Leatherman Peak

Published on 2026-06-22 by Michael Stanton

Josh suggested a climb of Leatherman soon, and I said "why not tomorrow?" Before long we had a plan, along with Sam and his son Job. We'd meet at a key point east of Doublespring Pass on a good dirt road, then continue to the trailhead in the morning in Josh's rugged Tacoma.

We actually didn't meet up the night before, only because I parked a bit east of a junction we'd want in the morning. I saw a wide flat spot a bit off the road and decided to camp in that place. I did get a neat picture of Borah in the sunset.

Borah the night before...

Michael, Job and Josh hiking in

The next morning we met up at 6 am. Sam and I had gone rock climbing once before in Wolverine Canyon, but I hadn't met his son, who recently returned from army basic training.

The road was fine at first, but in the last several miles it was slow and painful! We stopped about three-quarters of a mile from the official trailhead and started walking. I was cold so I went a bit ahead and stood in a sun-patch. Job came up and we talked about army stuff. He pointed out that a lot of "war training" is out of date, being centered around the movement of large numbers of troops and equipment. The Russia/Ukraine war is showing how archaic that kind of information is becoming. We also talked about women serving in combat and the subject of complementarianism. Well, actually, I kind of soapboxed and Job listened politely and always called me sir. That is awfully nice!

Our initial steep slope, with the resting tree at base

In the middle corrie. Sam and I admired a rock climb we imagined here.

Life at the Resting Tree

We stopped at a beautiful tree in a meadow underneath a toilsome-looking slope we'd have to climb. I'd been worried that we'd have to climb steep snow to reach the ridgecrest. Although there were extensive snowfields, it was starting to appear that we wouldn't have to do that -- this is good, because we really didn't have the equipment today.

We started up, occasionally getting into zones of exhausting scree. Sam pioneered a way on a rock rib that was pretty good. Above this slope, a trail became pretty well defined, and Josh pointedly apologized to the range for calling it a pile of rubble in the days prior. Indeed, the trail was good, the talus was stable, and we couldn't complain! I do think I like snow climbing in the Lost River Range best, but this was still amazing.

Job approaches the ridge

Job again, with snowfields

Josh, only wishing for skis (and more snow)

We were cracking up at Sam's refusal to tie his shoes...or zip his fly!

Great talks on religion and philosophy got us through several thousand feet of elevation gain quite well. We talked about how often childhood experience of religion is rather bad. Kids experience it as authoritarian, and end up associating religion with all of the bad qualities of human society and interaction. Also, there is a dearth of real answers to questions they have. There is a lot of "just because" or "because I said so" going on.

I wish the adults could impart to the kids that when they found God they escaped the depressing world of "just because." They entered an adventure story. They found a marvellous delight in an ancient and paradoxical way to live. They found a way to live philosophically. Every way of life has "dogmas."

If I am the most ardent hedonist, I will still have dogmas. For example, I may avoid the opium pipe until noon, and shut myself up for an all day sleep every Monday after the weekend of debauchery. I'll even invent little sayings to justify this. If I have a son, he'll roll his eyes at my dogmas, and run into a life of austere purity to spite me!

I admire those who discard religion for the right reasons, and I admire those who take it up. Everyone should be courageous enough to discard too-easy or premature answers. The complexity here is that belief and understanding are in a relationship with each other -- they can mutually strengthen or crumble under the influence of the will. As Saint Augustine said:

Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.

This is a delicate operation. It requires feeling the presence of God in order to walk the knife edge of believing beyond or past your rational sense. Eventually that walk itself brings joy. If complete understanding was to be the goal, and willed belief despite rational disbelief is the road walked to it, then we must admit we will never reach the goal. But we will not mind, because the journey itself may be communion.

Sam, Josh and Job on the ridge

Sam found a bit of rock climbing

Josh leads Sam to the top

A well-beaten-in trail

Michael peeks over the edge of the crest

And nothing wrong with not even starting that journey at all. The only journey that is worth anything is one you begin with your free will. To know that you have free will, you may need to push against the grain of expectation, for a year or a lifetime. Sometimes in life I've gone with the grain, and that was fine. But I do feel more alive when I push, even if only at an obtuse angle, against the grain.

But I digress! Our party has gained the summit ridge, with incredible views to the south for the first time. Job walked a bit behind, being new to this kind of peak bagging, though he remained unstoppable. Another 30 minutes and we were on top.

Hilariously, Josh asked an AI to take our summit photo and clothe us in leather (because Leatherman Peak, you know). It did a great job of it. So funny...

Josh and wilderness

Lots of 11ers to climb here!

Looking north to Borah

Peaks and lakes with icebergs to the northwest

On the way down I pulled ahead, thinking about that beautiful solitary tree we'd stopped under on the way up (Sam left a water bottle here, too). I wanted to sit under it and wait for the other fellas to arrive. So I hopped and scree-skied down quickly. After eating my lunch and getting a little cold in the shade, I moved into the sun a bit and watched the guys coming down. Oh, there was a guy with a snowboard too. He came down amid Josh and Job, turning piorettes and making sick jumps and whirlybirds (okay, I'm just making up terms here) on the last dregs of snow. He walked by a few minutes later, saying it was the most fun he ever had.

The truck is down in there

White Cap Peak and Pass Lake

Summit selfie

The LEATHERMEN!

On the way out Job and I talked about Israel and Palestine, as you do, keeping things light and all, lol...

What a fantastic time -- huge thanks to Josh for the gray-hair inducing hours of driving to the trailhead! We got a burger at Pickles Place, so dang good.

1280 feet up and down, just under 10 miles.

Icy refreshment at the truck!

Job, Sam and Michael

White Cap Peak on the north side of Leatherman Pass