Mount Sniktau and Cupid

Mount Sniktau

It’s been a long time. Too long if you ask me since I’ve been on a mountain above tree line. I’ve been caught up in several things, but primarily the root cause is an aggregated list of excuses. Lucky for me, I have my good climbing buddy Brian, and from time to time he needs to set me straight and get me back into the mountains.

I often say that the mountains give us all an opportunity to visit old friends. Well, this hike was a bit of that and more. The first time I hiked Mount Sniktau was back in March, 2012. That trip was my first Colorado 13er. I followed that trip up with a hike of Cupid and Grizzly Peak in April, 2012. So, now it’s been 14 years since I’ve visited the summits of these old friends. The conditions of March vs August are much different, and I have to say much more comfortable.

Those of you in Colorado who drive I-70W towards the Eisenhower Tunnel get a nice look at Mount Sniktau from the freeway. This peak sticks out over the southwestern portion of the Loveland Ski Area. The hike itself starts from Loveland Pass which is just shy of 12,000 feet in elevation. This is a busy place and presents its own set of concerns with all the parked cars, people crossing the road and the traffic heading over the pass. If you intend to hike these peaks from this trail head, I highly recommend an early start. We arrived just before 6:30 a.m. and the parking area at the trailhead was already full. There is additional parking available on to the south of the pass, and this is where our hike began.

We set off from the car around 6:30 a.m. We got the pleasure of adding another .3 mile and 80 feet to our hike given our parking situation. Not bad going up in the morning, but as the cars filled in, our way back was far less comforting where we had to walk on the road at times. To put everyone’s mind at ease once you are at the trailhead, which I mark as the White River National Forest sign on the west side of Loveland Pass, there is a trail that will lead you to both of these summits. If you are up for it you can continue on to Grizzly Peak or do several variations of these peaks. I’m not certain if there is an official name for this trail, but the southern portion is labeled as Grizzly Peak Trail on the GAIA Topo Map.

Torreys, Grays and Grizzly from Cupid

I joked with Brian when he suggested this hike, calling it the “stairway to heaven”. I think he soon found out what I meant. There is no warm-up, you get right to gaining elevation. From the trailhead to cresting the ridge is about 900 vertical feet in about a mile. I believe a lot of visitors do this as an acclimation hike if they come here to climb 14ers. Whatever you are here for this certainly is a nice way to get the blood flowing early in the day, and nothing beats a slow steady pace.

From the ridge crest, follow the trail heading to the north. You will gain one false summit before reaching the true Mount Sniktau summit. This section has less vertical gain, approximately 350 feet in just under a mile, but this is all at elevation which presents its own challenges. In the Front Range you will be hard pressed to find a much better view, especially if you are out hiking on a blue-sky day like we had. You are surrounded by the giants of the Rocky Mountains. I love it. It really brings you back, when you are on these summits, to each of the climbs of these surrounding peaks. A great motivator to get back into the game.

Nick and Brian on Mount Sniktau

We saw a fair number of people along the way, but somehow Brian and I were able to have the summit to ourselves for a bit, which is a true treat for a Saturday morning in Colorado. I had an initial goal of summiting in an hour and half, and was able to meet that goal, so I was very pleased with how my body reacted given I have been out of this game for quite some time.

We didn’t linger too long since we wanted to get over to Cupid. On our way towards Cupid, there were droves of people on the way up Sniktau, maybe 30-40, so just a reminder of how important that early start is. It didn’t take us long to get back down to where we crested the ridge earlier. From there, there is a quick drop of about 200 feet then a gain of about 400 feet. This seemed to go pretty quick and before we knew it, we were on the summit of Cupid and is was only 9:20 a.m.

The Grizzly Mountain Trail skirts around the Cupid summit, so you will need to head off trail for a bit to truly claim the high point. Most people are heading towards Grizzly, so here we had another summit to ourselves. We could have been adventurous and headed off towards Grizzly, but it’s important to ease into these mountains if you have been away for a while. I look forward to coming back with Brian so he can summit Grizzly on a future hike.

