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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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
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