MOUNT ROOTHAAN 7,326 feet (Class 2-3)
Is located just south of Chimney Rock and is nearly as rugged as its more famous counterpart.
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Map: USGS Mount Roothaan
Drive:
Horton Ridge Lookout access:
0.0 Coolin ID-57 is the primary approach route into the Priest Lake section of the range. It is good paved until the west side of Priest Lake north of Nordman, where a number of Forest Service roads continue to the north.
9.5 miles north of Coolin, turn east onto Horton Ridge Road gives quick access to the Chimney Rock area. Road may be in poor but passable condition. Park at the Lookout site parking area.
Trail/Route: A trail leads to the ridge below Mount Roothaan, where you get the first sighting of the rock. The route from this point is cross country and involves either dropping off the ridge into the drainage below Chimney rock, or crossing the saddle north of Mount Roothaan and traversing the east side of the ridge to the saddle north of Chimney Rock. The ridge walk to base of the peak and the easy scramble on the ridge are as rewarding as the view of Chimney Rock to the north.
Pack River Access. The Pack River drains a large area of the Selkirk Range between Harrison Peak in the north and Chimney Rock in the south.
0.0 FS-231, Pack River Road leaves US-2/US-95 at Walsh Lake and proceeds north for almost 20 miles to a point just south of Harrison Peak.
16.0 miles Turn west on FS-2653. Stay on the most worn route until it becomes too difficult to traverse.
18.5 miles Hike up the road for aobut .5 mile, cross Chimney Creek and then follow the old logging road up to the top of the ridge that divides the Chimney Creek and West Fork drainages. From this point it is an additional 2.0 miles to the crest on a path marked with blazes on the trees and rock cairns on the ridge crest into the cirque on a bench at the base of Mount Roothaan.
