started at lower huerfano/zapata falls trailhead, up California, then onto UN 13577 and onto UN 13660 A. The descent from UN 13660 was nasty, intercepted a trail at Lilly Lake and back to lower huerfano lower TH - finished at 9 PM, hiked 1.5 hrs in dark...
Senad Rizvanovic - Aug 27, 2018 11:11 am Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2018
Amazing views of Blanca Group.
Strenuous hike from Lilly lake, once on the ridge it becomes very easy and obvious.
Sarah Simon - Jun 25, 2018 8:01 am Date Climbed: Jun 10, 2018
North Ridge
The North Ridge is a nice dog-friendly walk-up route. Our apps indicated 5,200 feet of cumulative gain on the entire route full of ups and downs. Beautiful, pre-monsoon weather was amazing. Plenty of camping in the valley below.
wbass - Jun 11, 2018 9:59 pm Date Climbed: Jun 9, 2018
California Solitude
What a wonderful, understated peak! While not at all technically difficult, this may be one of the finest peaks in Colorado. You can’t beat the combination of the Huerfano Valley beauty and solitude on a virtually untraveled trail. A longer than usual time on the ridge can be dicey during monsoon season, but the elk and we shared great weather in June.
rmjwinters - Nov 11, 2016 11:49 pm Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2016
Via north ridge
Via north ridge and exit via LIly Lake
Woodie Hopper - Oct 22, 2016 11:11 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2016
North Ridge
Windy, otherwise great day.
Climbed with Nicholas, my oldest.
belexes - Oct 22, 2016 9:09 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2016
Zapata Trail
Meetup.com, 14er Fans. Hike with Michael. We left Denver at 3AM, started hiking around 6:30, reached the summit at 10:30. It was very windy along the ridge. We saw two other hikers this day. There's been a wildfire burning near Pueblo recently, it looks like the wind kicked it up again today. We could see a smoke plume rising above the Wet Mountains. Total time up and down: 6:46:57.
seano - Oct 21, 2014 6:03 pm Date Climbed: Oct 18, 2014
Up Zapata, down Lost Lake
Tagging centennials on a surprisingly nice hunting season day. The north ridge is almost all nice tundra, while the south ridge is nasty choss. I dropped straight down via Lost Lake, which is not as bad as it looks, and much shorter than going all the way to Lily Lake. Trip report.
boisedoc - Sep 1, 2013 12:47 am Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2013
nice area
simple hike. Saw several Bighorn. The Huerfano basin is scenic
cftbq - Aug 10, 2013 8:47 am Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2013
North Ridge
Technically easy ridge walk, but with four major false summits. Great view of the Blanca group.
My non-climbing hubby did this one with no trouble.
strudolyubov - Nov 28, 2012 11:38 pm Date Climbed: Nov 23, 2012
West Ridge
Hiked California Peak via West Ridge from Zapata Falls. Bone dry below treeline, a little bit of snow above 13,000 ft. Nice hike with great views of Sierra Blanca and Crestones/Sand Dunes.
Summitted via the west ridge from Zapata Falls TH. True beauty. Great route with the option to walk the cirque and drop into the south fork of Zapata Creek.Spooky plane crash site. If anyone plans to climb this soon, a PVC register at the summit would be nice to replace a glass jar that is about to shatter. Keep an eye out for the sheep herd that hangs around. Sweet full curls.
astrobassman - Jun 20, 2011 12:14 am Date Climbed: May 28, 2011
Went to California
And it was good. Standing on a hill in a mountain of dreams, told myself it's not as hard as it seems.
theREALCarpeDM - May 8, 2011 9:00 am Date Climbed: May 7, 2011
Going to California with an aching in my heart
Tried to stick to the summer trail, but due to snow lost it in the trees above the meadow at 10,800ft. Climbed a snow-filled gully to the ridge. Agree with sevenvii, those false summits will put an aching in your heart even when you know they're coming.
sevenvii - May 2, 2011 2:49 pm Date Climbed: Apr 30, 2011
North Ridge spring time
What a very long ridge this is. Overall was a great weather day, and other than a little ice on the rock to gain the ridge, pretty uneventful hike. The endless false summits become a little demoralizing, even if you know to expect them.
Kiefer - Sep 9, 2009 12:19 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2009
Standard Route
Kind of a boring hike. High mountain with a decent altitude. Awesome views of Blanca and Ormes Buttress!!
Jay Moon - Jul 29, 2009 7:46 pm Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2009
West Ridge
A long day from the Zappata Falls trail head. Had a diffcult time finding Roach's ridge from his 14er book. Ended up achieving the ridge from a talus field off the south fork trail. Awesome views and a challenging hike.
rdclark86 - Jul 29, 2019 2:54 pm Date Climbed: Jul 13, 2018
California is the place to bePerfect weather when we climbed.