Trail Junction

For the way back, there is a trail that cuts across the southwest face of our initial ridge crest point from earlier. This was nice, allowing us to skip the additional gain and descent. There are large cairns that mark the trail junction on the ridge as well as on the junction on the main trail for to Mount Sniktau.

The descent went far better than I anticipated. I chose to use my Topo Athletic trail shoes with gaiters, and both worked really well. I enjoyed not having my big boots on and the gaiters helped keep rocks out of my shoes. Trekking poles were also a big bonus on this descent. All in all, a great gear selection for this hike.

We finished the hike around 10:30 a.m. A great 4-hours in the mountains and we were able to summit two Colorado 13ers. I liked that I had not previously hiked these peaks together, but I absolutely didn’t mind visiting my old friends again. Hopefully this is a start to get me back in the mountains more consistently. Either way what a great way to feel alive! Happy trails everyone.

Hike Date: August 1, 2026
Starting Elevation: 11,897 feet
Mount Sniktau Elevation: 13,242 feet
Cupid Elevation: 13,112 feet
Total Ascent: 1,716 feet
Class: 1
Total Distance: 5.58 miles
Total Time: 4 hours, 3 minutes
Moving Time: 3 hours, 22 minutes
Stopped Time: 40 minutes
Climbing Partner: Brian
GAIA Link: Mount Sniktau and Cupid
*All data is tracked using the GAIA app

The Fall

March 18^th, 2022

Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, Las Vegas, Nevada

View from the trailhead

Brian and I pulled into the Sandstone Quarry Trailhead shortly after 7:30 am. It was a very brisk morning, so I decided to keep my shell jacket in my bag if the wind picked up. Other than that I was hiking fairly bare bones, with some water, snacks, phone, and GoPro camera. By 7:45 we started up the Calico Tanks Trail which headed north up a wash before breaking off to the southeast up a gradual trail over limestone and sandstone rocks. About a mile from the trailhead the trail terminates with a nice view towards Las Vegas. We hadn’t really decided what our plan was, but I was interested in climbing the Turtlehead Jr. Peak (Red Cap), which the GAIA GPS map shows as Calico Hills.

The previous evening, I read about the climb of this peak in one of Brian’s climbing books and loaded the waypoints into my GPS. I had a decent understanding of how the route would go so I wasn’t too concerned about it but wouldn’t know what the class 3 scrambling would be like till I was there in front of it. I was feeling adventurous and wanted to try and head up the peak as we were making our way back down the Calico Tanks Trail. I could see an open traverse to the set of waypoints I downloaded on my GPS so started making my way. Brian followed me over to the base of a large white wall but decided to stay in that area. I chose to attempt the peak and found a small ramp of boulders to climb to get on top of the white wall. I turned on my GoPro to try and record my ascent. The camera was on a strap on my head, and I had removed my sunglasses as a lot of this area was still in the shade.

View of the crack with a tree in the center

It was a fun little scramble trying to get to the waypoint 36.16639, -115.44432. This was mostly hiking on granular rock which made the surface rather slippery in places. I was wearing hiking shoes that had good traction, so I was not too concerned with my footing. I made my way up to a large crack that separated some large portions of rock where some small trees were growing in-between. This was a tight fit for me, so no more than 2 feet wide. I took some time here trying to find the route first looking to the southeast, before coming back to the north going up and over a small hump where I could clearly see the crack in the rock from the pictures in Brian’s climbing book.

Followed the crack above the bush

From the base this looked very doable, and I didn’t think the scramble would be too difficult. I started up the white rock below the crack. This rock was heavily weathered and resembled mushroom heads stacked up on one another. This rock was fairly slick, and the grains of sand were loose. I started to lose the crack and decided being in the crack was the safest way to climb as I could wedge my body and climb that way rather than be on an exposed slick slope where a fall could be uninterrupted. This was a dicey transition, but once I was in the crack, I felt much more comfortable. From this point you could see the red stone cap of what appeared to be the summit. I continued climbing this section which got thin in some areas, but I was able to manage. Climbing these cracks are much easier on the ascent, but there were numerous hand/footholds so I did not think the descent would be too difficult as long as I took my time, so I kept climbing.

