Lion's Head  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  7,226' Lat, Long:  44.7828, -111.2427 Map Page Views:  286. Good page? (1 like)    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Scott Coldiron on Oct 8, 2012 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Lion's Head approach

Description 

Lion's Head has an imposing North Face, with the Inland Northwest's best hard alpine climb, Lion Tamer (5.10b/c, 5 pitches) taking the obvious line up the middle, then skirting a large headwall to right.
The South side has some easier stuff in the 5.4 to 5.8 range and there are also moderate climbs going up the East and West buttresses.

Getting There 

From Spokane take HWY 2 North to Priest River, Idaho. Go North on Hwy 57 out of Priest River. Drive 22 miles and turn rt. on Dickensheet Hwy (watch for signs for Coolin, ID. Drive 5 miles to Coolin and turn rt. on East Shore Road/Cavanaugh Bay Road. Drive 22 miles to Lionshead Campground. Continue past the campground for 4 miles. Turn right onto Idaho State Forest Road #44. After 2.4 miles, you will pass the intersection with ISFR #43 (the way to Lookout Mountain). Continue on 44 for another 3.5 miles. You will cross Abandon Creek and come to a T-junction. Turn right and drive for another 0.3 miles to a big switchback and park. If you come to a gate, you went too far.

From the hairpin turn,Follow the ATV trail Southeast until the flagged climbers path takes off uphill to the left (obvious- about a 5 minute walk). At one point, the trail will go straight up the creek bed, soon after this section, watch for a large tree across the path. Turn right before the tree. **Do not continue up the flagged trail** We travelled uphill for 13 min. (at an easy pace) to the turn. It's not obvious, so look carefully.
Now follow the somewhat overgrown, but good climbers trail, it will trend right and uphill for about ten minutes, then contour toward Lion's Head. You will lose the trail 3 or 4 times where trees have fallen across, but you'll find it again within 50 feet, just look a few yards uphill for the continuation of the trail. The trail wil bring you to the bottom of the Talus field below Lion's Head West Peak. Get your bearing here so you can find the trail upon your return (not so easy in the dark, but there are a few cairns and two large snags that make good landmarks).

The Classics

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Lion's Head North Face