Radical Earth

The Salmon River Mountains in Central Idaho, U.S.A., was once described by early surveyors of the United States Geological Society, as a,”…convoluted, monstrosity…”
Roughly 120 miles East to West, and 110 miles South to North, the Salmon River Range fills nearly the entirety of Central Idaho. One of the largest un-damned, wild rivers in the lower 48 states of the U.S., the Salmon River, dissects this massive blob of mainly granite, though the specific geology of the area is vast, and complex. North Americas largest granitic batholith, the Idaho batholith, appears throughout this remote area, in endless miles of mid-ridges, river cut cliffs, to the highest peaks of the range. A batholith is a mega-giant, molten bubble of rock, that floats from the core of the Earth, to the surface, slowly cooling as it rises. The forces of plate tectonics, push the Idaho batholith through the surface, and the ensuing millions of years of glaciers, freezing and thawing, torrents of snow, rain, and hot summer winds, have left behind what we see today. The last glaciers melted away 13,000 years ago, but a craggy, rugged, vast, remote piece of country did not. The largest designated, road-less wilderness area, South of Alaska, the Frank Church River Of No Return Wilderness is here. North America’s 2nd, and 3rd deepest river canyons, the South Fork Salmon, and Main Salmon, cut deep in this wild-land. 10,000 ft from river bottom, contiguously up to the highest point off the river, at its deepest point. The deepest river canyon in North America, the Hells Canyon, of the Snake River, is a short 40 air miles from the Western most point of this mountain range.

In this gallery, the approach and summit, of South Loon Peak is show-cased. South Loon sits at 9,287 ft., a slim 100 ft. below North Loon, the tallest peak in the Western section of the Salmon River Mountains, in the Lick creek sub-range. A detailed description of accessing South Loon can be found at SummitPost.org

Trailhead to Hum lake

A trail through fire and flowers

A fire scarred landscape, with bear grass and flowers coming back

Fawning for the summit at sunset, saddle South of Hum lake. South Loon center frame highest point

Sunrise on Loon creek drainage, from the saddle North of Hum lake

Morning light on Loon creek. West slope of South loon, on the right side of the frame. 3000 ft from summit to valley floor

Scrambling towards the false summit on the East ridge of South Loon peak

Looking down to Enos lake from the East ridge of South Loon

Looking down to Enos lake from the summit of South Loon

Summit of South Loon looking towards North Loon

A weathered post

Peak-a-boo through a granite slot looking at North Loon

Looking at the North facing summit of South Loon

Wondering if there is a safe route from South Loon to North, without dropping down to Enos lake. Not without rope, and helmuts

Sunset from the summit

The remains of a fiery sunset

Sunrise just below the summit

A rising Moon, with the Sunrise Sky

A purple, peach, and orange Sunrise from the summit

Sunrise, with Enos lake

A Moon with a view

A view to our summit camp at sunrise

The Sun slightly higher, and a differnt angle looking towards camp, the angle of decent 3000 ft down to the basin of Loon creek, can be seen more clearly

Help each other

Looking upto the first nights camp, the saddle North above Hum lake, on our hike out