Two options from Tincup Pass Rd

Two options from Tincup Pass Rd

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 38.69805°N / 106.4516°W
Additional Information Route Type: Mountaineering
Seasons Season: Summer
Additional Information Time Required: Most of a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Hike
Sign the Climber's Log

Getting There

Directions to the beginning of Tincup Pass Rd in St. Elmo:

From the town of Buena Vista drive 8 miles south on Route 285 to a place known as Nathrop and then turn west onto Route 162. Drive this road 16 miles to the ghost town of St. Elmo (the first 10 miles are paved and the rest is a well graded dirt road). In St. Elmo, go thru “Main Street”, turn right and cross the bridge to the north side of Chalk Creek. Then make an immediate left and continue to the west end of town.

Route Description

In St. Elmo, head west and hike or drive (4WD) Tincup Pass Road. The lower parts of the road go through an aspen forest. As you reach the western end of the valley, the road starts to go up steeply.






Tincup Pass Road
Tincup Pass Rd
Tincup Pass Road
Tincup Pass Rd



Option one, via the eastern slopes of Fitzpatrick Peak:

All distances are per my GPS.













Place
Elevation
Distance
St. Elmo
10000 ft
zero miles
Sawmill Hill
11750 ft
4.85 miles
Summit
13112 ft
1.80 miles
Total
-
6.65 miles



After 4.85 miles on Tincup Pass Rd, you will reach tree-line (11750 ft) at a place identified on USGS Map as Sawmill Hill. A beautiful grassy basin can be seen to the west with Fitzpatrick Peak rising above it.
East Face
Fitzpatrick

You can follow any path to reach Fitzpatrick. The dense growth of bushes in the basin, however, make it difficult to hike through the basin. If you chose to do this route (in summer), you should be ready to do much bushwhacking.
Bushwhcking
Bushwhacking

Once you reach 12000-12200 ft, the bushes go away gradually. You can then hike to the summit of Fitzpatrick.
East Face
 

Option two, via Tincup Pass:

All distances are per my GPS.













Place
Elevation
Distance
St. Elmo
10000 ft
zero miles
Tincup Pass
12154 ft
5.85 miles
Summit
13112 ft
1.50 miles
Total
-
7.35 miles



Hike or drive to/near Tincup Pass. Point 12780 ft sits between Tincup Pass and a 12412 ft saddle at the base of Fitzpatrick’s northern ridgeline. I went to the area at the border of the scree slopes of Point 12780 ft and the bushes that grow below it.
NE face from Tincup Pass Rd
Bushes & scree

I was able to find a beaten path that allowed me to traverse the slopes of Point 12780 ft.
Traversing Point 12780 ft
Traverse

Once at the 12412 ft saddle, the easy northern ridge-top of Fitzpatrick can be followed to reach the summit.
North Ridgeline
Northern Ridgeline

Essential Gear

Hiking equipment.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.