McLeod Peak, Rattlesnake Wilderness

McLeod from the West, Highway 93. (All photos taken from the internet.)

McLeod Peak has been on my to do list since I first discovered the Rattlesnake Wilderness shortly after we moved to Missoula in 2003. The Rattlesnake is unassuming as Montana Wilderness goes, more in the spirit of  the Bob Marshall or Scapegoat than the rock-and-ice Missions, Pintler, or Bitterroot. The peaks aren't very high, McLeod being the highest at 8640ft, but the country is nonetheless extremely rugged.

McLeod from the east, near the summit. This is the way I approached it.

The other beauty of the Rattlesnake is that it's so close to Missoula. The main trailhead is on the edge of town, though from it the Wilderness boundary requires a long hard hike, or an even longer bike ride, so again the lion's share of the wilderness beyond the edge closest to Missoula sees few visitors.

McLeod from Mosquito Peak to the south.

McLeod Peak is at the very back of the designated Wilderness, bordering the Flathead Indian Reservation, as far from the main trailhead as you can get and requires a long bike/hike to bag. I opted to stretch the trip out and bike back in 10 miles (two hours ride from my doorstep) on a Saturday night, carrying my camping gear in my new Bob trailer, and then spend the night and bang out the rest of the trip the next day. Even so, the outing on Sunday was a long and hard 8+ hours, much of the hiking off trail. I got lost for a bit way back in, but eventually found my way, got to the summit, and was back home by five.

McLeod elevation profile Missoula-McLeod-Missoula. Brutal! Thanks for this Steve Sheriff.

This was my second attempt at the peak in as many weeks. I had been turned back on a trip from the west, Finley Creek drainage, having had not allotted myself enough time for an outing that I had underestimated. McLeod Peak is a challenge no matter which way you go at it, but well worth the effort. The presence of such testing grounds is why I love where I live.