Seven Devils Mountains - Idaho

On July 20, 1997, after resupply in McCall, ID headed north on US 95 toward Riggins, ID. Just south of Riggins, turned off on the Seven Devils (Squaw Creek) road that climbs high into the Hells Canyon area near Seven Devils Mountains.

Stopped to take a picture and was mobbed by about ten very friendly horses acting like they expected sugar lumps from me.

Almost stuck their heads in the chariot. They wanted to do the same thing Monday when I left.

Drove to the Heavens Gate Vista/Lookout parking lot and hiked the 350 yards to the peak at 8429'. Nice views of all the canyons and the snowy peaks in the Wallowa-Wallowa (Eagle Cap) area of Oregon but too hazy for any pictures of that area. I did get good pictures of the Seven Devils peaks.

Camped at the Seven Devils campground at end of road.

A fellow camper who worked as a smoke jumper in the area when he was younger pointed out nearby Seven Devils Lake and the fact that some Mountain Goats were grazing nearby.

On July 21, with my long lens I was able to snap a number of good pictures of the two moms each with a kid.

Roy Wagner had pointed me toward this place and I thank him as this is the first Mountain Goats I've ever seen. (I know, except when looking in the mirror).

The Seven Devils Mountains extend along the Idaho/Oregon border for about 50 miles roughly between the Idaho towns of Whitebird and Council. The Snake River through Hells Canyon forms the west boundary and the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers bound the east.

The range is one of the more rugged of Idaho’s mountain chains and is probably the state's most precipitous with elevations varying from just above 1,000 feet at the Snake River to 9,420 feet at the summit of He Devil.

He Devil is one of three peaks in Idaho with over 5,000 feet of prominence. The vertical rise of approximately 8,000 feet in eight horizontal miles from the bottom of Hells Canyon is the highest in the state.

He Devil and adjacent She Devil are basically equal in height but have never been officially triangulated. Most books and maps incorrectly list them at 9,393 feet and 9,280 feet respectively, though USGS quad maps show both exceeding the 9,400 contour. Though He Devil appears slightly higher of the two, it is possible that She Devil is the highest.

More information here.