summit ridge. I enjoyed identifying most of the 12 other Oregon 100 highest peaks in the Elkhorns from the summit and noticed a thunderstorm brewing above Mount Ireland to the NW.
