Castle Crag Summit and Sheafman Canyon

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Montana

My third try to get to the Sheafman trailhead…and this time I made it. This is the worst road to a trailhead in the Bitterroots. Probably why I had the valley all to myself. Once on the trail I stumbled onto a patch of huckleberries. I did what any Montanan would do, stopped, picked a few handfuls and ate them. Then I picked enough to make a fresh quart of ice cream for tomorrow. Good thing I had an extra zip lock bag in the pack. This grouse was hanging out by the berries and she sure kept an eye on me.

There are 4 small high country lakes near the head of the valley. I saw fish in 3 of them as well as a small stream that cut across a meadow. Going to have to go back with my fly rod in the next few weeks to chase wild trout.

I came across a flower I have been looking for. There were several hundred Elephants Head in a marshy meadow. Wound up with wet feet to get to see them.

Eventually Castle Crag showed itself so I could see the planned climb for the day. The east face is a 500+ foot sheer face with a great crack all the way down the face. I planned on going around and up to the ridge line for my route to the summit block. I know someone who has climbed the crack to the summit, not something I will ever do.

After a significant effort I made the ridge, then it was time to get to the fin and find a way around it. Eventually I downclimbed to the left to get around it. The exposure on the right side was a bit much for me. It looks a lot easier in the picture than it was on the mountain.

This is one of the views from near the top. Smoke drifting into Montana from fires in Alberta Canada shortened the views some. There was so much exposure on the route that if you have a fear of heights or are risk adverse this was not a climb for you.

This is a better view looking north-east. The two highest lakes can be seen. It was a steep slope between the two and was part of the route up to to the ridge for the summit bid.

On the way back out I came across this old horse shoe embedded in a tree about mid canyon. It had to have been there for a long time. I'm sure there is a great story behind it…I can only wonder what it was.