Mount Breitenbach Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Waterfall

Small area for camping at the trailhead - a few inexpensive hotels just down the road in Mackay as well as the campground at Mackay Reservoir to spend the night before/after the hike. A bit of a rough road from the highway to the trailhead. Jeep/truck with terrain clearance recommended.

From the trailhead descend down into the stream bed and up the eastern side. There will be a jeep trail to follow for a bit and after that its up to your imagination. Record snowfall in 2022-2023 led to several avalanches and rock slides resulting in the trail being virtually washed out - pick the path of least resistance and go from there.

Avoid getting too high above the stream—you'll eventually have to make your way down a steep unforgiving slope to keep progressing. Once you get above the tree line you'll be hiking across football-sized loose scree. There's a few cairns along the was to guide you but no defined path.

Once you come to the waterfall make your way to the right for a shallower climb up to the saddle. You'll see what appears to be a trail going straight up to the first false summit—these are steep patches of very loose scree made by rhxers coming down from the summit and would make for a very difficult climb on the way up.

You'll eventual see a well-defined trail along the ridge line leading to two false summits and the eventual mountain top. Good boots with ankle support and trekking poles highly advised. Trail will have snow on it well into the summer. Stream bed will have lots of flow during the spring melt and runoff.