Gore suggestions

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Jelgan
Posts: 47
Joined: 12/23/2009
14ers: 19 
13ers: 6
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Gore suggestions

Post by Jelgan »

You're good slugger. :)

Good to get related questions answered together!
Top
User avatar
lordhelmut
Posts: 2300
Joined: 2/24/2006
14ers: 50  21  5 
13ers: 300 60 1
Trip Reports (73)
 

Re: Gore suggestions

Post by lordhelmut »

leftyslugger wrote:Sorry...not to hijack the thread, but how far is Usable Pass from the Pitkin Lake TH? I've only hiked to just past the second falls. Are there any "signs" that indicate where to turn off towards that basin and up to the pass?

I am planning on spending a weekend in the Upper Boulder drainage and don't really want to hike up the unmaintained slog on the east side. For those of you who have done both...which is easier/better?

For the record, Willow/Salmon Lakes, Gore Lake/Snow Lake and Pass and down Deluge, Upper Slate Lake...all are spectacular places.

Keith
As far as trail turnoff landmarks, the Usable Pass drainage is hard to miss. When you cross the creek, next to that obvious campsite off the trail after that meadow, look to the East and see the large grass slope to gain access to Climber's and Solitude. re-enter the woods, hike another couple hundred yards and then leave trail, making way for Usable. I'd say Usable is about the same distance as Pitkin Lake is from the TH (4 to 4.5 miles?). Its that huge basin looker's right of East Partner when coming up the trail. Its hard to miss and minimal bushwacking to get to.

edit : Just read Transplant's post. What he said...

Also, there are a bunch of sweet lakes in the upper regions of Boulder drainage that looked REALLY cool, and are closer from Usable. Tree cover is harder to find, but its there and the lakes are beautiful, you'll probably have them all to yourself. I kind of described it in my TR around image #18:

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include

Its right under the Y/Z saddle. I can't speak for the rest of Boulder and its approach from the East. The late Jesse Peterson has a write up on this site I believe. Given your time frame, honestly, you might just want to make the hump over Usable. Boulder seems like a 3 day weekend minimum.
Top
leftyslugger
Posts: 72
Joined: 8/29/2006
14ers: 5 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Gore suggestions

Post by leftyslugger »

Thanks Transplant and Lord...

I've done Upper Boulder from the east...long, unmaintained, tree hopping. Fun, but solo it might be too risky. I plan to camp at Upper Boulder Lake. The fishing is incredi...I mean horrible.

Beautiful place. Thanks for the tips. I am anticipating a steep brutal decent off of Usable.
Top

Return to “Colorado 14ers, 13ers and other peaks”