Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness: Little Rainbow Mountain

[tomcat32]

For my 40th birthday I was on a road trip mountain biking in hiking in UT,ID,MT, and WY

This is the trip report for a climb of Little Rainbow Mtn along the Continental Divide on May 25 and some surrounding travels around Georgetown Lake the next day.

Snowpack kept me down around 7000' so I walked the road on snowshoes to Storm Lake. I Climbed 9989' Little Rainbow Mtn, the prominent peak above the lake. It snowed on and off most of the day so the views are somewhat obscured. Despite the name, Little Rainbow Mtn is the ranked 8th highest in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness and actually nearly 350' higher than Rainbow Mtn 2 miles to the west.

I have the full, complete trip report at the link below with lots of photos including the wildlife in the surrounding area.

http://tomcatoutdoors.blogspot.com/2017/06/anaconda-pintler-wilderness-climb.html

Here's a few photos to get an idea:

Ridge to Little Rainbow


Little Rainbow Mtn beyond Storm Lake


Looking down Little Rainbow Mtn toward Mt Tiny

 

[AustinCronnelly]

Nice report! I grew up in Butte and spent a lot of my childhood on Georgetown Lake and skiing at Discovery. It's nice to see from an outsiders perspective. I've never been up to Little Rainbow Mountain but I've climbed Mt. Tiny through Goat Flats. Plenty of peaks and basins that I want to explore in the Pintlers but it's not as easy now that I live in Utah...

@MikeM absolutely crushes the Southwest Montana ranges. I'm sure he'd enjoy your report and viewpoint as well.

Thanks for posting!

 

[MikeM]

Great report, and a great way to spend your 40th b-day! Thanks @AustinCronnelly for tagging me or I may have missed this!

I've been up Little Rainbow a few times, although never quite this early in the season and with that much snow. The road into Storm Lake is usually a long approach on snowshoes (I've also tried on XC skis). Were you able to do all this in a day trip, or did you camp at the lake? Either way, that's impressive. I am hoping to get up that way next weekend and hoping to try Mount Howe, just to the East of Little Rainbow.

 

[tomcat32]

I drove up as far as I could on the road- 4 miles or so and did the hike/ climb in a day. I figured at least 12 miles possibly as much as 14.