According to the Helena Area Hiking Guide by Cedron Jones this is a "short and pleasant bushwhack" up to the summit. According to me, this is a bushwhack which can be pleasant, will probably be tough and could be dowright difficult depending on the "up" route you chose. I picked short, steep and rocky and I'm sure it took me just as long as the pleasant longer route would have taken to get to the top!
From the guide...
"The lower slopes are pretty weedy, and there are user created vehicle routes on the ridge. But it's still a scenic area and affords fine views." The author recommends parking just before the York bridge on the west side of the road (heading toward York- 16 miles from Helena). There are cairns there that head along a barely recognizable old track. Follow the low trail PAST the first big draw, to the gulch with a healthy stand of trees on the southeast facing slope and then head up to the top of the ridge where you'll find some fairly clear roads along the approach ridge. Follow the ridge line (you'll see cairns again after passing through a saddle) to the the Peak itself.
If you follow the recommended route you'll hike between 3 and 3.5 miles (roundtrip) and climb 800 feet from your vehicle. But feel free to attack this climb any way you want. You'll never get lost as you barely loose sight of your car. Coming down is much easier... pick a fall line and slip slide your way home! Avoid the "scree" on the way up. Ski it on the way down!
The cache should be the easiest one you've found in a long time once you reach Ground Zero. On the summit is a "climber's registry". It has a note book, and surprisingly some geocaching style swag, and is contained in an ammo can sitting right out in the open. Since I only had one of those evil camoed DNA test tube containers along on the hike... I hid it in the ammo can!! That will insure a dry log to sign everytime!
The registry on top has been signed approximately 14 or 15 times since spring 2010. One entry was a group of 10 local hikers from the Helena Hiking club. It's been there for over 4 years and has had on average 3.5 signatures added per year. We signed in as group #3 for 2014. Not a lot of people have visited this spot and those who have rave about the stunning 360 degree view from up top! This will be a tough one to log... but it is worth the effort!!!!
Congrats to both Kristin n Wayne and Bison Chasers for showing up on top so quickly after this one was published. Way to go KnW on the FTF! You folks all "rock"!