West Spanish Peak - we did THAT?

A Jaw-Dropping Mountain

From whatever direction you come, your first good look at West Spanish Peak is an eye-popping experience. Steve (not yet a member of SummitPost) and I came from the west, and as we rounded the last ridge blocking the view of the peak, I knew what his reaction would be: “We’re gonna do THAT???” (Actually, he preceded this with something more colorful that started with “Holy ….”).

Rising more than 6,500’ above the surrounding plain, West Spanish Peak (13,646’) and its lower companion, East Spanish Peak (12,683’) are truly impressive. Long spines of igneous rock radiate from the base of the mountains, adding to the specialness of the setting.

The Starting Point - Cordova Pass

Fortunately, the route to the top doesn’t have to start at the bottom, although we talked to a B&B owner in Le Veta, the pretty town at the base of West Spanish Peak, who had done just that. The most common way to the summit starts with the West Spanish Peak trail at Cordova Pass (11,250’) and goes, after a while, directly up the mountain’s southwest ridge.

The trailhead is located next to the picnic area on the east side of the road at the pass. The well-marked trail to the peak starts off fairly level through forest. After a half mile, it opens into a large meadow with a side trail up to a vista point. This also affords the first good, relatively close-up look at the peak. The peak’s wow factor is just as great here as down below.

Trail to "the Shales"

Beyond the meadow, the trail winds along the forested ridge, dips down about 160’ and then starts a long, moderate ascent. At about 1.4 miles, it meets the top end of the Apishapa Trail, then rises more sharply about a half mile further to what other hikers called “the shales,” a large cairn located at 11,880’ the topmost point of the treeline and the true beginning of the climb to the summit.

From the Shales to the Summit

To our pleasant surprise, the steep, rocky climb to the top follows a route that is well marked with cairns, to which we added as we went. By and large, the footing was good (at least on the way up). Both along the route and eventually on the summit ridge, previous visitors had constructed low windbreaks. From well below, the southwest ridge looks razor sharp, but once you’re on it, there are no exposure issues.

The straight line distance from “the shales” to the summit ridge is about a half mile, but you gain 1,600’ of elevation over that distance. You first arrive at a false summit, then climb a relatively easy quarter mile to the true summit, which is marked with a large cairn.

To the top

The view back down the ridge makes clear that this is a vigorous climb. The views from the top make clear why it's worth it. The panoramas are glorious – all the way to Blanca Peak 30 miles to the northwest and the Wheeler Peak massif 60 miles to the southwest in New Mexico (Wheeler, at 13,161’, is the highest peak in New Mexico).

We didn’t see a register at the top, unless it was in a small, odd container that someone had taped to the summit cairn.

As soon as we got to the top, Steve pulled out a sign to send greetings to a good friend, hiking companion -- and the one who introduced us to the mountains of Colorado -- who is battling pancreatic cancer.

Traffic on the mountain -- not much

Based on this one day, a fair amount of visitors walk up to the vista meadow. That’s where the triage starts. We encountered a few other groups at or on their way to “the shales,” two other pairs or groups whose ambitions to scale the peak evaporated only a short way up the ridge and one young fellow who clearly was going to make it. As a couple of old guys – I qualified for my senior National Park Pass several years ago, and Steve’s eligibility is fast approaching – we felt pretty good vis-à-vis the youth demographic far below.

Our total time was a little over six hours; this included a half hour at the top and conversations and picture-taking with others on the trail up and down, including a middle-aged couple sitting on lawn chairs at the edge of the vista meadow who were waiting for their son and a friend to return from the peak, presumably the summit. (We had passed the two young men on our way down; they had abandoned any thought of going to the top and were hunkering down in a clump of trees for an afternoon snooze.)

Gear, Logistics, Getting There

Gear: Just a good pair of hiking boots, a trekking pole, plenty of water and a camera.

Cordova Pass: The Pass is part of the San Isabel National Forest. The Forest Service has contracted out the site management, which charges modest fees for day parking ($5) or overnight camping ($6). As the area was spotless, the price seemed a bargain. Envelopes and a collection box are located at the site. When we arrived, there were no envelopes but the site manager showed up while we were on the trail and stuck one on the windshield of our car. We paid when we returned.

Campsites at Cordova Pass are well maintained but spare – each site has a picnic table and a flat site for a tent. The only facility is a vault toilet. The campsites do not have bear boxes. A picnic area across the road has tables and metal grills, but when we were there in August, signs along the highway warned that open fires were forbidden.

Weather: Expect cool temperatures at the top, even when it’s warm at lower elevations. We had a crystal clear day to climb, but in normal summer weather, it’s best to be back to the tree line before thunderstorms start to develop in early afternoon.

Getting there: Cordova Pass is reached via winding, scenic county road 46, which branches off from Colorado Rt. 12 at Cucharas Pass, about 17 miles from La Veta. The two passes are about five miles apart. CO 46 is unpaved but very well maintained – our rental sedan had no trouble on it.

Where to stay: As noted, the campsites at Cordova Pass are tidy but spare. The advantage of camping there (besides the low cost) is an overnight at altitude. Bear Lake and Blue Lake campgrounds are about 10 miles away (both at over 10,000’). If you’re not in the mood for camping, Cuchara has a large inn and a creekside B&B, and La Veta offers a variety of accommodations.

Bottom Line

Once you see West Spanish Peak, it becomes an irresistible target and well worth the demanding effort. Plus you get to hear friends and relatives exclaim, “You did THAT?”

Photo Credits: Each of us contributed photos to this report.

Images

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