Wilderness Route

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 38.96508°N / 106.54292°W
Additional Information Route Type: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Summer, Fall
Additional Information Time Required: Most of a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Dangerously loose rock on steep slope. Bushwhacking trails
Additional Information Rock Difficulty: Class 3
Additional Information Grade: III
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

This route was partially explained in the main page for this mountain. If you want a no traffic getaway while climbing this unpopular 13er, then this is for you. It basically is a side trip off the Timberline Trail no. 414. Well its not exactly a side trip, at the cutoff for the Timberline Trail, you go the other direction, passing the gate. The route gives you a spectacular view of Taylor Reservoir and Grizzly Peak the entire time. However it is no joke going up here. It is an unknown death trap, with its falling rocks and boulders, to steep ledges and scrambling on loose rock, you must be very careful while climbing this. This is not an accurate route. There is actually no accurate route, but this is one of the two ways you can scramble up the summit.

Getting There

From Taylor Reservoir, go to the cutoff for Pieplant and once your at Pieplant, find the sign for Timberline Trail no. 414. From there hike up a dirt bike/ ATV road until you get to the cut of for the timberline trail. There is a gate at the cutoff that is marked as the wilderness boundary. Go past the gate and now you are on a old mining road that get little to no traffic from anyone year round.

Route Description

Routesroutes. main trail is red. blue is Class 3 purple is Class 4
If you are a first timer and/or unexperienced with mountain climbing/class 3/4 pitches, DO NOT CONTINUE.
After the gate you hike up dramatically steep slopes until you get up passed the the tree line. From here, go until you could see where the trail ends and then STOP. You have four options from here. There is no trail for any of them. If the weather seems to not be holding up GO BACK. This is where most of the climbing comes in. If you look at the map to the left, you will see your options. The details are listed below.

Option 1:

Cut off the trail and cross a boulder field until you get to a vertical stream bed in which the rocks are all bleached. Find the safest way to scramble up this stream bed up to the ridge. Once your at the ridge, it is an easy walk to the summit. This one is the safest route

Option 2:

Make a left from where your at and find a safe way to maneuver your self around the vertical boulders. Anyway you go you will run into a pitch of class 4 scrambling. I made a video from when I attempted the mountain from this route. The route shows how steep the slope is and it explainshow you can get up the ridge safely. The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TXQPvQnOW4&feature=channel_page
After you get to the ridge, you can go to the false summit or go directly to the summit. You will approach a rock wall hiking from the ridge to the summit. While walking across this narrow wall, you will have about 1000 feet of exposure. After that you scramble to the summit. I'd recommend you use option 1 to go back.

Option 3:

If you continue on the trail, it will end dramatically at this giant rock slope. You could go about 100 yards back from where it ends and do a class 4 rock climb over the slope and connect to option 1, or you could go up one of the couloirs which I DO NOT RECOMMEND because if you slip, you have a 90% change of dieing because you will fall down the slope about 200 feet. If you do climb up one of the two couloirs, you will connect to option 1. If you countiue up vertical, it will take you much longer. I DO NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THIS ROUTE AT ALL.

Option 4:

One last option. From where your at, you could go back about 200 yards or until your about to go back into tree line. Make a left if your facing the trees. Cross a field of smaller boulders, then zig-zag up to the mountain's other false summit or cut across to option 1. This would be the safest way to summit, but is not as direct as option 1.

Again use caution while picking an option. Sit down and look at what would be the safest. The options are not official text book ways of climbing this, these are recommendations by me. Not all the options are safe. Like I said, this route is not accurate. A more direct way would be bushwhacking up it from West Winfield. This was is more convenient if your in Taylor Park at the time.

If you take Option 1 the RT mileage is 6.6 miles.

Essential Gear

A rock helmet would be considered an essential on this one. Maybe some ropes if you decide to take Option 3. Hike with good boots on this.

External Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TXQPvQnOW4&feature=channel_page

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.