Looking down from above bush

The crack I was climbing eventually leveled off temporarily where there was an approximate 20 ft traverse to climbers left on a very small lip. This joined into another crack that continued up. This section was wider, and the crack had large boulders that made climbing easier. There was approximately 20-30 ft vertical to a large flat area in what I would call the amphitheater. From this point there are 3-4 different cracks that lead to the summit of what appeared to be approximately 50 ft vertical. I attempted the crack to climbers left but did not fit. I didn’t feel comfortable trying any of the other cracks, so I called this area my summit.

Plateau with the catwalk across

Now it was time for the descent. I knew this was going to take some time and I needed to be careful given the granular nature of the rock. I wasn’t exhausted, but I was a bit winded given the activity of the climb. I felt good and was having fun. I wanted to get back down to where Brian was, so we weren’t separated, so off I went. I started a new clip on my GoPro as I started down.

It wasn’t far from where I started my descent to the fall. The fall took place at 9:52 am, and I put together a timeline based on my GoPro that continued to run in my bag. I was coming down a section in the crack that had good size boulders to downclimb. I can’t be certain of what happened other then try and piece it together. I assume my feet got crossed and I didn’t have anywhere for my leading foot to go. My weight got over my center of gravity and I started to fall forward. The walls were nothing but flat sandstone, so nothing to grab. This all happened in an instant. I knew I was falling and couldn’t stop, then crack. I will guess the fall was 10 ft or less, a straight faceplant. Blood was spurting out of my head; I knew my right shoulder was dislocated or broken immediately.

Second portion of climb

I did not lose consciousness luckily, I got myself to my knees, took off my camera, hat, backpack, pulled out my phone to see if I could call for help. No bars, and I couldn’t really type anything in anyway. I knew I needed help; I did not know how bad of a head injury I had. I knew I was alone, in a place I had not seen anyone, so I needed to get myself into a position that people knew I was injured and could aid me. I yelled for help, took a few deep breaths to focus. I knew this was not going to be easy, I had to wedge myself to climb up the crack and now I needed to descend it. There was a high chance I could fall again, but I had to get myself out of there, so I decided to move.

View out from the "amphitheater"

I grasped my bag in my left hand and wedged by butt in the crack and lowered using my feet. I thought about ditching my bag altogether but decided to keep it not knowing if I would get in a more dire situation. I kept yelling for help every little bit as I made my way down. I remember having my left hand high on the wall and looking at my wedding ring. A lot of time in the hills I take my ring off, so it doesn’t get scraped by the rock, but today I had it. It helped me think of my wife and my daughter, motivating me to keep moving and allowing myself to accept the risk ahead.

 The landing zone of the fall taken on the ascent

This first section was not too steep, but I got myself to the little catwalk which I knew had sketchy footing. I tossed my bag across so I would have nothing teetering me off balance. I made it across and started yelling, I still could not see down into the valley below where I knew Brian was as well as many other hikers. I dropped back into the crack and continued down till I thought it was safe to descend the white mushroom sandstone. This was a risk as well as a slip here could have me rolling. I went extremely slow and had to jump off a high rise of a couple feet at one point. I kept making my way down this rock rib till it wrapped around to the southwest along a descending plateau. I could see bodies below and dropped my bag, yelled for help and waved my good arm. I communicated that I needed medical attention, I saw several people as well as Brian. Someone said they were on their way up and to me, and I should find shade and wait. I found a rock to sit on and tried to sip some water while I waited. I’m going to say adrenaline got me here, but at this point I knew people knew where I was, and I was going to make it. About 10 minutes after the first communication Cole and Marcus arrived on scene to aid me.

Marcus gave me medical attention while Cole evaluated a route down. Marcus was a ski patroller from Vermont, and I could clearly see he knew what he was doing. He gave me a complete evaluation from head to toes, cleaned up my head wound, and secured my right arm to my body using my jacked and some rock-climbing gear they had. Another came up, who’s name I did not get, but I hear he was an orthopedic surgeon from England. These three men helped get me up and start the journey down to the trail. They put a short rope around me and off we went with one in front, one by my side, and one behind. I couldn’t have been in better hands, and I am truly thankful for these guys being in the right place at the right time.

