Tayor Mountain and Big John Mountain via Bright TH.

Last week I set out with my friend Dan for a shorter and lower day.  With the snow conditions at the time still looking pretty bad and the weather forecast for higher parts equal that, we once again looked to some of the high points in Boulder County for inspiration.

I'd checked Caltopo.com for some more peaks I could see from my house and Big John Mountain popped up.  The drive looked reasonable and the day looked pretty mellow, covering about 4.4 miles round trip.

To get her, you'll take route 7 out of Lyons (or turn left when headed west).  You'll want to continue on route 7 until you hit the uphill immediately before Ferncliff.  Turn right onto Taylor Road and follow to the trail head, which has a small parking lot for several vehicles.  Alternatively, you could drive farther up the road in the summer if you have 4wd.  But why drive it when you can hike it!

The 4wd drive was pretty well packed down, it was only once we'd turned right off it that the postholing began.  

Twin Sisters as seen from Taylor Mountain.
But the gain isn't too bad, and it is fairly easy to continually orient to the high point.

The summit cairn of Taylor Mountain, 9134 feet.

Mount Alice in a tree window.
We headed north east  and downhill from here towards Big John Mountain.  It was nice to have the wind block of Taylor behind us since it was ripping.  There was of course a bit more snow on the leeward side of the mountain, but going downhill in it was easy.  And then we went back up...

Summit cairn of Big John Mountain, 9100 feet.

Here's Big John Mountain from the saddle between it and Taylor.  Again, fairly easy to see where to go as these were the only two peaks in the area and there was a distinct line of cairns running up Big John.

It's not the most beautiful photo I've ever taken, but upon looking at it when I got home, I realized that I have climbed everything visible in this photo that is over 9009 feet in elevation.  From left to right:  St. Vrain Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Ogalalla Peak, Copeland Mountain, Ouzel Peak, Mahana Peak, Isolation Peak, The Cleaver, Tanima Peak, Pilot Mountain (2x), Mount Orton (2x), Mount Alice (2x), Chiefs Head Peak, Lookout Mountain (2x), Horsetooth, Mount Meeker, Meeker Ridge (2x), Mount Lady Washington, and Battle Mountain.

Taylor Mountain from the 4wd road.

A little more visible.
This was a fun day and certainly a good pick for a shorter winter day as these peaks could be climbed with ease in the summer.  The conditions added just the right amount of difficulty to make the end result feel satisfying.  Taylor can offer some really great views through the trees as seen above, while Big John doesn't so much, but it's so close and not too difficult to get to, so why not?
Taylor Mountain and Big John Mountain via Bright TH:
4.4 miles round trip, 1458 feet gain.  Moderate.

Coffintop Mountain via Hall Ranch/Bitterbrush TH.

This is what real winter is like.  Last winter at this time I was hiking 13ers, smaller and minor peaks on the east side of the park, lakes, basically anything I wanted!  This year it just keeps snowing, and the crazy avalanche conditions have been keeping me at home or on lower elevation peaks (though lower doesn't always mean safer).
This week I set out for Coffintop Mountain from Hall Ranch.  I actually saw it on Caltopo while I was using the 'view from here' feature to see what peaks I could see from my house.  I'd never heard of it, but as it is quite prominent from Longmont, I decided I must climb it!
There are a few different routes up one can take- there are several places to start from Route 7 besides Hall Ranch which would make a shorter day for sure.  It is also climbable from Button Rock Reservoir.  But starting at Bitterbrush would give me north of 12 miles and 2500+ feet of gain for the day, so that was the option I took.

