Lower Clark Fork Peak Bagging: Mount Headley and Scotchman Peak

Summit beer on Scotchman Peak in Idaho. Photo by Matt McQ.

 A couple of weeks back, I joined a group of guys for a weekend in Sandpoint, Idaho. One of the fellow's parents have a vacation place there, where we stayed. I left a day early and camped on the lower Clark Fork River near Thompson Falls, climbing Mount Headley (a P2K summit) and Vermillion Peak on the first day. Both of these summits are straightforward hikes from Vermillion Pass, which requires a long dirt road drive to get to. This part of Montana is off the beaten path and gorgeous. On the next day, I continued driving downstream to Clark Fork, Idaho, where I met up with with Matt McQuilken, Ben Bledsoe, and Chad Loney for a climb of Scotchman Peak. Clark Fork is a nice little town located where the Clark Fork dumps into massive Lake Pend Oreille. Scotchman is also a straightforward hike once you're at the trailhead, but with about a 4000 foot elevation gain, it's strenuous. The views of Lake Pend Oreille and back into Montana of the Cabinet Range from the summit are fantastic. There is a Summitpost page for Scotchman Peak, if you want directions, and GPS routes for both climbs can be found at my Peakbagger page. 

Selfie looking west toward the main Cabinets from Vermillion Peak.

The unassuming Mount Headley (the green bump in the center) from the west. 

Lake Pend Oreille. Photo Matt McQ.

Ben and Chad. Matt McQ photo.

Matt near the summit. Matt McQ photo.

Ben and Chad again. Matt McQ photo.

Beer on the summit. Matt McQ photo.