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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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This cache is hidden in a medium sized loc-n-loc container. From the Keeler-Rattle saddle, you will have to hike approximately 1800 feet, up and down, along a moderate slope. There is no trail here; so this is an orienteering experience, in an area with outstanding wilderness charactoristics. This relatively open ridge is covered with trees, grass, brush and wildflowers. The views of surounding wilderness mountains are outstanding - great place to spot deer and a variety of birds.
From Troy, MT., take highway 2 east, toward Libby. Drive about two miles and turn south (right) on Lake Creek road; follow Lake Creek road about 8 miles to the Keeler-Rattle road #473. Drive about 14 miles, following the Keeler Creek drainage to the saddle on the ridge-top divide between Idaho and Montana - this divide also separates the Idaho Panhandle NF and the Kootenai NF. You will need to follow your GPS toward Bear Mountain, from this point - enjoy the hike and the views.
The cache contains cool swag and stuff of limited size and amount, including: pen and log book, HP calculator, mini-mag flashlight, golden dollar coin, lanyard, mickey mouse deck of cards, large buffalo cap, Scotchman Peaks Wilderness map and button, refrigerator magnet, virtual cache pin, Baby Grizzly and Black Bear Cub TB's and a couple geocoins.
This cache is placed along a ridge that extends approximately .75 mile (as crow flies), from the Keeler-Rattle Saddle, southeast to Bear Mountain (6061’elevation). The ridge continues on, connecting several mountain peaks within the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area (Twin Peaks, Drift Peak, Savage Mountain..). I believe that this access to the Scotchman Wilderness area may be one of the easiest, as you are starting at 5640’ elevation at the Keeler saddle and climbing only 425’ vertical elevation to the Bear Mountain summit. The 1937 Kootenai NF map notes Bear Mountain was an undeveloped fire lookout patrol point – also noted is trail #149, which accessed Bear Mountain from the northeast, up the Keeler and upper reach of Halverson Creek drainage. For additional information and maps on the proposed Scotchman Peak Wilderness
area, see www.ScotchmanPeaks.org
Note: This cache is not within the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness area, which begins about 1000 feet south of Bear Mountain.
The Keeler-Rattle road used to continue down the Rattle Creek drainage, to access Lightning Creek road #419 on the Idaho side – this segment of the road is no longer open to motor vehicle traffic.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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