North Laidlaw Butte

Hikes: D, O.
Total Distance, O: 5 miles.
Difficulty: Level III+.
Season: April 15-October 1.
USGS Map: North Laidlaw Butte.
BLM 100K Map: Craters of the Moon.
Dirt Road Miles: 14 gravel, 10 good dirt.
PLSS Location: Section 7, T1S R25E.

Introduction: This world-class hike in the Great Rift Wilderness Study Area takes you to areas of pristine vegetation in a remote region visited by few humans. The new lava gives this wilderness an extra-wild character. If you spend a night out here, you'll experience the ultimate in desert camping. The hike includes this book's longest stretch of aa hiking, plus some difficult, thickly vegetated pahoehoe. It is definitely a tough 5 miles: be careful, and if you do this as a day hike, start early.

The Hike: Start by skirting Snowdrift Crater's southeast edge, above the aspens. You should have a clear view of Bowl Crater and North Laidlaw Butte. Your route will go due east to the narrow neck of aa lava, across it to Bowl Crater, then north on pahoehoe to North Laidlaw Butte, and then return southwest (by compass) to Snowdrift.
  Aim for the narrow stretch of aa just south of 5528. The crossing is surprisingly easy and fast--if you succeed in finding the narrow spot (W1). (On one hike the author led, he missed the shortcut, and the hikers suffered!!) Once you reach the lush grass of Little Laidlaw Park, you meet the way shown on your USGS map. Head north on it, and climb to the summit of Bowl Crater.
  The view is superb. Note how both old (vegetated) and new (barren) lava flowed around North Laidlaw Butte. Watch for lava "rafts" in the new lava. These are blocks of erupting craters, which were broken off and carried away by the flow. In many cases their surfaces are flatter, deeper-soiled, and more conducive to vegetation than the surrounding flow.
  The author walked the older lava on his way to North Laidlaw Butte. It was a fascinating route that passed above, beside, and over a full range of lava formations. It was also rough. At last he reached North Laidlaw Butte, or rather some nasty pressure ridges ringing its south side. After making a precarious climb over the ridges, he discovered an easier route to the butte from the southeast; to find it, when you hit the pressure ridges immediately south of the Butte, hike to your right a ways.
  The summit of North Laidlaw Butte offers a good view up and down the Great Rift--especially at sunset. The author found a few miniscule tent sites on the east edge of the Butte, that made for an unforgettable dry camp (D, O).
  The return to Snowdrift Crater is the most challenging routefinding stretch, because Snowdrift isn't visible most of the way from North Laidlaw Butte. Move to North Laidlaw's southwest side, and set your compass to southwest. The route back isn't especially difficult, and passes through some interesting cinder patches. Aim for W2, the place where you ought to emerge from the lava.

Access: Drive 5 1/2 miles east of Carey on US-20/26, to the signed junction with the Carey-Kimama Desert Road. Turn right (east), and after 2 miles, when another gravel road comes in from the left (north), bear right (southeast). This is the Desert Road. It is pretty good as far as Laidlaw Park, but then can have bad moments in wet weather.
  After 3 miles on the Desert Road (in Paddelford Flat), when a good road bears right, continue straight. Another 11 1/4 miles take you across Little Park, into Laidlaw Park, and finally to the famous Ant Butte Junction (on the west edge of the USGS North Laidlaw Butte Map, just southeast of Ant Butte). Go left here, and then immediately bear right on the road that passes Big Blowout Butte. The summit of Snowdrift makes a nice hike, as does North End Indian Well. Continue 7 1/2 miles to the southern edge of Snowdrift Crater, the trailhead. Take some time to look over this former volcanic vent, with aspens at its southern end, North Laidlaw Butte to the northeast, and Bowl Crater to the east.