Mount Arkansas

Mount Arkansas

Overview

Mount Arkansas is in the Mosquito Range of Colorado. This was my second attempt of the peak after a failed attempt in June due to ice along the upper ridge. Arkansas is a great option for a climb when you have limited time. I was able to make the ascent and be home before noon; you just have to be willing to get up early. This is a beautiful area, and I’m thankful I was able to get back for a summit in the same season I had a failed attempt. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Mount Arkansas Trailhead is located at—latitude 39.357603°, longitude -106.179961°. There is a large parking area that will accommodate a few dozen vehicles. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. From the Denver area make your way out of the city on I-70 W. Follow I-70 W taking exit 195 onto CO-91 S towards Leadville. Follow CO-91 S for about 16 miles, going over the Freemont Pass, Climax mine area and take the first access road to the south on the descent of the pass. The access road is dirt road that should allow access for all vehicle types. Follow the first few curves and park along the road. Further descriptions of the trailhead can be found at the link I provided above. Please note that the mileages provided are approximations and are not exact distances.

Early morning start

The Climb

It seemed like a short drive over from the Denver area, after arriving at the trailhead I geared up and was on the route by 5 am. Since I was climbing solo today, I was glad to have had the experience in the area a few months back. I knew finding a passable route through the trees would probably be the crux of my climb today, and more than a few times I found myself relying on my phone to confirm my location with a GPX track I downloaded. I had more than a couple battles with the willows but for the most part I made it through the trees pretty efficiently. Here and there I would be on what felt like a trail, but they would come and go, so sticking to them in the dark was rather difficult.

Gained the ridgeline

I could start to see a bit of a glow to the west, so my goal was to make the main ridgeline for the sunrise. After clearing the trees, I picked out a point along the northwest rib as a landmark to focus on as I made my way across the dark grassy field. From the base of the slope I had about 800 ft vertical to gain to reach the ridgeline and made quick time since I maintained a direct path. I made the ridgeline near the 12,800 ft contour at 6:20 am, so about an hour and half in and half of my elevation was gained for the day, I was feeling pretty good about it. The light was fully out, but the sun was buried behind the Front Range somewhere, so I just started heading up the ridge.

View from on top of the "tooth"

Looking up the ridge there is a feature that I call the “tooth”, this is around the 13,600 ft contour. When I was up here in June, we met a skier that was waiting for the sun to soften for their descent into the northwest basin, which was still holding some snow in August. From the “tooth” there is a small climb around the southside and a small 30 ft vertical gain will get you on top. Here is where I finally saw the sun, though it had been out for a while now, it was about a quarter to 7 am at this point. From here up the hiking really turns into climbing.

In June this ridge looked bad ass covered in snow, and thankfully it still looked pretty awesome covered with rock. For the most part the ridge is pretty wide, but it narrows to about a meter in a couple places. The route starts to deviate from the ridge when you approach a massive rock wall, that could be climbed, but the path of least resistance is to followed the cairned route along the southwest side of the ridge. The path along this route is pretty evident when its dry, but when I was up here in June it looked like the ice drop of death. I made the traverse around the large block and found a path leading me back on top of the ridge. I could now see the summit wasn’t too far off. After another short climb I made the summit at 7:20 am.

The summit

The ridgeline had a consistent wind and made it quite chilly out, but I was able to find a comfortable spot to rest on the eastern side of the summit. The view was spectacular, and the best part was I could see a lot of the peaks I have climbed this summer. I enjoyed my Kit-Kat and sent out a text to Kristi to let her know I made the summit and would be heading down soon. I could have enjoyed that view for a long time, but when I’m climbing solo I like to keep moving. By 7:40 am I was geared up and starting my descent.

I thought the wind was cold on the ascent, but it seemed worse on the descent. I climb with one trekking pole and at times that became cumbersome as I tried to warm my hands in my pockets. I had a thin liner glove, which was enough but not extremely comfortable at the time. I was making more direct lines on the descent as the route is easier to see from above. I kept a decent pace, but was not in a race climbing over the boulders. By 8:30 am I was near the 12,800 ft contour and ready to drop down into the basin below.

