Ch-Paa-Qn Peak Summer Hike Montana

Today we drove up to the Lolo National Forest, northwest of Missoula MT off the nine mile road. Besides deer, rabbits and squirrels, we saw a bobcat on the road this morning!!!  We drove up a rough forest service road to an unmarked trailhead  at 5,750 ft of elevation to hike to Ch-Paa-Qn Peak. This is the Sleeping Woman Trail, a 6 mile rt hike with 2,250 ft of elevation gain.  The trail starts in a nice forest.

Most of the wildflowers were gone, but the first mile of the trail was lined with prince's pipe and

ripe wild huckleberries, yum.

The trail continued through the woods for 2.3 miles, gaining 1,400 ft in elevation, before crossing the Reservation Divide East Trail.

After another 0.5 miles and 200 ft of elevation gain, we arrived at a large cairn below the rocky summit.

From here, it is a 400 ft scramble through talus and boulders to the top of Ch-Paa-Qn Peak, 7,996 ft of altitude.
















There is a  wind break built at the summit. Unfortunately, there were lots of flies on top as well.

Panorama to the north of Ch-Paa-Qn Peak: The Flathead Indian Reservation, the Rattlesnake Wilderness and the Mission, Cabinet, and Swan Mountains.

Panorama to the south of Ch-Paa-Qn Peak:  the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys, the Great Burn Wilderness and the Bitterroot, Sapphire, and Bison Mountains.

Looking down from the top of Ch-Paa-Qn Peak to an unnamed lake in the Flathead Indian Reservation

Geological Survey marker on top of Ch-Paa-Qn Peak

Heading back down the talus field on Ch-Paa-Qn Peak.

Some of the wildflowers and plants we saw on our hike today: