The Shard, Bitterroot Range

Jen a few steps from the summit of the Shard. It took some convincing to get her to take the last few steps, as behind her is a sheer cliff.

What has turned out to be the last hurrah peakbag for Jen and I, before she does the Rut over Labor Day weekend, was our climb of the Shard in early in August. The Shard is an unofficial name given by climbers to the third highest peak in the Bitterroots (9883'). To get there, you drive to the Chaffin Creek Trailhead, just south of Darby, walk 6 miles to Hart Lake, and then climb off trail 1.5 miles northwest to the summit. An excellent description of the route can be found on Summitpost, or even better, buy the excellent book Bitterroot Mountain Summits, by Michael Hoyt, who wrote the Summitpost page. The route from Hart Lake up the south slope to the summit is very steep, crossing boulder fields, steep talus and scree, and finally turning to solid class 3 at the top, with exposure and loose rock. Jen was nervous -- such routes aren't for the faint of heart -- and so we took it slow, traveling the 1.5 miles from the lake to the summit more slowly than the 6 miles from the trailhead to the lake. The Shard is a fine climb, but it is truly a climb, not a hike, and so is not for everyone. It goes without saying that it was yet another memorable day with Jen during our 20th anniversary summer. 

On the way in.

Looking up at the Shard from Hart Lake.

Early sections of the climb from Hart Lake.

Still higher with Pudge.

And higher still with Sugarloaf in the background.

The class 3 sections with Jen and Sugarloaf once again.

El Capitan, Lonesome Bachelor and the three Como Peaks from the summit of the Shard.

Jen on the summit.

selfie on the summit.

Jen again.

Coming down on the summit cliffs.

More descending on the class 3 sections.

Out of the class 3, looking down-valley.

And headed out.