Highpoints: Trip Planner
GANNETT PEAKTRAVEL
Arrival and Departure Dates
It is helpful to arrive a couple of days prior to your climb in order to acclimatize. Otherwise, you should arrive the day before your trip begins to attend the organization session at our office. Do not plan on traveling on the last day of the trip-you will be tired and there are no guarantees when we will return to the trailhead.
Air Travel
In the summer there are regular flights to Jackson Hole from Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Minneapolis. We suggest making your reservation as soon as possible. If flights are sold out or too expensive, your options include flying into Idaho Falls, Salt Lake City, Bozeman, or Cody and renting a car. Idaho Falls is the closest option, just two hours away. Otherwise, Salt Lake City, Bozeman, and Cody are all about a five-hour drive from Jackson.
Also, the Jackson Hole Express (800-652-9510) provides daily shuttle service from Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls.
Local Transportation
Please plan on providing your own transportation. Jackson Hole Mountain Guides does not provide transportation services but it is often possible to arrange car pools with other clients and the guide. Car rental, bus and taxi services are available.
Office Location and Directions
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides is located in downtown Jackson at 165 North Glenwood. Our phone number is (800) 239-7642.
From the airport, (north of town) drive south on Highway 89. In north Jackson, Highway 89 becomes Cache Drive. At the second traffic light, turn right on Gill Avenue. At the first intersection, turn left on Glenwood Street. We are located a half-block down on the right.
From south of town, drive north on Highway 89. In south Jackson, Highway 89 becomes Broadway. Just shy of the town square turn left on Glenwood Street (you’ll essentially turn into the Wort Hotel on a one-way). We are located one-and-a-half blocks down on the left.
Directions to Trailheads
Both Pinedale and Crowheart/Dubois are about 1.5-2 hours from Jackson.
Elkhart Park Trailhead is 14 miles east of Pinedale, and has a paved road the entire way to the 9380’ elevation parking lot. Near the east side of Pinedale, where the highway curves south and Faler’s General Store is located, turn east on Skyline Drive; there are signs for Fremont Lake. After three miles, bear right and subsequently pass roads on the right to Half Moon Lake and White Pine Ski Area. Pass a Forest Service A-frame house and the parking area is on the right. To rendezvous at the horsepacker’s, take a right on a small two track, FS Road 740B about a third of a mile before (not just before) the A-frame.
Contact our office regarding east side Wind River departures and shuttles.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Plan on having accommodations for the night prior to and the night you return from your climb. There are a plethora of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts in Jackson and Pinedale. Accommodations near our office make your transitions convenient. It is highly advisable to make reservations as early as possible. Jackson Hole is quite busy throughout the summer and holiday periods are often sold out.
For lodging and travel in Jackson, we suggest Jackson Hole Central Reservations and Jackson Hole Net. There are many motels in Jackson within a three block radius of our office.
Check with Pinedale Chamber of Commerce for motel availability there.
Dubois has plenty of lodging and camping options for east side departures; peruse the options on the Dubois Chamber website.
There are numerous places to camp, including two Bridger-Teton Forest campgrounds, Cozy and Hoback on the Hoback River between Jackson and Pinedale; many of our Gannett Peak climbers camp at the Trail’s End campground right at Elkhart Park roadhead. They are all around $10-15/night, have potable water, and are first come, first served.
PREPARATION
The Gannett Peak climb from Elkhart Park involves 44 miles roundtrip, two crossings of Bonney Pass (12,800 feet), extensive snow climbing and rock scrambling (3rd or 4th class) on the summit ridge. Even with horse support, this is a significant mountaineering challenge. While the east side approach from Cold Springs is shorter, the expedition is still quite rigorous with five days straight of tough physical activity.
Prerequisites: Climbers must be fit and be able to effectively use an ice axe for self-arrest. A one-day snow climbing course or equivalent experience is required. This course can be completed in Jackson Hole prior to the trip or in another guiding venue.
Training and Altitude: please see our page on Preparation for suggestions on getting ready for this expedition.
FOOD INFORMATION
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides supplies all breakfasts and dinners. You need provide your own lunches, trail food, and energy drinks. Our office will send you more information regarding food selection.
EQUIPMENT
View our complete equipment list in PDF format.
Keep in mind the strenuous wilderness character of Gannett trips; gear should be light and in good repair. Minimize luxury items—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound on your back!
