Huron Peak from Emerald Peak
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

August became the climbing marathon phase for 2004. We were climbing both Saturdays and Sundays. On a Sunday, we climbed Huron Peak, thus knocking another one off of Ellen’s and my daughter’s lists. I used this trip as a reconnaissance mission to get a good look at the traverse from Missouri to Emerald via Iowa. It looked pleasant for sure, with uncertain loop and bail possibilities on the visible west faces of the peaks, all on rough, talus covered terrain.

The following week came and we were driving up the 4WD road to the Cloyhes Lake trailhead. The initial crossing of Clear Creek at Rockdale was a concern, as it is known to be deep and swift during the early season. A part of the crossing is at least 18 inches deep, so high clearance is indeed required. The road was not otherwise difficult, though we parked on the north end of a large wash area. This turned out to be a good idea, as at the end of the road was a huge collection of people and vehicles parked there for a weekend blitz. Whatever they were there for, it was obvious Sunday’s exodus would make the road a very busy affair and anyone wanting to drive up the road would be in for a long wait.

There were probably at least 40 people present, not including kids and pets. It was one big jamboree, with tents, picnic tables, stereos, guitars and drums, the whole shebang! This was undoubtedly the most crowded trailhead I had ever seen. Our presence was ignored by the revelers as we signed in at the register and quickly marched up the road to escape the noise and clutter. Were these folks here to climb Missouri? Ellen doubted it, but I knew some had to be here for that reason. For four-wheelers, there were other roads in the area, but this was just an easy dead end road. Some of these folks had to be there for Missouri or Huron.

On the register, someone had written boldly over the entire page that the trail was in really bad shape. Well, when I last climbed Missouri, via the standard route mind you, there was hardly a trail. After years of climbing in Colorado long before it was vogue, the lack of a trail never bothered me. It still doesn’t. But as trails go, I must agree the trail is indeed in poor shape, for whatever reason. People who like trails and believe their taxes should pay for good trails, believe there should be a good path to such a mountain as Missouri. Perhaps they’re right. But in my first edition of Gerry Roach’s guide to the fourteeners, he states the route was good for avoiding the crowds on Missouri’s standard route. Since that fateful publishing, along with other offers such as those here on SP, the route has obviously become almost as popular as the standard route. The trail is well worn, though it is a result of chaos and not sensible trail construction.

The route zig zags steeply up through sparsely forested slopes. As use continues and increases, the route will deteriorate and we’ll have a situation similar to Huron’s north slopes route, so brilliantly redesigned by the Colorado Fourteener Initiative (CFI). The CFI has its work cut out for it on this route. Fallen trees were the most frequent obstacle, followed by steep terrain covered in scree and loose rock. I’ll say this for the route, though: It wastes no time getting you into Missouri’s west basin.

Missouri’s summit was due east and right there, but much climbing was ahead of us. A long line of people were marching up the steep tundra on the south face of Missouri’s West Ridge. SP member Wayne Afflick, as well as Gerry Roach recommended gaining the ridge rather than do an ascending traverse of the face. But the route the twenty other climbers were all taking variations of was certainly more direct, so we proceeded to do the same.

Iowa Peak's West Ridge Profile above the Northwest Face, as seen from Missouri Peak's West Ridge Route
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

It was not a mistake, but it wasn’t the best option, either. As we approached the ridge top, scree and talus intermixed with the tundra soon gave way to loose, bothersome terrain. It would have made more sense and less effort to stay on the stable ridge top. During this time, I was looking south across the basin to Iowa Peak. I studied the West Ridge, mentioned in Jennifer and Gerry Roach’s guide to the thirteeners. I could not remember what was said about the ridge in the book, but it looked gnarly with some intriguing possibilities, and I began to consider it as a possible descent and thus avoid this crowded West Ridge route on Missouri.

Once on the ridge, we paused to take in some food and then pressed on, climbing up a knob of Class 2 boulders interspersed with loose talus and scree. From there, it was a pleasant stroll along the ridge on a well worn trail. We passed the intersection with the standard route and scurried along the ridge top. I had to recall my last visit here, in cold and blustery conditions. The sky was overcast with angry clouds bringing in premature winter weather during the fall. Exhausted and nonchalant, I only remember staggering to Missouri’s summit and being mildly entertained by the rock scramble preceding it.

