Out there with Tom: Long Peak in Little Belts, Cascade County's high point --- bushwhacking by car

Annie Taylor wielded an ax to help create parking space

Katie in the talus on Long's summit cap. Big Baldy in the background

The massive ruins of the Glory Hole Mine

Wayne Phillips on top, celebrating his 79th birthday

Wayne beneath a massive white bark pine tree

I guess you could say that I broke in my 2020 Subaru Forester on the climb of Long Peak (elevation: 8,621 feet) in the Little Belts on Saturday.

The drive to our starting point wrecked the paint finish on my new car, and to get it parked we had to pull out an ax to clear a space.

This was an off-trail climb and our trip leader Wayne Phillips devised a route that would take us to the end of the Chamberlain Creek Road. Had we not traveled the final mile, my car's paint job would still be intact. Branches overhanging the sides of this narrow road, did a real scratch job on the car. It looks like someone keyed the thing.

Anyway, at this point it was all off-trail to what is the high point in Cascade County.

We reached our starting point by accessing the Jefferson Creek Road south of Neihart and traveling 3.5 miles to its junction with the Chamberlain Creek Road over numerous speed/erosion bumps. Then it was 10.4 miles to the road's end, which we didn't make because it became impassible because it was too narrow, bumpy and somewhat overgrown.

At this point we had to clear some branches to turn around our cars and park them, and begin our hike.

Since Long Mountain is covered with talus, Wayne's route largely avoided the talus until we reached the summit cap by staying in islands of trees between talus chutes.

Although it was smoky from the California fires in Great Falls and on the drive to Belt, it was clear enough on top the mountain for terrific views of Big Baldy to the east, Barker and the mountains lining the Lonetree road to the north as far as the Highwoods and Square Butte. To the west and south it was a bit more smoky. We also got good views of some of the mining activity that gave rise to the mining towns of Neihart, Barker and Hughesville. The size of the Glory Hole Mine on the flank of the Pioneer Ridge is ming boggling.

This was a nice, easy hike despite being off-trail.

I had climbed it once before, but on skis, directly up the southwest ridge.

This was a much shorter route, but I could have done without the car bushwhack.We climbed over 1,300 feet and hiked 4-miles round trip.

Notable: This was a hike to celebrate Wayne Phillips' 79th Birthday, which is Sept. 2.