There are a few details about equipment specific to Gannett Peak. Footwear traditionally raises questions. Typical conditions on Gannett Peak require a boot sturdy enough that strap-on crampons can be worn for the day, and heavy enough for snow climbing. Plastic double mountaineering boots are not suitable; they are too bulky and heavy on the approach. A mid-weight leather or synthetic boot is far better. The Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX, or equivalent, is a good boot to consider; these can be rented at Teton Mountaineering. A slightly heavier, leather boot like the Sportiva Glacier is also an excellent choice.
Many people use an approach or running shoe for the trail hike in when it is dry, and to wear around camp. The shoe can have ankle support or be low cut; with the many trail miles, comfort is essential. We rent “sticky” soled approach shoes at our office.
Packs need to be large enough for personal gear plus your share of the group gear and food. You will want a pack with a capacity of around 3,700-5,000 cubic inches or 60-70 liters. The Lowe Alpine Contour/Sirocco series is a good example. If you plan to use an external frame pack you will also need a day pack for the climbing day because the frame packs are impossibly unwieldy when climbing. You can rent 50L, 60L and 70L Lowe Alpine packs from JHMG for $8/day.
Functional rain pants and rain jacket are a necessity. For those who spend a lot of time in the mountains the Sierra Designs Cyclone or Patagonia Rain Shadow pants and jacket are fine choices. If your budget is tight, consider less expensive coated nylon substitutes, such as the Sierra Designs Hurricane jacket/pants, as a perfectly adequate alternative—we do have these for sale at the JHMG office.
Mosquitoes can be ferocious on the approach hike, especially in July. Repellent is a necessity and head nets are popular at certain times of the year.
AMENITIES
Most west side trips choose to utilize horsepackers to ferry supplies past Island Lake. Porters are available for both west and east side trips. Contact our office to arrange either of these amenities.
There is a two-map set for the Wind Rivers published by Earthwalk Press that is quite good; our rock climbing courses are on the Southern quad, and Gannett and the Titcomb Basin peaks are on the Northern quad. These maps can be found at local shops or ordered online at Wild Iris Mountain Sports. The Joe Kelsey book, Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains, is a useful guidebook if you’d like to learn more about the area.
Remember, the Wind Rivers are quite remote and one must have everything one needs by the time we depart. The drinking water needs to be treated, either with iodine pills or filters. Cell phones generally have poor coverage, with the exception of the summit! We practice Leave No Trace camping, hiking, and climbing techniques to leave the wilderness areas as pristine as we found them. We follow safe bear camping practices in order to avoid any potential conflict.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
This area has elevations from 9000-13,804’, and these high mountain areas have extremely variable weather. Often the nights are cool or below freezing while the days can range from 40-75 degrees F. Wind, rain, hail, even summer snow showers may be encountered, and expect early morning starts to avoid those afternoon thundershowers. Visit our Wind River Climate and Weather page for more information on this area.
GRANITE PEAK
TRAVEL
Air travel options include flying to Jackson Hole, Cody, or Billings, and renting a car. Please make your departure plans for the day after the conclusion of your trip. Plan on having your own local transportation; it’s a good idea to reserve rental cars as early as possible.
The West Rosebud Trailhead is located approximately 80 miles southwest of Billings; if coming from Jackson it is about a seven hour drive.
From the north, take the Columbus exit from Interstate 90, and take Montana Highway 78 through Absaroka and turn west (right) toward Fishtail (approximately 17 miles from Columbus). From Fishtail, drive west and south for 1 mile, turn left on the West Rosebud Road. Watch for the sign for West Rosebud Lake, approximately 2 miles down the road, and turn left. Follow this rough and graveled road for 14 miles to the West Rosebud Trailhead. The trailhead has toilet facilities, and a parking area where climbers can leave their cars.
From Red Lodge, take state route 78 west for about 20 miles, looking for Roscoe--don’t blink! At Roscoe, home of the famous Grizzly Bar, take a left and shortly, a right on a graded gravel road, called the Ingersoll Creek Road. This road intersects with the West Rosebud Road after several miles; take a left on W. Rosebud, then another left after two miles staying on W. Rosebud. After this the road is long and bumpy, and the trailhead will be found soon after West Rosebud Lake.
The East Rosebud Trailhead can be found from Red Lodge by taking a left in Roscoe, and heading straight up the canyon, crossing the East Rosebud drainage after 7 miles. The Phantom Creek trail, trail #17, is just before Alpine and East Rosebud Lake, 14.5 miles after Roscoe.