Crux sextion on Missouri's Standard Route and final approach to the summit
Digital photos by Aaron Johnson

On this day, under gorgeous skies and warm temperatures, the scramble was nothing as I remembered. The route had been worn down by the masses, and the scramble began with a crux downclimb that I would not recommend to beginning climbers. The scree was hardpacked and offered no traction. Footholds were tiny corners of rock sticking out of the dirt. For me, it was cause for pause and thoughtful movements. For the inexperienced, this place has become a treacherous obstacle. A fall here would not be deadly, but it could certainly be serious. I snapped a few pictures of the area before continuing on with Ellen in the lead. The path was very hardpacked the rest of the way to the summit and traction in spots was poor. Hiking boots with good tread are highly recommended.

Descending Missouri's south ridge & Missouri Mountain from Iowa Peak
Digital photos by Aaron Johnson

The summit was crowded, but we managed to find a spot out of the cool breeze to recharge with food and water. We then descended the south ridge of Missouri for Iowa. I heard a guy say, ”hey, they can’t go that way!” Another guy said, ”well, they are!”

Quartz deposit on Iowa Peak & Iowa and Missouri Peaks as seen from Emerald Peak's Northeast Ridge
Digital Photos by Aaron Johnson

The south ridge had seen plenty of traffic as well and the hardpacked scree trail wound its way down through some rocks, which we stayed on whenever possible. From the saddle, we scrambled to Iowa’s false summit on pleasant tundra and rock. Just past this false summit, we found a small but dazzling deposit of quartz. Beyond, the true summit waited. No one was on the mountain, yet we could see the hordes continuing to gather on Missouri, which suddenly looked quite appealing from here with its many colors shimmering on its talus slopes. We had reached Iowa’s perch in just under thirty minutes. The register showed the mountain was climbed fairly regularly, obviously from Missouri. We signed in and I made mention of Summitpost, then we moved on.

We walked over to the beginning of the West Ridge of Iowa to look the route over, but not much was directly visible. We decided to continue on to Emerald and perhaps get a look at the ridge profile from the south. The stroll down Iowa’s south slopes was very pleasant. We reached the saddle to look at another bail possibility down a steep scree field into a basin west of Emerald. This drainage would lead us back to our trailhead, if we so chose, but I had a feeling much bushwacking would be involved. We saw bits of a trail here and there, but nothing consistent. With the many willows waiting below, we decided the option was too uncertain and we weren’t in the mood to do battle with willows. We would either try a descent of the Iowa West Ridge or retrace our steps back over Missouri.

The Expansive Southern Sawatch Range & Pear Lake in Upper Texas Creek from Emerald Peak
Digital photos by Aaron Johnson

We hiked east across the tundra to a tundra slope on the east end of Emerald’s northeast ridge. From here, the mountain climbed steep and fast. About half way up, we found yet another spattering of white quartz. Some fun Class 2 scrambling followed, and we were on top of Emerald in just under an hour from Iowa.

What a special place! The rounded summit was the perfect perch for viewing the incredible expanse of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness! To the east, Harvard and Columbia watched over the very long Pine Creek drainage. Oxford and Belford commanded the northeast horizon. Missouri, undoubtedly the most colorful mountain in the area, was awash in oranges, reds and yellows. The rugged east ridge was now in full profile, as was the standard ridge route, covered in people, like ants toiling on their anthill. In the distance, La Plata Peak and Mount Hope reached for the sky, along with more distant monarchs such as Elbert, Massive, Grizzly and Holy Cross. Most of the Elk Range was visible, along with Huron’s entire ridge network in the foreground. A new view of the impressive Three Apostles is also available from Emerald’s summit. At this angle, Ice Mountain is on the left, then West and North Apostle to the right! It was an exceptionally clear day, so all of the southern Sawatch summits, including the obvious fourteeners, were visible, along with the mountains near Taylor Park, and even the La Garita and Uncompahgre sections of the San Juans!

Mounts Harvard & Columbia seen from the solitary summit of Emerald Peak
Digital photos by Aaron Johnson

What a view! What an awesome summit! I looked to the west basin below. I could see the south slopes route recommended by Roach, but again, the uncertainties of the basin below, with the lower reaches buried in willows made me secure in ruling out that loop possibility. Not remembering what was said about Iowa’s West Ridge route, we decided it was maybe more trouble than we in our increasingly tired state may want to attempt. It was decided we would go back over Iowa and Missouri, which was not that big of a deal and obviously the sure thing. Given we had done three mountains and would climb two of them twice, it was hard to believe we would be back on Missouri in 90 minutes!

Emerald’s summit register was a telling document of how lonely this beautiful mountain truly was. Despite the short distance from Iowa, it did not get near the volume of people. Counting us, seventeen people had visited the mountain this year. A shame, for it is their loss, but perhaps a gain for the mountain. Obvious wear was apparent on parts of the mountain. Perhaps less traffic is better for it. We signed the register and prepared to leave.