By the time I made it off the slope my knees were screaming a little bit, so it was time for some vitamin I (ibuprofen). The wildflowers were in full bloom, so what I missed in the dark on the ascent I was able to enjoy on the descent. I picked out a point at the Climax mine for my landmark to follow as I made my way to the trees. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid the willows on my way down.

Me on the summit

Once I hit the tree line, I quickly found the trail I used to get through the upper part of the trees during my ascent. I was surprised that this trail held pretty steady most of the way down. There were a few spots where I’d lose the trail for 20-30 feet, but I could usually find my way back. I made it back to the car without touching a willow, it was shocking. It was 9:40 am, so a solid 2 hrs., from summit to car. I was glad to know I’d be able to make it home before noon, so after a quick change to my flip-flops I was on the road home.

Parting Notes

It’s always nice to check peaks off the list that you had a previous failed attempt on. This is a great climb for all levels, I like how the time commitment was relatively short and the access didn’t require a rough road. Part of me was shocked that I didn’t run into anyone else on the mountain, so there is that added bonus for this one as well. I don’t have any set plans for my next climb, but am hoping to get out on another mountain as soon as I can. I hope you are all getting the chance to get out and climb a few peaks as well. Cheers!

GPX track

Date: August 24, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 11,150 feet

Mount Arkansas: 13,783 feet

Total Ascent: 2,550 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 4.7 miles

Moving Time: 4 hr 8 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 32 min

Climbing Partners: Solo

GAIA GPS Link: Mount Arkansas

Bluffs Regional Park

Me and Alexa, all smiles

Overview

The Bluffs Regional Park is located in Lone Tree, Colorado and is part of the Douglas County open space program. The main loop trail is 2.7 miles around, and there are a few lookout points trails that can be added on for additional mileage. This is a popular area for hiking, running, and mountain biking. I have hiked this trail many times, but have not reported on it before. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Bluffs Regional Park Tailhead is located at—latitude 39.528375°, longitude -104.886555°. If you enter “Bluffs Regional Park Tailhead” into the Google Maps app, the location will come up providing you directions. There is a large parking area that will accommodate approximately 50 vehicles. There is a porta potty at the TH, as well as a covered picnic table area. The park is a busy place, so don’t be surprised is parking becomes an issue on nice weekend days. We arrived around 11 am on a weekend day and there were at least 15 open spots to park.

The Climb

Hydration is key

I like to get my daughter, Alexa, outside on hikes as much as I can. The Bluffs Regional Park is a good place to do this. Kids can run around on the trail, or sit in Dad’s pack like this one did, and you don’t have to worry about them too much.

The loop we took is short and without a kid on your back probably takes about an hour to complete. But, if you’re willing to lug a kiddo around, it makes for a great training environment. Alexa is growing up pretty fast, she is going to be 3 in a couple months, and I can tell I won’t be able to lug her around like this much longer. Sometimes she likes to get out and hike, but today was not one of those days. It was pretty warm out, so I was content with her ridding on my back under her “tent” drinking all the water from my water bladder.

Hiking by herself

About half way around the loop, Alexa was hungry from all the hard work she had been doing, so we stopped at one of the benches along the trail and had some fruit leather and some fruit loops. I was starting to get concerned about the amount of water she had been drinking since we are going through potty training, and I didn’t really feel like a afternoon shower with her riding on my back. Luckily that was not an issue.

As we set back on the trail, she decided it was time to hike, and I was all for it. Hiking in a toddler’s eyes is much different than in my eyes. About every other step she would squat to the ground checking out a bug or a rock, which I don’t mind at all, I like the idea of exploring your surroundings. I would say we progressed 50 feet in about 10 minutes up the trail. At one point she full on plopped down on the trail to build a sandcastle out of rocks. I laughed, as did all the others walking by. Oh, to be a kid again and not realize the world going on around you. In this day and age that is a very good thing indeed.

