A Smoke-Covered Holland Peak

SWAN VALLEY - As the terminus of summer loomed nearer, and my tenure reporting for the Pathfinder approached with equal speed and horror, I knew I needed to get in one last adventure before trading in my lakeside life for one of city streets and lecture halls.

For several weeks, I had the idea of bagging Holland Peak, the tallest mountain in the Swan Range, in the back of my head.

For those same weeks, I was continuously thwarted in my attempts-first by a lack of adventure buddies, then by the exhaustion of myself and said adventure buddies, then by the copious amounts of smoke from the Rice Ridge Fire.

Finally I decided I could wait no longer-smoke be damned.

On a Tuesday afternoon, when Seeley Lake was thick with smoke, my roommate Tucker drove up from Missoula to join me in one last quest. We drove north hoping that the smoke would thin the further we got, but alas, it seemed to only thicken.

We got to the trailhead, and assessed the situation-it was smoky, but didn't smell like we were standing next to a campfire, which is typically where I deem it unhealthy to be outside. The parking lot was also filled with several cars which gave us a good vibe right away.

My roommate and I had all the gear necessary to spend a night, or two or three, camping if we so desired, but decided that hiking in the smoke, much less sleeping in it, was enough. We ditched our packs and in seconds went from being over prepared, to underprepared for our trek. What else is new.

With a liter and a half of water, two peanut butter and jelly burritos and a map between us, we set off down, er, up, the trail.

The trail to the Rumble Creek Lakes, and to Holland Peak, climbs right away. The grade remains relatively mellow for almost a mile before you hit an unmarked junction on your left. Once you start on that trail, you climb about 3,000 feet in less than three miles.

I shifted into power hiking gear, and let Tucker get in his workout for the day by running up. When I finally caught him, thousands of feet higher on the mountain, he was sitting happily in a patch of huckleberries, looking very much like the content black bear I had passed just minutes before.

After the initial steep climb, the trail put us into a long valley above Rumble Creek and we theoretically got our first view of Holland Peak. The smoke made it possible to only see the faint outline.

Once we hit Lower Rumble Lake (nice camping spot) we continued through the talus slope towards Upper Rumble Lake (more good camping).

Holland Peak forms an impressive backdrop to Upper Rumble Lake. A 1,500 foot cliff rises straight up from the water forming a wall that is fairly typical of the Swan Crest. Thankfully a trail winds up the shoulder of the cliff to get to the ridgeline.

To this point in our trek, there were no issues, other than some constant giggling that may have indicated a lack of hydration. We got to the ridgeline connecting to the peak and got to experience some solid exposure and moderate climbing.

The crux of the ridgeline is about 500 feet of exposed slab. Fall off the left side and you plummet down the cliff. Slip off the right and you roll down the slanted slab until it also turns to cliff. Navigating the section isn't so bad, but the exposure adds an element of excitement.

Once we reached the top, we took in the 360 degree panorama of smoke. A few peaks north and south along the crest could be seen, but the expanse of the Bob Marshall and the distant Mission Mountains were obscured.

After a quick refueling via PB&J burrito, we booked it (safely) off the peak and past the lakes.

Since we'd started so late, it was nearing 7 p.m. when we hit the lower lake.

We took the time to jump in for a refreshing swim, and decided that is was worth returning to this area if only to string up a hammock by the lake and take in the view.

Our only regrettable decision from the day came right after that quick swim-we decided to run the descent back to the car. Descending 3,000 feet in so few miles leads to unparalleled soreness in the legs for days! It also led to one very nicely executed summersault down the trail when I couldn't catch myself in time.

For a summer filled with reporting and writing, I was happy to have bagged five peaks as well as explored a good portion of the Clearwater and Swan Valleys.

I will undoubtedly be back-- there's another 40 miles of ridgeline and peaks I saw from the top of Holland that are calling to me. And I must go.

At A Glance

Length: Five miles to the peak

Elevation: 9,356 feet

Directions: Drive north on Highway 83 approximately 28 miles from Seeley Lake, or two miles south of Condon (mile marker 39). Turn east onto Rumble Creek Rd. Follow the road four miles to the parking area, just past the Cooney Lookout.

Difficulty: Lakes, 5/10, peak 7/10 (1 being a stroll through the park, 10 being technical climbing or of excessive duration)

Overview: From the parking lot, take the clearly marked trail #192. Follow this for approximately a mile until an unmarked junction. Trail #192 continues straight, the route to the lakes and peak veers sharply left and upward. Steep, unrelenting climbing continues for about 2,000 feet of elevation in about a mile.

From there, the trail sidehills above Rumble Creek and takes hikers through an old fire area.

Once the lower lake is reached, the trail wraps around the right side and up the talus field. This route, once it reaches the upper lake, again wraps around to the right to ascend the ridgeline. Once on the ridgeline, the trail disappears but the peak is easily distinguished. The crux is a Class 4 scramble (lots of exposure, falling would mean serious injury but isn’t ‘technical’)

This is a peak that is definitely worth doing if you aren’t too scared of heights and exposure. It is best timed during peak huckleberry season but not at the peak of fire season. Good luck.