Boise County has only 3 remaining unclimbed 10k+ peaks, all deep in the heart of the Sawtooth Wilderness. But I have been increasing my trail running mileage for months, and these peaks presented the perfect chance to test my abilities.
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Ruby Dome is the highest peak in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. I've heard the phrase "best kept secret" thrown around a lot when talking about different wild places, but the Ruby Mountains truly earn the title. We visited this beautiful wilderness full of towering peaks and alpine lakes on 4th of July and only saw one other group. Brilliant.
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Dixie Butte - a 7,500' peak with a road to the top. Sound boring? Try it in the winter. What may otherwise be a slog up a dusty double track becomes a trek through a peaceful and empty forest. And don't let the height fool you - once you break above treeline you're treated to views often reserved for peaks with 5-digit elevations.
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With a name like "Nip Benchmark," I don't blame you for being underwhelmed. And it's true. It's really not much of a peak - you can hardly even tell where to top is. Only a hair over 300' of prominence. In fact there is only one thing that makes this peak stand out, and that is the magic word Location.
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Looking for a good peak to get your peakbagging toes wet? In June, 2016 we found a great beginner peak: Rock Roll Peak near Ketchum, ID. And if you get to the top and still want more, get some scrambling with a short hike to a neighboring peak.
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When our 4th of July trip came around we made our way south to Kings Peak. But instead of just hiking the peak we wanted to make a whole loop backpacking trip of it.
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he last few years have been slow climbing big peaks. For 4 years I averaged 5 Alpine 88 peaks per year, then in 2015 that dropped to 2. In 2016 I got my first with a guided climb of Mount Baker and thanks to a busy work schedule it looked unlikely a second was in the works. Then we had a chance to head to Arizona a day early for our Grand Canyon Thanksgiving trip. I seized it, expecting an easy and fun hike. But the weather had other ideas.
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Oxford Peak is one of the biggest of the basin and range peaks that dominate the southeast corner of my state. 4,030' of prominence is the 10th most in the state, making Oxford elite among Idaho's big mountains. One look from the top, or from the town of Malad below, and that status becomes immediately clear.
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