Building "sandcastles"

Eventually I convinced her that we should start making our way up the trail since we were only about halfway around the loop. She was moving slow and at one point gave me her famous line “hold me”. She wasn’t interested in going back in the pack, so I had to carry her, and I should add this was on the hill part of the hike. Oh well, you get used to that type of thing after a while. Once we got on the plateau, I was able to convince her to ride on my shoulders. She still wasn’t “all in” for getting into the bag, but I took that as a victory anyway. Once we made it to the east side of the plateau there was another resting bench. We stopped to have more snacks and water. I was able to convince her to get back in the backpack at least. I was starting to think about lunch, a pulled pork sandwich in particular, so I was thankful she was starting to accommodate my suggestions. I’m sure she was just exhausted and the idea of a tent to get out of the sun was probably a consideration.

A good day on the trail

The hike down was like twenty questions about anything and everything she was seeing at the time. This cracks me up every time, and it happens a lot. I didn’t have Mr. Google to confirm my answers, but I think I did a pretty good job with my responses. We made it back to the car and nobody had gone potty, so I was pretty pleased with our hike. Its always great to get out on the trail with her, but I do look forward to the days where we can climb peaks together and hopefully she enjoys it as much as I do.

Parting Notes

This is a great local place to get out and recreate. It’s a good spot to bring the family and take in views of the Front Range and the Denver metro area. We come to this park a few times each year and keep coming back, so for parks in the nearby area, I would give this one of the higher ratings. I have another TR in the works for a recent climb I did in Colorado, so hopefully I can get that out soon. In the meantime, happy trails and stay safe in the mountains. Cheers!

GPX track

Date: August 18, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 6,050 feet

Total Ascent: 291 feet

Class: 1

Distance: 2.8 miles

Moving Time: 1 hr 12 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 10 min

Climbing Partners: Alexa

GAIA GPS Link: Bluffs Regional Park

Mount Ogden

Mount Ogden, in center

Overview

Mount Ogden is located in the Wasatch Range of Utah. There are several ways to summit this peak, we chose the Taylor’s/Malan’s route since the trailhead wasn’t too far from my brother-in-law’s place and the mileage wasn’t too strenuous. I’m not too familiar with Utah based climbing sites, but SummitPost has three different options for this climb all staying within class 2. We saw a few people near the summit, and some near the trailhead, but we were alone for the majority of our route, probably because the locals knew more about the route than we did. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Ogden 27^th Street Tailhead is located at—latitude 41.215925°, longitude -111.928953°. If you enter “Ogden 27^th Street Tailhead” into the Google Maps app, the location will come up providing you directions. There is limited parking, where there is no parking lot, just street side parking. We arrived about 4 am, and the parking at the end of the street near the TH was closed with a sign saying “no parking 10 pm to 6am” so we parked along the street about a block away. A couple minutes after we arrived a police officer drove by, so I would suggest following the guidance of the signs. There are no restrooms at the trailhead.

The Climb

This climb can be split into three segments – 1) The ascent of Malans Peak, 2) The bushwhack of Waterfall Creek, 3) Tree line to the summit of Mount Ogden.

The city lights from Malans Peak

We arrived to the TH around 4 am with the plan of being back to the car by noon. At the Ogden 27^th Street Trailhead there are trails leading off in multiple directions, and with the full cover of darkness, along with the unfamiliarity of the area, I thought it would be best to have a GPX route for us to follow on my phone. I created a route on the GAIA website, but this can also be done on Google Earth or through many other geospatial applications. From the TH find the Taylor Canyon Trail signage, and follow those the best you can. If you ascending in the daylight that will be much easier, but it’s not impossible in the dark. The trail heading up to Malans Peak is well maintained, just be sure to take the small bridge crossing the creek to the south before the switchbacks begin.  We made the summit of Malans Peak at 5:40 am, so just over an hour and a half from the TH to gain the first 2,000 feet. The view to the west was city lights filling up the darkness. This was a neat sight, and gave us a nice resting spot. This is probably the stopping point for a lot of people heading up this trail. But for us, the day was just beginning. We kept on the trail that transitioned to Malans Basin Trail. From the peak, the trail descends about 150 feet till you are near the Waterfall Creek, where the historic Malans Height Resort location was from 1893-1913. There was a sign there with a few fun facts about the history, which included meals for 50 cents.

