The Gilmore Area

The Gilmore Area The Gilmore area is a transition zone. So many times the southern Lemhi Range is bathed in sun while the headwaters area around Gilmore is socked in and cold. No wonder Gilmore itself is a ghost town. The weather here is crummy. Back in the '90's I had the privilege to interview Worth Hawley, local historian in these parts. At that time Worth was also in his 90's, and still lucid. His horse raising grandparents came to Upper Lemhi Valley in 1877. The subject was mountains. Worth talked about there being a 'miner up every canyon', and along with this had some good mountain lion stories. However, he could not recall any mountain ascents of note, other than the government surveyors who were here in the 1950's.

This is the summit of Sheephorn Peak el 10465' with its namesake sheep horns. The USGS target signal was used for triangulation in 1956.

The old timers called this 10205' summit Liberty Peak. View SW to the ramped north face of Gilmore Peak on 6/28/97. From 1910-1939 train whistles could be heard from here as the old Pennsy locomotive on the Gilmore & Pittsburgh RR labored into Gilmore station. The summit of Lord Fogg Peak el 10723' is just out of view to the right.

View NE to Negro Peak el 10571' from Smithie Fork Peak el 10256'. No sign of previous visitation was found here on 10/12/98. Ditto for Deer Creek Peak el 10332' on the main crest just to the south.

View SE to Trail Peak el 10533' from near Big Windy Peak during a 1/11/92 ski outing. The summit area of Big Windy was mined for lead/silver in the early 1900's. No one got rich.

Rick Baugher

June 5, 2008