Mount Buckskin and Loveland Mountain

Overview

Mount Buckskin and Loveland Mountain are a pair of 13ers in the Mosquito Range of Colorado. This was my first ascent of these peaks. I have known about the pair for years, but have tried to avoid the insanity of the Kite Lake TH since it’s also the TH for 4-14ers in the area. I was able to convince my friend Chris to join me for an early morning ascent, so I would have some conversation in the hills for a change. This is a great climb where there isn’t any technical difficulty, so most climbers in decent shape should be able to enjoy this ascent. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Kite Lake Trailhead is located at—latitude 39.327648°, longitude -106.129677°. There is a parking area that will accommodate a few dozen vehicles, as well as overflow parking along the road. There are   restrooms at the trailhead, and a $3/day use fee. Camping is available for $12 on a first come first serve basis. The drive from my place was about 100 miles taking about 2 hours. From the Denver area make your way into the mountains on US Hwy 285 S. Follow US Hwy 285 S till you get to Fairplay, then head north on CO-9 N heading towards Alma. In Alma turn west onto Co Rd 8 (Buckskin Street) and follow this road for 5.5 miles ending at the TH parking lot. The access road is dirt road that gets a bit rough near the TH. I would recommend high clearance, but 4WD is not required. 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.

The Climb

The slope up Mount Buckskin

Chris and I made it to the TH a little before 6 am on a Saturday. The parking lot was already full, so we ended up parking about 50 yards down the road. I was last in this area in 2012 when I climbed the Decalibron with my father. Back then the TH was insanity, with hundreds of climbers heading up to the 14ers, and today would be the same. This is in part why I’ve avoided climbing these peaks, but as I work my way through the Mosquito Range, they were a good option for a short day in the mountains.

With fall creeping in on us, the darkness followed. At 6 am, it was still pitch black out, so it’s still headlamp time till about 6:30-7 am in this area. The trail set off from the west side of the outhouse, thankfully there wasn’t an awful aroma in the air like my experiences with the outhouses near the Stevens Gulch TH that is used to climb Grays and Torreys Peaks. Once we hit the trail, we wouldn’t see anyone for hours, which is one of the best parts about climbing 13ers. There is a decent trail that heads towards Lake Emma.

Me and Chris on the summit of Loveland Mountain

Just past the 12,200 ft contour, we left the Lake Emma trail started cross country in the dark. The clouds had rolled in and at this point we were walking through the mist, so navigation was a bit of a challenge. We knew to stay above the willows, and we weren’t in them, so that was good enough for us. The tundra was a bit marshy with one steam crossing along the traverse to the base of the rocky slope near 12,400 ft contour. We took the path of least resistance to the top of the initial slope to about the 12,800 ft contour. Here you will pass under some low power lines. The route from here is “choose your own adventure.” We stuck to the grassy patches in-between the rocks as much as we could. After a lot of huffing and puffing we made the ridgeline. Follow the northwest ridgeline for about a quarter of a mile to the summit of Mount Buckskin. We summited at 7:44 am, just about 2 hours from the TH. Not my most efficient ascent of the year, but we still averaged about 1,000 ft per hour, so I was fine with that.

From Buckskin the traverse to Loveland Mountain follows the southern ridgeline. This had a pretty good climbers’ route in place, so we made good time. It took us about 45 minutes to complete the traverse and we weren’t rushing it by any means. The wind was whipping pretty good, so it was quite a chilly walk. Chris gave me some chocolate covered coffee beans, and that was just the ticket for the summit. It was now 8:30 am, so we were right on my climbing schedule. I needed to be back home by 1 pm today, so the schedule was important to stick to. After hanging out for a bit it was time to get moving and start generating some heat again.

Looking back at Buckskin from Loveland

Part of the decent includes re-ascending part of Mount Buckskin. It wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be, maybe adding 200-300 ft. For our decent of Buckskin, we had to battle the clouds. Navigation wasn’t as easy since we couldn’t pick any markers to head for. We did pretty well, staying on a similar path as our ascent. We ran into a marker for the Ajax mine mid-mountain. Turns out its not really a mine, but a claim, but it was well staked. Soon after this we saw our first climbers on route for the day. There were three people heading up like we did to avoid the 14ers crowd to the north. Neither of us was too keen on rushing down the hill, so we took our time and made it back to the TH by 10:45 am.

Parting Notes

This is a great short climb within 2 hours of the Denver area. The week off from the gym and a bit of sickness made me work for this one a little more than I thought I would have to, but in the end, it was a great choice for my limited time. I’m hoping to get one more twofer in the Mosquito Range—Ptarmigan and Weston Peaks before the snow flies, so hopefully another TR will be on the way in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, happy trails and stay safe in the mountains. Cheers!

GPX Track

Date: September 28, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 12,033 feet

Mount Buckskin: 13,796 feet

Loveland Mountain: 13,692 feet

Total Ascent: 2,179 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 4.5 miles

Moving Time: 4 hr 30 min

Stopped Time: 0 hr 54 min

Climbing Partners: Chris

GAIA GPS Link: Mount Buckskin and Loveland Mountain