The jungle

The second segment starts from the sign of the Malans Height Resort. The environment quickly transitions into the jungle where there is a lot of overgrowth of willows that make navigation in the dark quite difficult. This is where trails become paths, and they lead off in all directions, so choosing the path of least resistance (POLR as Danny calls it) is all we could do. We found ourselves all over the place, in once instance you would be on what felt like a man-made trail, then soon it would peter out into nothing. To top it all off the thunder, lightning, and rain decided to pay us an early morning visit. Luckily, we only heard a few rumbles and a couple flashes, but the rain stayed with us for most of the morning which turned to hail at times. So, a lovely morning indeed. My advice is to stay on the north side of the creek till you are near the 7,600 ft contour, then transition to the south following what paths you may find up to tree line which is near 8,000 ft.

The third segment, above tree line to the summit provides its own challenges. If you survive the bushwhack and still have the motivation to continue to the summit, good on you. We were both pretty exhausted as this point, but slowly trudged on. There were some cairns here or there, but nothing yet that would make me believe that more than a few people have used this route before.  The good news is the peak is in sight, highlighted by enormous radio towers. Once we made it up on a shelf around 8,800 ft a defined trail evolved out of nothing. If you follow my GPX route you will notice the often-squiggly lines turn into longer, straighter segments. This is a good indicator that a trail or a decent POLR has presented itself, and we have stopped making circles in the jungle while trying to find our way. Once on this nice trail, stay on it as it climbs to to the saddle, then there is a broken-up road that leads from the saddle to the radio towers near the summit.

Me and Danny on the summit

We ran into a hunter that was out spotting deer near the saddle. After a quick chat we started up the rocky road to the summit. Don’t walk under the towers, instead find a path that leads up on the rock to the summit, just after the switchback. This will be clearly defined for you. The summit is a decent size area, with an included heli pad. The view to the east drops down into the Snowbasin ski area, and to the west is the Great Salt Lake. We started plotting our next climb before we decided it was time to bail from the summit as another round of rain, hail, and extreme winds made us think the mountain was trying to tell us something. It took us an hour longer than expected to summit due to the bushwhack, so we thought we should just keep moving.

Looking into Snowbasin

Neither of us wanted to descend our ascent route, but after a brief discussion we thought it would be best since we knew what to expect. The descent wasn’t too bad, since the daylight helped provide us some guidance on the paths leading ack to the Malans Height Resort area. We knew after we made it there is was a trudge out on a well-defined trail. We made it back to the summit of Malans Peak around 11:30, so I knew we were running late. Luckily this area is right on top of town, so we could send messages back to our wives to let them know we were behind schedule. We started seeing a lot of people on the descent from Malans Peak, so I’m sure this is the main attraction in the area. The view is quite remarkable in the daylight or dark, so I’d recommend the trip up there. I don’t recall the time we got back to the car, but I’d guess it was close to 1 pm, so we were late, but not too late. The descent is always nice when you are on a trail and not a POLR.

Parting Notes

This is a heck of a climb. In Denver, you don’t have the relief you get in the Salt Lake City area. The area we climbed it is not uncommon to gain 5,000 ft in a climb whereas back at home its mostly in the 3,000 ft range. So, it’s easy for me to say, this one kicked my butt. I loved getting out there and managing through all the adverse weather and route conditions. Best of all I got to share that adversity with my brother-in-law. Hopefully he found some enjoyment and we can get back out on a climb next year. I have another TR in the works for a recent climb I did in Colorado, so hopefully I can get that out soon. In the meantime, happy trails and stay safe in the mountains. Cheers!

