General InformationNick Peak is one of the more visible summits from McCall, Idaho. You can see it as you drive past the airport on Highway 55, just south of town. But Nick is also one of the harder peaks to reach, requiring a long hike and considerable off-trail navigation in steep terrain.
Climbing Nick requires a 7 to 8 mile hike with a 3800' gain. This makes for a long day.
The McCall area gets lots of winter snow, so the roads to access this peak are closed from roughly late November until late May. Also, this is a popular big-game hunting area (including the trails walked to climb the peak). Check before you head out.Getting ThereFirst, get to McCall. Either take Highway 55 north for about 100 miles from Boise, or come south from Riggns and New Meadows. From downtown McCall, take the Lick Creek road, also signed as the turn for Ponderosa State Park. Turn right after the golf course, then take another right off the pavement (signed) in about three miles. You are shooting for the Lake Fork campground, a total of about 10 miles from downtown. The road can be rough, but it's generally passable for any vehicle.
Once at the campground, park and wade Lake Fork Creek. Always fast and cold, be wary in the spring- it can also be quite deep. Use whatever means you need to get across. If the creek looks too much, you can also drive further up the road to the guard station and cross on a foot bridge. This will add about a mile to your hike each way.
Once across the creek, hike up the East Fork of Lake Fork Creek (good trail) for about 3.5 miles and 500' elevation gain to Idler Creek (unsigned, and the trail is faint at first). Cross the East Fork and find the trail. Follow the Idler Creek trail about 1.5 miles and gain another 1200' of gain. From here you are on your own- no trail.
Watch the map and climb to Fitsum Summit (pass) in about 1.25 mies and 1700'. From the pass, follow the ridge in a southerly direction. The top of Nick is about one mile and 800' more climbing.
The last 70 feet or so involves a Class 4 scramble. If this looks like too much, you can try to drop down and circumvent the summit cone (not done by the author, so can't vouch for this route); the south side is Class 2.
Note that trail conditions in this area vary from wonderful to undiscoverable, sometimes in the space of a few hundred yards. Although the map shows a trail going from Idler Creek to Fitsum Summit, you're probably going to spend that whole distance bushwacking. Basically, the Payette National Forest doesn't expend a lot of energy toward people who aren't using motor vehicles.
Red TapeNo red tape.
Parking at the trailhead is limited.
CampingThe trailhead is actually in the Lake Fork Creek campground. The campground is quite nice (although primitive), but also quite popular. Normal Forest Service fees etc. apply.  Civilization on the summit ridge
External LinksPayette national Forest
City of McCall
Trip report with pictures
Brundage Mountain web cams (including McCall)
Idaho road conditions
For additional information on this climb and other peaks in the area, please see Tom Lopez's excellent book, Idaho: A Climbing Guide.Weather  Images
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