Jeff Schmerker
Tough drive, easy hike
As a guide book said about the area, the drive to the trailhead here is much more difficult than the hike itself After bouncing along on dirt and dusty roads for about 8 miles up the large Rock Creek drainage, you then begin a grueling seven-mile uphill push which gains 2,500 vertical feet -- that would be a tough hike, but this is done in a vehicle (and preferably a sturdy one with tough tires). After an hour in four wheel drive I made it to the trailhead to not surprisingly find just one other battered vehicle. On the trail, within minutes I had entered the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness and was walking along treeline toward St.
Paul Pass and Cliff Lake. I skirted Cliff Lake and aimed up the southeast ridge of St. Paul Peak, which is probably the easiest big mountain to climb in the Cabinets (actually, one of the easiest mountains to climb anywhere). I was on top an hour after clicking the truck door closed, braced against a cold wind and swirling fog. Nice views.
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