Squaw Butte

Squaw Butte - 6740 feet

Squaw Butte from the approach.

Trip Report (12/11/2004):
Being December, with a lot of recent snow, I planned a snowshoe trip down into the northern Owyhee Mountains. Squaw Butte, which looked fairly prominent from Boise, was the chosen peak. I found a approach road that would get me within a reasonable distance of the butte. I talked to Toni and Brian and they were immediately in.

My "improved road" was graded and rock free, but very muddy. We remained in 2 vehicles, lest on of us need help getting out. Funny story, Brian and Toni turned down an offer to go on some muddy roads on Thursday night because they had just gotten their Jeep detailed. Well, 2 days later, they blew that deal!

Once we left the trailhead, mud continued to be the theme of the day. We decided against snowshoes and that was a wise choice, as what little snow was around was less than a foot deep. The best hiking of the day was on the upper slopes, where the rock and wind limited the muddiness of the soil.

The top of the butte was very windy, but offered up good views of the entire Treasure Valley and the Boise Mountains to the north. The big Owyhee peaks were visible to the south, as were ranges in Nevada. To the west, we could see several snow capped ranges in Oregon. All-in-all, not a bad summit view at all.

On top of the peak, you will find a rock cairn and a cement block with a triangle on it marking the highpoint. Further north on the butte are a radio facility and a few more rock cairns.

Trip stats:
Time: 4.5 hours
Length: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 2200 feet
Class (difficulty): 2

Map:
Topozone or topo with the route drawn on it.

Drive:
Make your way to Marsing, Idaho. From Marsing, head west out of town for 2 miles on US 55, then take US 95 south. Follow US 95 for approximately 17 miles, then turn left (east) onto the road shown as improved and heading toward Blackstock Spring. We followed this road for 7 miles to a mine at the head of a canyon southwest of Squaw Butte. With drier conditions, you could easily continue on the road, we did not.

Route:
From the mine, we hiked east along McBride Creek on a decent road. After 2.25 miles, take the left fork of the road, which heads northeasterly, directly toward Squaw Butte. This turn-off can be tricky to find, as it is in some trees and requires a creek crossing. The alternative is just to stay on the right fork until it reaches the ridge crest and then follow the ridge north to Squaw Butte. This is open, non-steep terrain and easy to navigate in. Once you are withing a couple hundred feet of the summit, you can either stay on the road to the top, or challenge yourself on the cliff bands the protect the south side of the peak.

Pictures: Click on the pictures below to see the full-size version.


Brian and Toni ascending Point 6184.	The summit of Squaw Butte.	Me on the summit of Squaw Butte.

Treasure Valley of Idaho from the top.	The Silver City Range from the top.	Another view of Squaw Butte from the approach.