Daisy Pass Route (SE Slopes)

Overview

This, as explained, is the most scenic route. You start inside the Daisy basin and end up looking over it. However, don't get distracted by the beauty too much, the traverse over from the top of Daisy Pass to the ridge requires very careful route finding and maneuvering. This will be one 12er that you will never forget, I guarantee it.

Getting There

Getting to Crested Butte should be very easy, but once your there, go out of town, passing the cemetery and to the left is a sign for Slate River Road. Take this 2WD dirt road down to a sign that is marked Daisy Pass Tr. There is a parking area for 2WD vehicles. This is the beginning of the route if you have a 2WD vehicle, if you have 4WD vehicle, feel free to go across the river and enter paradise as you roll into the Daisy basin landscape. If you keep going down the road you will see a side road going down to a river. Park before you go down that road because that road is closed and that is the beginning of the route up Schuylkill. In front of you is a huge towering waterfall falling about 150 feet down from Augusta Mountain. That should be a good mark for the beginning of the trail.

Route Description

From the starting point explained above. Go up a steep shale slope until you get to a land slide that has been partially cleared so ATVs and dirt bikes could get through. Then you continue up the dramatical eroded trail. The summit is in view the entire time. You zig-zag up the valley until you get to a marker that tells you that ATVs, Dirt bikes, Mountain bikes, or Jeeps are not permitted. Only hikers and horses are permitted. Cut off from the road and go up the small trail passed the marker. This trail will zig-zag you up a steep slope the brings you to the top of Daisy Pass. To your left is a large rock wall that is the top of the ridge that takes you to the summit. Don't freak out, you will be going around this.

From here, there is little to no trail going across the ridge so the remaining hike will require careful route finding and safe maneuvering around small pitches as you are exposed the hole time.

Go down the trail a few feet until you get to a wilderness boundary sign. If you go about 10-feet passed that, look over at the ridge to the left. Look for a small trail that leads you to the top of the ridge. Be careful and climb up the very steep pitch, use the bushes for support on the dirt segment, but on the rock segment find a safe passage way to the top of the ridge. So now you are on top of the ridge. You can see the summit clearly. Go towards it. You will run into 3 or 4 small pitches that you can maneuver you self around these if your careful. But about half way down the ridge you will run into the main pitch of the ridge. This will be a hard class 3 to climb up. If you feel like it is to dangerous, don't attempt to climb over it. Instead go back and try to bushwhack up the way that the image to the left has listed in blue, it is safer. Once you are up the pitch 2 or 3 small pitches remain. Once you are about do your final climb to the summit, be careful, the rock is very loose. Once you are at the summit you can see most of the Ruby Range including Pyramid Peak. If you are not comfortable going down the same way, use the bushwhacking way that is listed in blue on the image to the left.

Essential Gear

A rock helmet would be a good idea for that big pitch, but mostly a good pair of hiking books would be essential.

External Links

http://www.listsofjohn.com/PeakStats/Climbers.php?Id=1634

Images

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