It wasn’t over. There was still a scramble to get down, and I was really starting to feel the trauma by body had been through. The muscles in my shoulder were re-orienting and tightening up, so I couldn’t look up too well and was more like a hunchback. I listened and did whatever the guys told me to. I had to get crafty downclimbing on a few occasions, but knew I was getting out and that’s all that mattered. As I made my way down the last crack there were a few firefighter/EMTs to relieve the guys that got me down. From that point it was a walk out to the ambulance.

All trail from here on out 

I can’t say enough for the guys that came in and saved me. They got me home, and I will forever be grateful to these men and first responders in general that can do these things for all of us. I chose to walk out, and in no time had made my way to the ambulance at the trailhead. I arrived at the hospital at 12:32 and had various tests/images completed, and finally had my shoulder reduced and head stapled at 4:15 pm and was discharged at 5:55 pm.

I spent the next two days at Brian’s house in Las Vegas before taking a flight home to Denver. I’m very thankful to have been with a good friend that could play nurse to me before going home. As expected, the fight home was very uncomfortable, but I didn’t care after the ordeal I had been through. I saw my doctor the next day and plan to have my staples removed by the end of the week.

Looking back on what happened is hard. I have video of the fall and still cringe a bit when I see the blood. There are plenty of times in my outdoor life that something like this could have happened but didn’t. There was no fault here, just an accident, and all I can be is thankful that it was one I could walk away from. It wasn’t easy, but I don’t think I reacted any different than any of you would have. When it comes down to it, we will all do what is needed regardless of pain or risk. What will I do now? Recover. I will make sure I have a complete kit with me on all adventures. I will learn how to reduce a separated shoulder on my own as well as with others. I will upgrade my personal locator beacon and always have this on me. But I will live most importantly and not take any day for granted. As cliché as that sounds, that is the path forward. I look forward to hiking and scrambling up peaks in the future when I’m well. Thank all of you for being there when I needed you most even if you weren’t there physically. Happy trails.

Timeline:

Fell at 9:52

First contact at 10:10

Cole/Marcus arrive at 10:20

Out to trail portion, met by firefighters at 11:06

Checked in to hospital at 12:32

Shoulder reduced at 4:15

Out of hospital at 5:55

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

Mount Tweto, Treasurevault Mountain, Mosquito Peak, Kuss Peak, and London Mountain

Morning light

Overview

My 41^st birthday has rolled around, and I’m not sure what really happened to the last year, so sounds like a good occasion to get out into the mountains and climb as many peaks as I can. I took the day off work and decided on a group of peaks in the Mosquito Range of Colorado. Near Mosquito Pass there is a group of 5-13ers: Mount Tweto, Treasurevault Mountain, Mosquito Peak, Kuss Peak, and London Mountain. This was a route I came across recently while trying to research my next climb a few weeks ago. I knew the Mosquito Range had many 13ers to offer, I just didn’t realize so many of them could be done at one time. This is a great climb where there isn’t much technical difficulty, so most climbers in decent shape should be able to enjoy this loop. I hope you enjoy this trip report and find it helpful in planning your next adventure in the hills.

Directions/Trailhead Information

The Mosquito Creek Trailhead is located at—latitude 39.299155°, longitude -106.155524°. There is parking along the side of Mosquito Pass Road that will accommodate about dozen vehicles. There are no restrooms at the trailhead, but there are signs that past groups have camped nearby. 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. Follow CO-9 N for 4.8 miles turning west onto Mosquito Pass Road, this is also known as Co Road 12, follow this road for 6.4 miles to the TH. There is parking along the right side of the road near the provided coordinates. The access road is dirt road that gets a bit rough near the TH. I would recommend high clearance, but 4WD is not required. From my place the drive was about 100 miles and took me about 2 hours to get to the TH. 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

After another early morning wake up, I had made it to the TH geared up and ready to start by 5:30 am. It’s always tough to get going after the 2 hr drive to the mountains, especially when its pitch dark out and the temps are freezing, so today would be no different. There is always a little bit of eeriness heading out on the trail solo in the dark, but I never think to much about it. I’m usually asking myself, what the hell am I doing, I could be asleep in bed right now. But, when that first bit of alpenglow hits the high peaks you get re-centered and the feeling of exhaustion from lack of sleep fades along with the darkness.