ACCOMMODATIONS
There are both camping and motel options for the nights before and after trips. Red Lodge has a selection of motels and is within an hour and a half of the trailhead. Information can be found at the Red Lodge website.
There are numerous places to camp, including two Custer National Forest campgrounds, Emerald Lake and Pine Grove, on the West Rosebud River near the West Rosebud trailhead. They have plenty of sites, cost $9/night, and are first come, first served. East Rosebud also has two campgrounds, East Rosebud and Jimmy Joe, which also cost $9.
PREPARATION
The Granite Peak climb involves 22+ miles roundtrip, many of which are above 10,000', extensive snow climbing in early season, a lot of talus scrambling and rock scrambling(3rd or 4th class), and a few hundred feet of technical (5th class) rock climbing on summit day. This is a significant mountaineering challenge.
Prerequisites:
For early season trips (early July), climbers must be fit and be able to effectively use an ice axe for self-arrest. A one-day snow climbing course or equivalent experience is required. For mid to late season trips, climbers must be able to have basic rock climbing skills and good endurance in rocky terrain. A one-day rock climbing course or equivalent experience is required. These climbing courses can be completed in Cody or Jackson Hole prior to the trip or in another guiding venue.
Training and Altitude: please see our page on Preparation for suggestions on getting ready for this expedition.
FOOD
During your expedition, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides supplies all breakfasts and dinners. You provide your own lunches, trail food, and energy drinks. Our office will supply you with specific food recommendations.
EQUIPMENT
View our complete equipment list in PDF format.
Consult the equipment list for your clothing and equipment needs. Keep in mind the strenuous wilderness character of Granite trips; gear should be light and in good repair. Minimize luxury items—an ounce of prevention saves a pound on your back!
There are a few details about equipment specific to Granite Peak. Footwear traditionally raises questions. Typical early season conditions on Granite Peak (usually through mid-late July) require a boot sturdy enough that strap-on crampons can be worn for the day, and heavy enough for snow climbing. Plastic double mountaineering boots are not suitable; they are too bulky and heavy on the approach. A mid-weight leather or synthetic boot is far better. The Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX, or equivalent, is a good boot to consider; these can be rented at Teton Mountaineering. A slightly heavier, leather boot like the Sportiva Glacier is also an excellent choice.
Later in the season light hiking or approach shoes work well; we recommend sticky soled approach shoes, particularly those made by Scarpa, Five Ten, La Sportiva, Garmont and Montrail, and we do rent approach shoes at our office.
Packs need to be large enough for personal gear plus your share of the group gear and food. You will want a pack with a capacity of around 3,700-4,500 cu. in. or 60-70 liters. The Lowe Alpine Contour/Sirocco series is a good example. If you plan to use an external frame pack you will also need a day pack for the climbing day because the frame packs are impossibly unwieldy when rock climbing. You can rent 50L, 60L and 70L Lowe Alpine packs from JHMG for $8/day.
Functional rain pants and rain jacket are a necessity. For those who spend a lot of time in the mountains the Sierra Designs Cyclone or Patagonia Rain Shadow pants and jacket are fine choices. If your budget is tight, consider less expensive coated nylon substitutes, such as the Sierra Designs Hurricane jacket/pants as a perfectly adequate alternative—we have these for sale at the JHMG office.
AMENITIES
All supplies must be purchased in town before the trip. If you have dietary restrictions, allergies or preferences please let our office know well in advance of your trip's starting date.
We can arrange porters if you would like this amenity. The approach is not suitable for horses.
There is a two-map set that covers the climb: the USGS 7.5 minute quads are Granite Peak and Alpine, and are available in Jackson at Teton Mountaineering, or online at the USGS. If you have a GPS, it may be useful up high. Cellphones generally have good coverage.
The drinking water needs to be treated, either with iodine pills or filters. We practice Leave No Trace camping, hiking, and climbing techniques to leave the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness as pristine as we found it.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
This area has elevations from 6000-12,799’, and these high mountain areas have extremely variable weather; often the nights are cool while the days can warm up substantially even in the alpine environment. Wind can be a real issue on the exposed Froze to Death plateau. Fog, rain, hail, even summer snow showers may be encountered, and expect an early morning start on summit day to avoid those afternoon thundershowers. For additional information on the weather, geology, and more in the area, look at our Beartooth Weather page.