I didn't start until almost 11.  It was nice to not have to get up super early.  Coffintop is the flatish peak center in this photo, taken from near the lower parking lot at Hall.  Route 7 on the left.
I took the Nighthawk trail up until the junction with the Button Rock trail.  I continued on this trail west, passing the first road that I came to (marked with a sign that said 3), and then struck out south a bit later when I started to loose elevation along the road.
From looking at the topo, it looked like I could stay on the ridge which starts south of the road around the prominent closed loop marking 6800 feet.  This is what I did.  I gained elevation and eventually ran into some fresh footprints on what looked like a trail of some sort.  They went the way I wanted to go for some time, so I followed them. 

Of course there are false summits along the way, but it's easy to know where to go once you see the peak.  Here the prints I'd been following went off south, so I set out towards the peak.  This was the hardest part of the day as I was postholing into knee deep snow with every step upwards.

This crazily twisted pine grew near the summit.
There is some debate about the summit.  The topo shows the northern closed loops to be the high point at 8049 feet.  Others have commented and I agree that the southern summit looks higher.  I've even found someone whose GPS showed it to be higher, yet the error was +/- 16 feet which means it could be lower.

Looking to the southern summit from the northern.
I can say the cairn marking the summit is near but not on the southern summit.  I didn't find a register.

Looking towards the northern summit from the southern.

 

This point is slightly south of the cairn and looks to be the true high point.  It was fun to make the short scramble up this is very windy and icy conditions.  

The cairn in front of a usual sight this winter- a storm sitting on the continental divide.

Good views of Button Rock Reservoir.  Button Rock Mountain is the high point behind the reservoir in this photo.

Going down was much easier than going up.  Plunge stepping and boot skiing though the snow ensued.  The day was very pretty and nice- the highest temperature I noted was in the low 40's though the wind made things feel cooler.

Eventually I started to follow my tracks back.  I stopped for a snack here.

This is the sign that I went by on my way out.  If I went again, I'd take a left here and then start up on this side.

I made it back to Hall, and decided to take Nelson Loop to Bitterbrush to get back to the parking lot.  Hall is buried in snow.  It was melting a bit as I got lower, but things were super muddy in those places.  I can't wait to ride it!

And more!

Coffintop as seen from Bitterbrush trail.  The sun was starting to go down, and I made it back to the parking lot shortly after it set.

Near full moon over Indian Lookout Mountain.
I arrived back at the truck to find this day took me seven hours, one more than I predicted.  Of course the conditions slowed things down remarkably, but that is to be expected.  This would likely be a much easier day in the summer.  But of course, it was still fun to get out and do something rather than sit at home and wish avalanche conditions were looking better.  RMNP might be out for the moment, but there are still other places to go that can offer fun and challenge. 
Coffintop Moutain via Hall Ranch:
12.5 miles round trip, 2536 foot gain(5500-8036).  Second class.  Moderate+.

Three weeks in the Park.

It's been a little bit since I've written, but not to fear, I've still been getting out and enjoying my favorite place weekly for the most part.
12/31/13- Emerald Lake.
I managed to convince Katie to come out with me and snowshoe up this this lake.  Funny how what looked like a pretty nice day in Estes Park turned cold, windy, and snowy by the time we got to Bear Lake.  We could see a storm sitting right on the divide which provided the action.

On the way to the Emerald Lake.
I am sure the trail is pretty well beat in, but the conditions and wind blown snow made it hard to follow.  It was a good navigation lesson in winter conditions for her. 

Emerald Lake, frozen.

The eastern shore of the lake and part of Hallett Peak.

At Emerald Lake.  She's the pretty one.
We turned back and discovered the trail we'd broken in on the way up was almost gone.  It only took twenty minutes or so for our footsteps to be filled in with blown snow.

Back at Dream Lake we stopped to take a photo.
It was a kind of odd day for me since I am used to seeing no one once I leave the trail head.  Of course there were a ton of people out on this relatively popular and easy winter route.  I'd say snowshoes might not even be needed.  You could probably make it all the way to the lake with microspikes only.
Emerald Lake via Bear Lake Th:
1.8 miles each way, 650 foot gain (9450-10100).  Moderate-.
1/7/14- Attempt at the Peaks on the divide south of Flattop.
I'd been saving this one for the winter, as this route has very little avalanche risk.  Again, the weather didn't look so great on Flattop, but points east and north looked to have a clear forecast, so I went for it. 

