Monument Peak and Lake Mountain

Monument Peak and Lake Mountain are situated in the rugged and wild heart of the Pasayten Wilderness. To the north tower the lined faces of the Mount Osceola-Lago-Carru group. Ranged by Pistol Pass and the Lost River, certainly the names of these surrounding features suggest something more ominous than the feasible scrambling that provides access to such remote giants. Monument has a long southern ridge that protects a steep north face laced with cliffs. Less than 2 miles away, the north face of Lake is nearly as abrupt. An open, glacier-scooped basin nestles in the arm between the two. This rocky scramble is very strenuous and athletic. The high, alpine landscape is wild, alien, and lonely. Few people visit the area because it is so much work to get there, and parts of the trail have not been well maintained in recent years. The trail up to Pistol Pass gains about 4800 feet elevation on a south-facing slope with little shade, and therefore can be hot and parching. Plan accordingly: travel early, carry enough water, and stop when heat exhaustion threatens.