By Michael Lanza
Unless you’ve done a fair bit of peak scrambling in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, or have looked up at the seemingly infinite row of granite teeth rising above the Sawtooth Valley, or you are a local in one of the few, scattered little towns in the area, you’ve probably never heard of Horstman Peak. But for my friend Chip Roser and me, Horstman had developed into a mild obsession by the time we set out at first light one morning last September to make another attempt on its 10,470-foot summit, which had eluded us a year before.
By later that morning—on a day that would stretch to nearly 12 hours for a roughly 14-mile, 5,000-vertical foot, mostly off-trail hike and third-class scramble—I shot this photo of Chip minutes before we reached Horstman’s crown. It was yet another challenging and satisfying success in a continuing effort to tag the highest summits in Idaho’s best-known mountain range.
I’ll write about this hike and scramble of Horstman Peak in an upcoming feature story, with many photos and a video.
The Big Outside is proud to partner with these sponsors. Please help support my blog by liking and following my sponsors on Facebook and other social media and telling them you appreciate their support for The Big Outside.
Meanwhile, see all of my stories about Idaho’s Sawtooths at The Big Outside, including my previous One Photo, One Story posts from hikes of 9,860-foot McGown Peak and the highest in the Sawtooths, 10,751-foot Thompson Peak; this photo gallery from the Sawtooth Wilderness; this story about Chip and I climbing another prominent Sawtooths peak, Mount Heyburn; my feature stories “Going After Goals: Backpacking in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains” and “Jewels of the Sawtooths: Backpacking to Alice, Hell Roaring, and Imogene Lakes;” and this Ask Me post where I answer a reader’s question: What are the best hikes in Idaho’s Sawtooths?
See also a menu of all of my stories about hiking at The Big Outside, and my All Trips page for ideas for your next adventure.
Do you like my blog? I’m Michael Lanza, the creator of The Big Outside, and I appreciate connecting with my readers. I invite you to subscribe to this blog by entering your email address in the box at the top of the left sidebar or below, and follow my adventures on Facebook and Twitter.
This blog and website is my full-time job and I rely on the support of readers. If you like what you see here, please help me continue producing The Big Outside by making a donation using the Support button at the top of the left sidebar or below. Thank you for your support.