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Views from the Summits:
Mount James
Here we are looking at Mount James from the trail heading to Triple Divide Pass. We are facing west. The trail wraps around the south (left) side of James until you reach Triple Divide Pass. The ridge to the summit begins there.
Mount James (9,375 feet) is located in the Cutbank Area of Glacier National Park. The Cutbank Ranger Station and Campground lies between St. Mary and Two Medicine, and from the highway you take a gravel road for 5 miles to reach it. The trailhead near the campground is a gateway to unlimited hiking and climbing, and is well off the beaten path.
Mount James is about 10 miles west of the ranger station, and is 4,500 vertical feet above it. Towering above Triple Divide Pass and Triple Divide Mountain, this beautiful peak offers great views that are seldom seen by people. This remote area is another reminder that the amount of peaks in Glacier Park seems endless.
Views from the Summit
This is the classic view to the west. The closest peak to the left is Norris Mountain, and sharp peak to the right of the photo is Split Mountain. The glacier covered peaks in the distance are Mount Logan, Mount Jackson and Blackfoot Mountain, just to name a few. The two prominent glaciers in view are Logan Glacier and Pumpelly Glacier.
Here we are on the summit of Mount James. Pumpelly Glacier is just to the left of Shannon.
This jagged peak in the center of the photo is Split Mountain. We are facing north. Notice the ocean of peaks beyond it. By the way, the far right mountain in the distance is Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, which is located on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Mount James provides oustanding views to the west.
We were about a thousand vertical feet from the summit of Mount James when we took this photo. It's a classic view of the famous Triple Divide Peak (lower center). This is the only peak in the world where its summit is perfectly centered on three continental divides. Water that runs west from it's summit goes into the Pacific Ocean, water that runs to the east flows into the Altantic Ocean, and water that runs to the north flows into the Arctic Ocean! The huge peak above Triple Divide Peak is the famous Mount Stimson, which is one of the six peaks in the park that are over ten thousand feet. The sharp peak to Stimson's left is Mount Pinchot.
This is a view to the southeast. The larger lake thousands of feet below us is Medicine Grizzly Lake. The peaks in the distance are part of the Two Medicine Area. Notice the sharp matterhorn in the upper left. This is Flinsch Peak. The tall dome shaped mountain to the right is Mount Phillips. Both of these peaks are near Dawson Pass.
We were about 1,500 vertical feet below the summit of Mojunt James when we took this photo. Norris Mountain is the large mountain to the left.
This is a view of Pumpelly Glacier (left) and Logan Glacier. This Glacial Complex is located between Mount Logan and Blackfoot Mountain. We are facing northwest
Shannon takes a look back at the famous Triple Divide Peak as we head up the ridge to the summit of Mount James. Triple Divide Pass is directly underneath it, and that's where our trek began to the summit of Mount James. Mount Pinchot is the jagged peak to the left, and Mount Stimson is the huge peak in the upper right. We are facing west.
Mount James provides breath-taking views!
Dave scampering up the west ridge of Mount James.
This is a view of the summit of Mount James, and the eastern prairie beyond it. The creek that you see is Cutbank Creek, and this is where the Cutbank Ranger Station and Campground are located. (That's where are truck is parked, ten miles from here.)
This is a view to the south. Flinsch Peak is the sharp peak to the far upper left, which is part of the Two Medicine Area. The peak closest to Shannon is Razoredge Mountain, and the far right, jagged peak is Mount Pinchot.
The thunder heads (clouds) in the distance seem harmless, but within an hour, they were upon us. Fortunately they took a turn northward just before they were on top of
Lunch Time!
Another gorgeous view from the summit of Mount James. We are facing northwest.
Mount Stimson towers over Shannon to the west. Notice the deep valleys that surround Mount Stimson like a moat. These are the famous Nyack Valley and Coal Creek Valley, and they are extremely remote and extremely low in elevation. No matter how you approach Stimpson, you are looking at over 6,000 vertical feet to the summit. Now that's what we call "vertical expression"!
This storm missed us, but ended up pounding the Many Glacier Area. They received 4 inches of rain in one hour! We are facing north.
Our afternoon on Mount James was incredible. It's a beautiful peak that allows us to have great views of extremely remote areas.
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