Around Thanksgiving, while on a trip to Elba Peak, I noticed the Cotterel mountains highpoint would make for a nice snowshoe, since it has a snowbound road to the top and highway access. So being back in Twin Falls for Christmas, I wanted to get in some miles, but not be gone too long. I thought back to the Cotterel Mountain idea, so off I went!

My trailhead was Conner Summit, on Idaho Highway 77 about 7 miles south of Albion. The drive was an easy one, exactly one hour from Twin Falls. The summit had a plowed turn-out, so I parked and got out of the vehicle. The weather was gorgeous, with clear skies and a temperature of 25 degrees. There was a fresh dusting of snow. The storm from the day before had cleared out and the next storm was moving in that afternoon. I set off in the sunshine and sparkling snow.

I initially went without snowshoes, as vehicles had laid a nice foundation on the road and only about 6 inches of very fluffy powder was on top of the hard pack. I continued up the road, with views of Cache Peak, Mount Harrison, and the Albion Valley getting better with each step up the mountain. The terrain was really neat close-by as well, with juniper, cliffy terrain, and colorful rocks.

I couldn't see the peak until around 6500'. This is also about the time that I got tired of fighting drifts on the road and threw on my snowshoes. The peak was still quite a ways off. I stuck to the road the entire way to the top of the peak.

What was a windless and cloudless day got a bit worse as a neared the top of the peak. The clouds were moving in, even starting to obscure Bull Mountain and Cache Peak to my south. The wind wasn't too fierce, but made pictures on the top a bit chilly.

The top had great views as expected. I could see the Magic Valley, Raft River Valley, a vast sea of mountains to my east, and numerous mountains to my south that I had climbed in the past: Elba Peak, Bull Mountain, and Cache Peak. Mount Harrison and the Pomerelle Ski Area were visible to the west.

After hanging out on top for 30 minutes I headed down. I had an enjoyable time and made it back to the vehicle just as the first snow flurries from the storm started falling.

If coming in from the north, make your way to Albion, Idaho. Drive about 7 miles south of Albion on Idaho Highway 77 to Conner Summit at 5750 feet.

From the south, follow Idaho 77 north for 3.5 miles from Connor, Idaho.

Just follow the improved road that heads northeasterly toward the highpoint of the Cotterel Mountains (Peak 7140), marked "Radio Facility" on the Nibbs Creek topo map.