A steep paved road to Mount Harrison in ID
Mount Harrison is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.823m (9,261ft) above the sea level, located in Cassia County in south central Idaho. It'sone of the highest mountain roads of Idaho.
Nestled in the northern Albion Mountains, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called Forest Road 549 (Howell Canyon Road). The summit receives a large amount of snow from the range and it’s open after July 1st. Even in high avalanche conditions, only a few spots on the route might have avalanche danger. On 9 February 1945 a B-24 Liberator Army Bomber crashed on the mountain in dense fog. All nine crew members on the plane died in the crash. The plane's remains have never been removed. A memorial service was held on 29 July 2004 to dedicate a plaque honoring those who died. Mount Harrison holds an alpine lake and glacial cirque.
The road is graded and very scenic but pretty steep. Starting from ID-77 road, at 1.707m above the sea level, the ascent is 11.3 miles (18.1km) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.116m. The average gradient is 6.16% hitting a 10% though some of the ramps.
Located within the Sawtooth National Forest, at the summit is a lookout established in the 1930's and updated in 1960, and some interpretive signs. The lookout is open to visitors on the weekends during the summer. The views at the summit are stunning and can stretch to 100 miles in all directions – into Utah, Nevada and north into Idaho.
Road suggested by: Mark Dallon
Pic&video: Ron Hawks