A beautifully still morning. 

The trail wasn't broken in completely, but was pretty easy to follow.
From the parking lot I could yet again see a storm lingering on the divide.  I hoped it would break up as I ascended....

But no such luck.  Here is Hallett as seen from the trail. 

And Dream Lake.

Well, I got to tree line and things weren't looking any better.  It was quite windy with both fresh and blowing snow. 

Eventually I could see I'd be traveling into a complete white out if I kept going.  After doing the hard work to get most of the way up Flattop, I sadly turned back.

 

Near the highpoint of the day.
I felt bad on the way down.  I made the right decision to turn back, but I wasn't happy about it.  As I've found helped in the past, I stopped by Sprague Lake on the way back and walked around it.  I took a seat and thought for awhile.  There's been alot on my mind recently, and Sprague Lake is the place to go and get some thinking done.   

Hallett still in clouds as seen from Bear Lake.

Sprague Lake.

Hallett and Flattop as seen from Sprague Lake.  Things hadn't cleared up much. 

From farther back. 

Otis, Hallett, and Flattop.  I will be standing on top of you all soon.
Flattop Mountain via Bear Lake Th:
4.4 miles each way, 2874 foot gain.  Moderate+.
1/14/14- Buttonrock Mountain.
Another dismal forecast for the higher peaks this week led me to choose to stay low.  It was a good decision, as I couldn't see anything west of Twin Sisters all day.  This trail seems to be kind of hush hush, so I won't give detailed directions on how to get there, but it is close to Pinewood Springs, and more info can be found online.
I'd been up here by bicycle before, in fact this is quickly becoming on of my favorite trails in the area.  Therefore I knew exactly where to go.  Unfortunately, the lower portion (jeep road) of the trail sustained some significant damage in the flood.  It may or may not be passable even with a 4wd.  There were channels gouged out of the road up to three feet deep in places.

But things sure looked pretty.
Even though I am familiar with the trail, it again became an exercise in route finding since everything was covered in snow near the top of the jeep road.  From there on I only saw the trail a few times.  Of course, I knew which direction the summit was, so I went that way. 

Meadow as I gained elevation.

The true summit is far west once it seems like the high point has been reached.  I think it would be pretty hard to find without GPS or knowing where it was beforehand since it is pretty difficult to tell what ground around you is higher.  But I found it!  Again!  There was one registered summit since my last one via mtb over the summer.  Hi Brian!

Clouds on the divide and Twin Sisters to the right.

More clouds.  It was super windy and I had to sit to be able to take photos.

I started pretty late in the afternoon, and had lost the sun on my descent.  In stark contrast to the normal, I ended the day in a headlamp.  Driving down 36 in darkness was quite different from the norm as well.
A fun but shorter day.  It was good to get out and the right decision was made in staying low.
Buttonrock Mountain via secret Th:
8ish miles round trip, 1000ish foot gain.  Moderate.
1/22/14- "Dundicking" attempt.
Dundicking is an unofficially named but ranked peak which lies between Mounts Dunraven and Dickinson (hence the name).  We were so close over the summer.  I remember walking right by this peak and Dan suggesting that maybe we should check it out in case it was Dunraven.  If only we had, it would have saved me alot of trouble!
I guess a little research on my part would've revealed that it was a ranked peak.  But oh well...
I knew this was an ambitious day, covering close to 24 miles round trip plus 6000 or so feet of gain.  But I'm ambitious right?
I started at the now reopened Cow Creek TH at 530, and wore a head lamp for some time.  The sun came up eventually, and provided illumination on the day...

West Creek.  The North Boundary Trail has had some significant damage in places, but it is still passable.  The bridge over the creek is missing, and the trail was completely washed out in a few places on the other side.

