Langer Lake and Ruffneck Peak

A short and leisurely trip into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Date: July 20-22, 2018.

Partners: Deez and Ketchum.

Objective: Ruffneck Peak - 9,407ft.

Stats: 9.5 miles and 2,400ft of gain round trip.

Strava: Hike to Langer Lake. Ruffneck Peak. Hike out from Langer Lake.

Links: Summitpost page.

Notes: This peak is doable as a day hike for the willing and able. A multi-day loop is also possible. Fishing seemed good at the lakes.

One week post-ultramarathon and I was still hobbling around a bit. We had planned to do a backpacking trip on this weekend and had a different route planned in the Sawtooths. I was considering a Plan B to find some relief from the heat that was forecast and also looking to cut back the mileage and elevation gain. I grabbed one of the guide books off the shelf, sat down with it and boom; this trip literally fell into my lap. The funny thing is that I've actually been trying to get into this area for some time and yet somehow this had been passed up. Until now that is.

Langer Memorial. 

First trip into The Frank.

Time to hit the dusty trail.

The road approach was fairly easy. Just an 8 mile section of dirt that was in mostly good condition. We parked at the trail head where the Langer Memorial is and tried to sign into the register, but there were no forms. I just scribbled something that resembled a sign-in on the papers inside. The hike starts in a burned area so the shade was sparse. There is an initial steep climb for a few hundred feet, but then it does mellow out and enters the forest past the burn. After a couple miles and hopping a couple small creeks we arrived at the lake. It was a welcome sight to my still recovering legs. We poked around a bit but eventually just settled on a nice large site next to the lake. The only problem with that site is that it is right off the trail and where most people, day hikers and overnighters alike, walk toward. The best looking site sits on the east end of the lake, near a large rocky outcrop, but it was already taken.

Langer Lake.

Backcountry Yahtzee.

Ruffneck Peak from Langer Lake.

The rest of the day was pleasant with plenty of food and rest. We threw down on a few games of back country Yahtzee and a few rounds of camp fire cocktails before calling it a night. We had our sites set on Ruffneck Peak the next day. It's not the hardest hike, but it was challenging enough in my condition.

Hiking to Ruffneck Peak.

We got a semi-lazy start to the 5 mile round trip with 1.400 feet of gain. The only problem with that was the day was already heating up fast.

Island Lake.

At the saddle.

Ruffneck Lake and Island Lake.

I was hiking pretty slow but we eventually made it to the saddle just below the peak where we had a short break before locking it in. From the saddle the trail was shaded and there was a nice breeze that kept us comfortable. Jest before the summit there is a really nice viewpoint that might be even better than the view from the summit.

Viewpoint on Ruffneck Peak.

Looking South from the peak.

Langer Lake and Langer Peak.

Selfie at the lookout.

Selfie with the Dog.

There was a bit of traffic on the trail and the lookout was occupied. We made our way to a shady spot and enjoyed some lunch. Views were a bit hazy but well worth the effort.

Hazy summit view.

We jumped back on the trail for the walk back to camp, making plenty of stops in the shade for micro breaks. There were also plenty of ponds to stop at for the dog to jump in.

Trail back to camp.

View from the east end of Langer Lake.

Other than the heat and bugs, we had an uneventful trip back to camp. We enjoyed another fine evening off the grid with round two of the Yahtzee tournament, some tunes and drinks. The hike out the next morning was pleasent but got hot really quick. My sore and recovering legs were moving pretty slow though. We contemplated doing Langer Peak but I decided against it due to my lack of strength. The dogs paws were also in ruff shape. Time to find some booties for him... 

When we got back to the car I found the hatch back door was ajar, leaving the dome light on and draining the battery leaving us dead in the water. Thankfully the area is well traveled and another group was right behind us to lend us a jump. Much obliged! 

Happy trails!