GPX track

Date: August 10, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 4,845 feet

Mount Ogden: 9,570 feet

Total Ascent: 4,964 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 9.8 miles

Moving Time: 7 hr 31 min

Stopped Time: 1 hr 0 min

Climbing Partners: Danny

GAIA GPS Link: Mount Ogden

The Devils Kitchen

Me and Alexa approaching the Devils Kitchen

Overview

My family was headed to Utah for a long weekend, so we thought a short hike would be a good way to break up the driving. Devils Kitchen is a hike within Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. This was my second time to the area, but my first time along this trail. I was last at the park about four years ago as part of my geology field camp for school. I’ve wanted to come back, so this worked out great for us on all accounts. The area is primarily on trail (class 1), but parts do veer off making it a class 2 hike at times. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

Kristi and Alexa in the Devils Kitchen

The Devils Kitchen Trailhead is located at—latitude  39.031722°, longitude -108.630683°. There are no restrooms at the trailhead, and there is room for about a dozen vehicles. Use the east entrance into the Colorado National Monument park. Note that the TH is used for multiple trails such as the popular Serpents Trail, so parking may become difficult.

The Climb

The trail takes off from the south end of the parking lot. At 9 am it was already hot out, so make sure to plan accordingly for that. We let Alexa try and walk on the trail, but soon enough she was riding on my shoulders.

There were a few side trails breaking off from the main trail, but all intersections were properly signed, so just follow the signage that leads you to the Devils Kitchen. Near the half mile mark the nice trail transitions into a wash and then some slickrock where several paths are marked by small cairns. We took a longer route on or ascent that paralleled a south trending sandstone bed and eventually switch backed allowing us to gain the top of the bed. This was an easy route to follow but not very direct. Once we were hiking across the sandstone, it felt like we were on another planet. I could see the monoliths where the Devils Kitchen was in the distance. After a short stroll across the slickrock, and a short ascent we made it into the Devils Kitchen.

A happy group of hikers

Alexa was excited once we made it into the Devils Kitchen. There is an area about a quarter of a football field that is surrounded by monolithic sandstones that raise 50-100 feet into the sky. We were fortunate to arrive to an empty kitchen, so we had the chance to explore in solitude. I was thankful that the area was shaded as that was a nice relief after our ascent. After we scrambled around on the rocks and took in some snacks we decided it was time to get back, so we could get on the road again. We took a more direct line down to the main trail, and with a little help Alexa was able to manage the hiking.

GPX track

Parting Notes

I would highly recommend this area for family hiking. There are plenty of great trails, and the rock formations are an amazing sight. I would like to come back at some point and hike the Serpents Trail. Now we are off to Utah, and I have one more trip report in the works from our trip, so in the meantime, happy trails!

Date: August 9, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 5,059 feet

Devils Kitchen: 5,259 feet

Total Ascent: 243 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 1.6 miles

