Koch Mountain (Bitterroots) - July 23, 2022

Participants: Corey Hinshaw and Adam Drobish
This was another Bitterroot 9ker checked off the list.  Adam was interested in joining, as he had attempted this mountain the year prior but was turned around near the summit.  There had been a small forest fire on the shoulder of Koch around the 4th of July, so a fire crew had been up there previously to contain it.  This led to the unofficial game trail to be relatively straightforward to follow.  We then dropped into a little sub drainage, gained the SE ridge, and weaved around cliffs and gendarmes to make the summit.  The mountain is named after Elers Koch, who was part of the party to first ascend Granite Peak!  It is a cool and seldom visited area, with fantastic views south to El Capitan and Como Peaks! https://youtu.be/tNRKSDVx2Y0