Missouri Mountain
An Overview
The Sawatch Range of Colorado is known for its long, gentle giants such as Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, etc. It would also seem that most visitors to this area of the state are solely interested in climbing only the 14ers, due to the popular sport it has become to summit all of the 14ers in Colorado. I must admit that I have been caught up in this craze myself; however, one of my favorite climbing past-times is to spend time tackling some of the lesser-known 13ers.To start off, here is a break-down of relevant numbers from the trip:
Missouri Mountain: 14,067 ft (ranked 36th in Colorado)
Iowa Peak: 13,831 ft (soft-ranked)
Emerald Peak: 13,904 ft (ranked 71st in Colorado)
Total elevation gain: 5,612 ft.
Total distance hiked: 13.44 miles
Total time hiking: 10 hours, 10 minutes
Total photos taken: 554
Total wildlife sightings: 2 (marmot and beaver)
Total distance driven: 124 miles
Trip duration: 27 hours
This is a wonderful and challenging hike about 2 and a half hours away from Colorado Springs, with excellent views and solitude (once off of Missouri Mountain).
To read the full trip report, including over 80 photos, CLICK HERE!