Matt Lemke - Jun 1, 2019 5:46 am Date Climbed: May 5, 2019
West RIdgeNice hike from Zapata Falls TH
Liba Kopeckova - Sep 27, 2018 7:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 24, 2018
nice autumn hikestarted at lower huerfano/zapata falls trailhead, up California, then onto UN 13577 and onto UN 13660 A. The descent from UN 13660 was nasty, intercepted a trail at Lilly Lake and back to lower huerfano lower TH - finished at 9 PM, hiked 1.5 hrs in dark...
Senad Rizvanovic - Aug 27, 2018 11:11 am Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2018
Amazing views of Blanca Group.Strenuous hike from Lilly lake, once on the ridge it becomes very easy and obvious.
Sarah Simon - Jun 25, 2018 8:01 am Date Climbed: Jun 10, 2018
North RidgeThe North Ridge is a nice dog-friendly walk-up route. Our apps indicated 5,200 feet of cumulative gain on the entire route full of ups and downs. Beautiful, pre-monsoon weather was amazing. Plenty of camping in the valley below.
wbass - Jun 11, 2018 9:59 pm Date Climbed: Jun 9, 2018
California SolitudeWhat a wonderful, understated peak! While not at all technically difficult, this may be one of the finest peaks in Colorado. You can’t beat the combination of the Huerfano Valley beauty and solitude on a virtually untraveled trail. A longer than usual time on the ridge can be dicey during monsoon season, but the elk and we shared great weather in June.
rmjwinters - Nov 11, 2016 11:49 pm Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2016
Via north ridgeVia north ridge and exit via LIly Lake
Woodie Hopper - Oct 22, 2016 11:11 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2016
North RidgeWindy, otherwise great day.
Climbed with Nicholas, my oldest.
belexes - Oct 22, 2016 9:09 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 2016
Zapata TrailMeetup.com, 14er Fans. Hike with Michael. We left Denver at 3AM, started hiking around 6:30, reached the summit at 10:30. It was very windy along the ridge. We saw two other hikers this day. There's been a wildfire burning near Pueblo recently, it looks like the wind kicked it up again today. We could see a smoke plume rising above the Wet Mountains. Total time up and down: 6:46:57.
seano - Oct 21, 2014 6:03 pm Date Climbed: Oct 18, 2014
Up Zapata, down Lost LakeTagging centennials on a surprisingly nice hunting season day. The north ridge is almost all nice tundra, while the south ridge is nasty choss. I dropped straight down via Lost Lake, which is not as bad as it looks, and much shorter than going all the way to Lily Lake. Trip report.
boisedoc - Sep 1, 2013 12:47 am Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2013
nice areasimple hike. Saw several Bighorn. The Huerfano basin is scenic
cftbq - Aug 10, 2013 8:47 am Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2013
North RidgeTechnically easy ridge walk, but with four major false summits. Great view of the Blanca group.
rockymountaindiva - Jul 26, 2013 6:16 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2010
Easy climbMy non-climbing hubby did this one with no trouble.
strudolyubov - Nov 28, 2012 11:38 pm Date Climbed: Nov 23, 2012
West RidgeHiked California Peak via West Ridge from Zapata Falls. Bone dry below treeline, a little bit of snow above 13,000 ft. Nice hike with great views of Sierra Blanca and Crestones/Sand Dunes.
JohnnyCO - Jul 11, 2012 8:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 9, 2012
Sierra Blanca View of a LifetimeSummitted via the west ridge from Zapata Falls TH. True beauty. Great route with the option to walk the cirque and drop into the south fork of Zapata Creek.Spooky plane crash site. If anyone plans to climb this soon, a PVC register at the summit would be nice to replace a glass jar that is about to shatter. Keep an eye out for the sheep herd that hangs around. Sweet full curls.
astrobassman - Jun 20, 2011 12:14 am Date Climbed: May 28, 2011
Went to CaliforniaAnd it was good. Standing on a hill in a mountain of dreams, told myself it's not as hard as it seems.
theREALCarpeDM - May 8, 2011 9:00 am Date Climbed: May 7, 2011
Going to California with an aching in my heartTried to stick to the summer trail, but due to snow lost it in the trees above the meadow at 10,800ft. Climbed a snow-filled gully to the ridge. Agree with sevenvii, those false summits will put an aching in your heart even when you know they're coming.
sevenvii - May 2, 2011 2:49 pm Date Climbed: Apr 30, 2011
North Ridge spring timeWhat a very long ridge this is. Overall was a great weather day, and other than a little ice on the rock to gain the ridge, pretty uneventful hike. The endless false summits become a little demoralizing, even if you know to expect them.
Kiefer - Sep 9, 2009 12:19 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2009
Standard RouteKind of a boring hike. High mountain with a decent altitude. Awesome views of Blanca and Ormes Buttress!!
Jay Moon - Jul 29, 2009 7:46 pm Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2009
West RidgeA long day from the Zappata Falls trail head. Had a diffcult time finding Roach's ridge from his 14er book. Ended up achieving the ridge from a talus field off the south fork trail. Awesome views and a challenging hike.