East St. Mary Peak

East St. Mary is a staggering peak which calls to everyone ve traverses the Mission Valley. As beautiful as it is, this is not the place for amateur hikers or mountaineers. The trail to the summit faint, crawling with grizzly bears, and ascends a lung-pounding 5,000 vertical feet in a few short miles. However, hikers and skiers make this trek regularly because the peak is such a challenge and because the views from the summit are so spectacular – Gray Wolf lies across a sloping alpine plane, and the heart of the Missions pierce the sky to the north. The trailhead for the peak is not marked and the road is not maintained in the winter – drive from St.