It was hard leaving Emerald. A beautiful, friendly mountain that offered quiet solitude and a view that was stunning beyond belief, Emerald seemed like a long lost friend, akin to the Rio Grande Pyramid: A summit that was hardly visited yet had so much to offer any visitor that happened by. It is only then, when an intrepid soul arrives at such an isolated summit, that all of these qualities are worth anything.

With much regret, we departed down the mountain’s northeast ridge and made a direct line across the tundra, bypassing Iowa’s summit plateau. We were back on Missouri in under ninety minutes. We took a long break there due to an unexpected surprise. We had the summit of the popular fourteener to ourselves! Boy, did we ever enjoy that! To our knowledge, we were the last ones on Missouri’s summit that day. We could see many climbers descending into Missouri Gulch and down the West Ridge route. After a big snack, we left the summit at 2PM, and I had a newfound appreciation of this often overlooked or disregarded fourteener.

Emerald Peak (right) and a host of Sawatch Range fourteeners from the summit of Missouri Mountain, 2PM, 8-14-04
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

Climbing up through the crux move on Missouri during the descent is easier than climbing down through it on the ascent. Even so, we were careful to avoid any unnecessary chance for injury and quickly moved on. Once on the West Ridge, we stayed on the ridge itself to avoid the unpleasantries of the slope we had climbed that morning. We caught up to a large group of adults and kids, presumably from the big jamboree at the trailhead. Descending from the ridge down very steep tundra, one of this group thoughtlessly rolled their backpack down the mountain to save themselves the effort of carrying it down. A guy nearby yelled “pack! Watch out!” I looked up the slope, befuddled, expecting to see a rock careening at me. But sure enough, it was a big black daypack tumbling toward us. A bizarre sight indeed! We stepped aside and let it roll to a stop on a level spot below. What sort of nut would do such a thing? The guy said, ”it’s my wife’s.” He did not appear happy with her, either. We took our leave, scurrying back down the steep trail. The most dangerous hazard on this route is the other people!

We reached a cairn at the base of the descent and realized we had come up a trail from the lake that morning. By taking a trail at the intersection where the cairn is located, we avoided the unneeded drop, rejoining the main trail just eighty feet away. Catching this short cut on your way up takes real keen awareness, but it’s a no-brainer coming down. Though the drop is not a big deal, it is quite helpful at the day’s end after climbing three mountains.

Profile View of the Triple Crown Route from Huron Peak, looking east
Missouri, Iowa and Emerald Peaks are flanked by Mounts Harvard & Columbia in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

If there is one drawback to doing the Triple Crown, it’s all of the people on Missouri Mountain. Once an escape from the crowds, the West Ridge route for Missouri is now every bit as popular, thanks to four-wheel drive vehicles. Going up, there were at least twenty people on the route, counting us. Throughout the day, the total was probably close to forty. But that’s climbing a fourteener on a weekend in Colorado. That’s just how it is. If you’re going to be on a fourteener on a weekend, expect to share the mountain with many people, regardless of the route’s supposed obscurity. The media, including SP, have all but made the idea of an obscure route on these mountains a thing of the past. During the week, it’s a different story. But on the weekend, stop your complaining and get in line!

If you’re lucky and manage to climb Iowa and Emerald in the same day, it’s possible for you to have Missouri’s summit to yourself on the return. It happened to us, so you can’t rule out the possibility for yourself. Now, that is a real treat! But the real reward in executing the Triple Crown route is to be on top of a truly isolated summit where solitude is still the rule of the day. Iowa’s summit is very nice and chances are you’ll have it yourself.

But Emerald…what a special place to be! Now, that is a place of peace and quiet, with a view that is really stunning beyond words! Emerald is a friendly mountain, and visitors are the only thing that makes this otherwise lonely mountain a special place to experience. Otherwise, Emerald goes on throughout the days, years and centuries, unnoticed and unappreciated. I would normally worry about exposing Emerald to the masses, but given the time, effort and required 4WD to reach this mountain by this most expedient route there is, the Triple Crown, most will choose not to bother. Only those that would truly appreciate Emerald’s uniqueness will choose to make the effort, and for that, Emerald will see that they are rewarded accordingly.

Emerald Peak from the south slopes of Iowa Peak
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

I look forward to see who finds Emerald as special a mountain as Ellen and I do. We are both grateful for the opportunity to have visited this wonderful summit in the heart of the wilderness.

There is now a SEQUEL to this report!

A Secret in the Heart ofthe Wilderness: The Sequel

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