Mount Tweto

When I climb solo I often set time goals for reaching summits or notable locations along the route. Today I set the goals of summiting Mount Tweto by 7:30 am, Treasurevault Mountain by 8:30 am, Mosquito Peak by 9:30 am, Kuss Peak by 10:30 am, and if I made it down to the road between Kuss and London Mountain by 11:00 am, I would add the ascent of London Mountain with a goal of summiting by London by noon, then making it back to the TH by 1:30 pm. So, a fairly structured climb, and if you’ve climbed with me before, I’m sure you have seen this in action. I find it helps keep my mind focused on short goals while I climb, helping to center my mental wandering. I think this is a critical element of climbing, especially solo climbing, because mental battles can make you throw in the towel too early when someone else isn’t out there to help you push yourself through small instances of doubt. I will say, that I have enjoyed getting back into solo climbing again, which is where my roots of mountain climbing in Idaho started. It’s nice to set my own pace, and I don’t have to worry about complaints when I say we need to meet up by 3 am to reach the TH at 5 am. I will say that the majority of my climbing partners have not complained out loud, but I know nobody wants to get up at the insane hours climbing requires on your day off.

Mosquito Peak

Focusing on my first goal of Mount Tweto by 7:30 am, I headed up the rough 4WD road in the darkness. I did my best not to trip on the boulder clad road in the dark, but I had to adjust to waking up. Having an access road to follow for the first couple miles was a good way to start, it sure beats trying to navigate through the willows or through a dense forest that I’ve done on my past few climbs. About 2 miles up this road was the remnants of an old mine, as I got to that point, I could see the darkness fading and the glow of the sun out to the east. Once you are near the mine, you leave the road and find your own path heading up to the ridgeline. Around the 13,000 ft contour, I made a more direct route heading through the large boulders rather than making my way to the small saddle around 13,200 ft and heading up the ridge. I’m not sure if this was more efficient or not, but I seemed to be moving well up the boulders so I went with it. I reached the summit at 7:26 am, so I beat my goal. Tweto was the one peak in this group I really wanted to climb as the naming of the mountain has significance to what I do. The mountain was named after Ogden Tweto who was a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey who compiled the 1979 Geologic Map of Colorado, which I have used on more than one occasion at work. After a few summit shots I was on the move to Treasurevault Mountain.

On route to Treasurevault the wind was constant along the ridgeline. The forecast report was for winds in the 20’s and gusts in the 30’s, along with a temp in the 40’s. So, it was pretty chilly. I had three layers on with the outer layer being my shell jacket. This was enough to stay warm as long as I was moving, and I did have my mid-weight puffy in my pack, but never ended up needing to put it on. My fingers were quite chilly only having a mid-weight glove. A full-on winter glove would have been the gear of choice, but the mid-weight along with some pocket time was sufficient enough for the day. The hike along the ridge was fairly mellow, the hardest part was the descent of the boulders from Tweto. This is the longest traverse of the day, and it took me significantly longer than I expected, where I summited at 8:54 am. I did stop to chat with another climber along the way for a bit so I’ll give myself a pass for not making my summit time goal on this one. After a quick break for a couple pictures I was off to Mosquito Peak and I would try and make up my lost time.

Me on a peak

The descent off Treasurevault went rather quickly as I found a solid climbers trail to follow. Near the saddle that splits Treasurevault and Mosquito Peaks is where some mining took place. I could tell the site has been out of commission for some time, but there was some heavy equipment up there. Its hard to imagine the life of a working miner above 13,000 ft. From the saddle there are quite a few climber/miner routes heading up Mosquito. The climb felt substantial, but I’m sure it was only a few hundred feet. I was able to make up some time and summited at 9:29 am, so this stretch was significantly shorter mileage wise than the last peak. Having another solo summit, makes me glad to have taken a mid-week day off for a romp in the mountains. With the three big peaks down, I had two to go and was back on schedule.