Sunlight illuminates Sheep Mountain and Dark Mountain.

A crazy looking twisted pine across the trail.
I was looking for the Husted Trail.  This was an official NPS trail at one point, at least appearing on the 1961 NPS map.  My friend Chris has some more info on it here.  Interestingly enough, if you go to Caltopo.com and select the US Forest Service map option, the trail appears:

See?  There it is!
I was worried I'd missed it in the snow, so I set out west.  The going was hard.  Obviously no one had been out this way in quite awhile.  At least I think so.  I kept seeing footprints, but it was hard to tell if they were human or animal of some sort that had melted into something looking humanesque.
I gained elevation slowly but surely, and eventually ran into the burn area from the Cow Creek fire in 2010.

A windowpane in what is left of a tree.  Though dead, many of the trees were still standing.
This marks the first time I actually saw evidence of the Husted Trail, as I started to see some cairns marking a way up.

But, damn these places can be pretty creepy. 

And strangely beautiful.  It brought to mind the hike down the east side of Mahana Peak through an area that had burned in the late 70's.
I was heading up the slope to the east of point 10600 (the closed loop south of Dickinson) when I heard a loud WHOOMP.  This is the sound that strikes terror into the heart of every back country traveler.  Though the slope wasn't steep enough to avalanche, they can still happen in some circumstances on slopes under 30 degrees.
I got my shovel out and did a compression test.  The column broke cleanly on the third tap(CT3Q1) at the ground.  Not good in other words.  The terrain flattened out very shortly after this, so I continued on, noticing a small crack in the snow surface about ten feet from where I heard the sound. 

 

On some flat ground I took my pack off and evaluated the options.
I was still close to 2000 feet below my high point.  That ground would probably take at least two more hours, though I was nearing treeline which would make travel easier.  It was already noon, and I'd been going for 6.5 hours.  With another two added on the way up, I could count on the return taking an hour less or so.  8.5+7.5=16.  A long day.
I turned back.  I went slightly south of the path I took up the slope to some less steep ground.  Again I heard a large WHOOMP, even louder than last time.  Yikes.  But I made it down safely.

A great view of the West Creek Research Natural Area.  Notice Sheep and Dark Mountains to the right.

Great skies on a bluebird day.

Creepy dead forest.
I was mostly successfully able to follow the trail on the way back.

Yes, there is an old unmaintained trail through this.
Eventually I came across my prints leading up and followed them back.  I think I turned west just slightly too early and hadn't yet reached the intersection with the Husted Trail.
On the way back I decided to break off and go visit West Creek Falls.  This trail was in very bad shape and very difficult to follow.  I was wondering if the falls were even there as it seemed to take forever to get to them.  But I did.

I wanted to get closer, but that wasn't advisable as there was ice all over the slabs around me. 
And on back...

I knew it would really suck to have to climb this 600 foot high pass before descending back the trail head.  It lived up to expectations.  It seemed to go on forever.  I didn't eat enough over the day and was crashing super hard. 

But when I reached the top, I was greeted by this view of Longs Peak with a pink sky behind from the sun and some cool cloud action from the storm rolling in.  Life is good.
I lost the sun on the way down- the headlamp came back out.  It's not too often that I both start and end a day wearing a headlamp, and I always find it a pleasure because it usually means I've done something pretty difficult.  Again, I was disappointed to not achieve my wanted destination, but it truly was a beautiful day in the park.  I can never be disappointed to spend a day doing something I love in one of my most favorite places on earth.
But unfortunately, this one is most likely going to have to wait for spring or summer when conditions will be more favorable to cover the distance and gain needed to get to the summit.
West Creek Falls via Cow Creek Th:
2.4 miles one way, 320 foot gain (7820-8140).  Moderate.  Since there is that pass that must be climbed both ways, you'll actually do about 1500 feet of gain.