Many approaches can make canyons feel miserable or not worth the squeeze. I can assure you, this one is going to make you question why the hell you even participate in this sport. It is so bad, that you may send me hate mail. Joke's on you, you’re the buffoon listening to some blog on the internet. I want you to remember that when you are on the god forsaken ridge, wondering how .4 miles has taken you 2 hours.

Anyhow, from the pull-out. grab the social trail that has developed next to the road and follow it towards the shuttle stop. After about 300 feet of walking, this social trail will split, bank right, and follow it down into the burn below. This trail is a shortcut and will deposit you onto the main trail. You will quickly run into a split in the trail. Read the sign or take a left and go towards Saint Mary’s Falls/Virginia Creek Falls.

A half mile later, you’ll cross a bridge over the mighty Saint Mary River. Behold its bellowing falls. Neat!

Continue on towards Virginia Creek Falls, the trail will parallel the creek with many cascades that will get you excited for the day ahead.

Just short of a mile later, you’ll pass over a bridge and see Virginia Creek Falls, sweet! Follow the trail left and pass the outhouse pull-off.

Soon, the trail will begin to become overgrown with thimbleberries, eat your way through the jungle while listening to CCR for about 2 miles. As you walk, you’ll begin to see a peninsula jetting out into the lake. Attached to it is a ridge that goes up to Mahtotopa Mountain. That is the hole you’re about to dig and sit in for the next 2 - 3 hours. So enjoy your “cruiser” of a trail.

Once you reach 48.66988, -113.58095, you will see that ridge I forementioned on your right. It doesn’t look bad right now, but the slow burn has just begun! Follow the track I have provided as you try to stay on the rocky outcroppings and out of the brushy deadfall. These rocky outcroppings give a sense of hopefulness that will later be pulverized by obstacles.

Pick your way, trying to avoid the worst of the deadfall. Eventually, you’ll see a beautiful meadow above you that is right below a cliff band. Make your way towards this oasis.

Once in the meadow, you and your crew will find that it is not an oasis at all, but a hell meticulously created by the gods above. Depending on how good of friends you have, they may not strangle you right then and there, but don’t worry. They’ll get there.

As if it wasn’t obvious, do not go into the impenetrable wall of brush. Instead, follow it on the left side just inside the tree line. Stay in the trees and follow up the same ridge you were following before. Lodge pole branches will tug at your gear as you try to stand on the deadfall and push through the light brush.

After a bit, the ridge will begin to get steeper, brushier, and just overall more unpleasant. Somewhat like having a conversation with someone from the West Coast who loves IPAs and has a golden retriever named “Quickdraw”. Shoot me.

Fight your way through the minor cliff bands, taking breaks as needed and traversing left. There is a sweet spot between where the ridge cliffs out. You are trying to find that.

After an hour, or two, or three. You’ll find the deadfall disappears and alder bushes begin to take over. Push through it and try not to think about how playing in traffic would have been a better alternative for the day. Eventually, after a long fight, you’ll arrive at the ridge. Congratulations! The first and second parts of the approach are over! Dress your wounds and enjoy some huckleberries. The worst is yet to come. It gets worse before it gets worse after all.

Once your group has decided that they can be off suicide watch, it's time to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. The third part of the approach is short, but intense and can be done in one of two ways. I will only be giving you info on one of them, as the second (and better option) has not been done yet, and therefore has no anchors.

Make your way down to the creek below; it is a bit steep, but you are overall trying to get to 48.66449, -113.55904. Which is a dryish drainage. Yay. Cross over the running creek, and you will find the final battle waiting for you. Thick alder bush stands between you and your objective. It starts pushy, but quickly you’ll find that your feet won’t even touch the ground. It is diabolical. Even the sanest of bushwhackers will seethe at this short but nasty section. Eventually, you will reach the dry fall. Congratulations! The squeeze is over; now it is time for the sweet juice.

NOTE: This approach requires anchor building that has not been done by the authors. If you go into this canyon before we can go back and create a different entry sequence, you MUST have the ability to place multiple pieces of hardware in rock (And carry a 200’ +). We entered through what we thought was the correct entrance, but it was a very bushy and very difficult to explain drop-in point. We also ghosted the first rappel in it. So take this all with a grain of salt.