Moving Time: 1 hr 7 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 27 min

Climbing Partners: Kristi, and Alexa

GAIA GPS Link: Devils Kitchen

Santa Fe, Morgan, and Tip Top Peaks

Santa Fe Peak

Overview

Santa Fe, Morgan, and Tip Top Peaks are a set of peaks located in the Front Range of Colorado. This was my first ascent of these peaks, though I have summited other nearby peaks including Argentine Peak and Square Top Mountain. This is our second day of climbing, rounding out a 6-peak weekend. These peaks are all class 2, allowing some off trail, and fairly easy hiking. I didn’t see anyone on my ascents of the peaks, so there is solitude to be had while you enjoy the climb. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Santa Fe Peak Road Trailhead is located at—latitude 39.581925°, longitude -105.859167. There are no restrooms near the trailhead. From Denver take I-70 W heading towards the mountains. Take exit 216 onto US 6 W heading towards Loveland Pass. Drive south along US 6 W for about 13 miles turning south onto E Keystone Road. Take the immediate left onto Gondola Road that passes by the Keystone Resort. At the end of the road, take a right heading south on Montezuma Road for an additional 5 miles that brings you into the town of Montezuma. Turn left at the stop sign and follow CO Rd 264 as far as you are willing to drive your vehicle. At 10,900 ft there is a good pullout that will hold up to three vehicles. From Montezuma the road is rough and high clearance is required. Note that these mileages are approximates, not exact distances.

Grays and Torreys

The Climb

After a restful night in Silverthorne, we made our way to the TH by 7 am. We were both feeling recovered from the previous days climb, and right out of the gate we where hiking up the old mining road at a solid pace of about 1,200 ft per hour. In just over an hour we gained half of the elevation of the climb making it to saddle between Santa Fe and Morgan Peaks, to about 12,300 ft. Brian decided to wait for me at the saddle as I continued on my ascent of Santa Fe.

Me on the summit of Santa Fe

I made quick work of the remaining route up Sana Fe. From the saddle there is an initial gain of about 600 ft, then the road levels out for a bit as it meanders south along the ridge. You have to be pretty far up the route before the summit comes into view. I parted from the mining road as I approached the northern ridge and quickly made my way up to the summit. From the saddle it took me about half hour to gain the summit, with a total time from car at 1 hr 49 minutes for 2,200 ft of gain. This is a good peak to consider if anyone is looking at doing a sunrise hike as the route is well defined and the ascent can be done in a short amount of time.

The views are like all other summit views in Colorado, pretty spectacular. I enjoyed seeing the Grays group from a new vantage point. I was already scoping out potential future climbs 😊 After a few minutes on the summit, I started back down to the saddle. I was feeling pretty good and found myself in a trot for most of the descent back to the saddle. I met up with Brian and we were off to the other peaks.

Me and Brian on Tip Top Peak

Morgan and Tip Top Peaks are great additions to the climb of Santa Fe. The ridge leading to Morgan has one hump you will need to traverse around or climb over before reaching the rocky summit block of Morgan. The summit block was a nice change, though the climbing is short, there was a chance to do more than hike today as you find your way to the top.

The route to Tip Top follows the ridge to the west, where the summit isn’t extremely noticeable. There is a pile of rocks along the ridge, so how this became a named peak I have no idea, but a fun way to end the day. Brian scouted out a trail that cuts across from Tip Top to the saddle we were at earlier for anyone that wants to skip Morgan Peak but still get in Tip Top. After some time on the summit a short descent of about 200 ft will bring you to an old mining trail that leads back to the main mining road. From here it’s a walk back to the TH.

Morgan Peak and the saddle to Santa Fe

Parting Notes

This was a great climb, on the easier side of the spectrum of climbing 13ers. I’d highly recommend this for climbers getting into the sport since there is minimal route finding and the elevation gain is pretty nominal for climbing a high peak. We were able to do this group in under 4 hours, so you don’t have to start super early. Just know that you will be above tree line, exposed to the elements for the majority of you climb so keep the weather in mind. I’d love to come back here and continue south down the ridge past Santa Fe to Sullivan Mountain, Geneva, and Landslide Peaks. That would be a nice set to combine, especially for those that are into trail running. I’m looking forward to my next climb, which should be in Utah, so in the meantime, happy trails and stay safe in the mountains. Cheers!

GPX Track

Date: July 27, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 10,900 feet

Santa Fe Peak: 13,186 feet

Morgan Peak: 12,438 feet

Tip Top Peak: 12,034 feet

Total Ascent: 2,309 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 7.6 miles

Moving Time: 3 hr 28 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 31 min

Climbing Partners: Brian

GAIA GPS Link: Santa Fe, Morgan, and Tip Top Peaks