The climb to Kuss Peak progressed rather nicely with a summit at 10:18 am. There are some set in trails and old mountain roads that are used to maintain a facility of some sort on the summit. The view of the basin I came from started to open up and it looked like a lot more mileage than I actually have hiked. I was undecided about adding London as I was a bit beat. My water bladder hose had frozen early in the day so I was drinking my Gatorade for the most part as I hiked. I needed to re-hydrate so I took a break and had some fluids and ate my Kit-Kat as I contemplated my next move. I could start to see some adventurous 4WD folks making their way up Mosquito Pass. The road is pretty rough, so I would say you would need a modified vehicle to drive it, but I’m no off-roader so take that with a grain of salt. I started feeling good after my break and I decided that I would stick with my plan. If I made the road between Kuss and London by 11 am I would head up London.

On route to Mount London

As I started down the ridge of Kuss, I heard the thundering sound of a jet. I was able to see two fighter jets fly up the valley and they weren’t much higher than I was. That was neat add on, you know if you can’t see any wildlife at least I got a couple jets in for the day. The other bonus along the ridge was I got a great view of the ridge up London. There appeared to be some jaggedness, so I was hopeful for a short scramble for the last peak of the day. I made it down the saddle between the peaks right on schedule. It was now 11 am, I recouped for a minute and started up London Mountain.

I had 2.5 hours to get back to my car to be on schedule. The climb was 500-600 vertical feet, and it was the last peak of the day, so I gave myself an hour goal to summit the peak. There was a nice climbers trail heading from the saddle, and the route didn’t mess around, it headed through an interesting rock band where I was able to do a bit of scrambling. The nice thing about scrambling is you gain elevation rather quickly, so before I knew it, I gained 300 ft, so about half of the climb for this peak. After the scramble the ridge mellowed out and it was a long ridge walk to the summit. I was moving pretty good, and made the summit at 11:41 am. I was pretty excited to be able to summit all 5 peaks today, the sun even came out and I was down to my base layer while I ate my sandwich. It was cool to view all the peaks I climbed throughout the day from the summit. Like always I like to be on the move, so I didn’t linger long on the summit and I was soon on my way down.

Mount London

I was pretty efficient on the route down to the road. I found a few side paths that made the climbing a bit easier. I made it back down to the road at 12:27 pm, from there it was a hike down the rough road to the car. On the hike out you pass by the North London Mine, where there are a few historical markers that may be of interest. I found it quite interesting that they had a tunnel dug in to the south side of the mountain where there was the South London Mine. Mining started in 1874 and went into the 1930’s where gold, silver and lead were produced. The hike from the mine to the car took about half hour and I was back to my car by 1:10.  

Parting Notes

The icing on the cake was the climb up London, so I’m glad I saved that for last. I also enjoyed the climb up Tweto, the views of the surrounding peaks were best seen from here. I’m starting slowly getting the Mosquito 13ers ticked off my list. I’m planning to make it back to this area for Buckskin and Loveland in the near future, so I have those to look forward to. It’s always great to get out in the mountains, and even better if you can do it on your birthday. This is a tradition I hope to keep pushing forward. I hope you are all getting the chance to get out and climb a few peaks as well. Cheers!

GPX Track

Date: September 12, 2019

Trailhead Elevation: 11,580 feet

Mount Tweto: 13,619 feet

Treasurevault Mountain: 13,691 feet

Mosquito Peak: 13,694 feet

Kuss Peak: 13,548 feet

London Mountain: 13,182 feet

Total Ascent: 3,311 feet

Class: 2

Distance: 9.6 miles

Moving Time: 6 hr 30 min

Stopped Time: 1 hr 05 min

Climbing Partners: Solo

GAIA GPS Link: Mosquito Group

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