Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
1. The road to Missouri Gulch Trailhead is dirt, but easy 2WD.
2. We slept in the car in the parking lot which had plenty of facilities (although bring your own toilet paper). The lot was empty at night but nearly full by about 6 AM the next day.
3. We took the standard routes for all summits.
4. Two and a half hours to summit Mt. Belford from the parking lot; 1 hour from Belford summit to Oxford summit; 1 hour from Oxford summit to the top of trail that leads down to Elkhead Pass; 1 hour from there to Missouri Mountain NW Ridge trail junction; 1 hour 10 minutes from junction to Missouri summit; 3 hours from summit to parking lot. 9 hrs 40 min RT total.
5. We estimated the RT distance for this route to be about 15 miles and 7,000 feet of elevation gain.
The Long of It:
Saturday, 8/13/16, 8:00 PM: After a 2 hour 20 minute drive from Denver, we arrived at the Missouri Gulch Trailhead parking lot. Lot was half-full, but filled up as hikers started filing in between 5 and 6 AM. The trailhead is very well maintained, with a caibo plus about six port-a-potties, so no excuse to leave your, uh, refuse, at the trailhead please. Just remember to bring your own toilet paper as not all facilities had it. We rolled out our bags and pads in the back of our Subaru and slept.
Sunday, 8/14/16, 5:15 AM: Rude awakening by alarm clock.
6:00 AM: On the trail. The trail was easy to follow except at the second river crossing (the one without a bridge), cross at the logjam immediately. It may look tempting to turn right and follow what looks like a trail upwards, but our friend warned us that this dead-ends and you will get wet! Just above tree line we turned left at the sign for Mt. Belford (right leads to Elkhead Pass/Missouri Mountain) and began the ascent of millions of little switchbacks. The trail flowed well, and was comfortable to walk on. Not too many large steps or loose rocks. We found the quality of most of the trails we hiked in Missouri Gulch to be top-notch.
8:30 AM: Summited Mt. Belford. Ate a snack, and left for Mt. Oxford. The downhill portion between Belford and Oxford was slippery with loose dirt and was the only portion of the Belford/Oxford trails that gave us (and our butts) trouble. The ascent to Oxford was gradual and easy.
9:30 AM: Summited Mt. Oxford. Ate a snack, then headed toward Belford again. Once we reached the ridge we turned right toward the Belford summit but stopped at a trail junction about 100 feet from where we met the ridge. We made a sharp left and descended to Elkhead Pass, where we took in the view and pondered the not-well-traveled-looking route up Missouri's east-facing ridge. A woman on the summit said she climbed the east-facing route once and figured it must've been class 4. Hiker beware. We kept on the Elkhead Pass Trail towards the junction of the NW Ridge route. It's obvious which way to go!
10:30 AM: Reached the trail junction. Ate a snack, and began the ascent to Missouri's peak. Please follow the trail; it is well-marked and the long switchbacks soften the ascent. Toe-digging and calf-crushing your way up the center of the steep gulley does look like a more efficient use of time, but we cringed as we watched a hiker go off-trail and tromp the tundra. At the top of the gulley, a left took us along the ridge to the summit. The ridge is longer than most 14ers, but it's a nice respite from the straight-up. Beware slippery sand just before the final push to summit; a slip and fall would mean a long slog back up in loose scree. You can also avoid the sand and climb over the rock outcroppings, but a fall from those would surely hurt. Play to your strengths.
12:30 PM: Third summit of the day! We took our time and relaxed in the sun. And, of course, ate a snack. The sun remained in the sky for our hike all the way back down.
3:30 PM: Back at the parking lot. I dipped in the stream under the bridge to cool off and we ate all the rest of our snacks. Just in case y'all didn't think we'd had enough snacks!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
I did these three peaks a few weeks back, but I started with Missouri because I didn't want to ascend the Belford shoulder. Both ways work, but I'd rather go down that part. I enjoyed your pictures- what a beautiful basin when it's green, and returning from Elkhead must have been a great way to appreciate it. Solid day!
That's no small feat getting all three in a day hike. Congratulations in getting it done! Was just up Elkhead for the first time a couple of years ago. Missouri and Belford are fun to repeat; once is enough for Oxford. Ha!
It was probably 1-1.5 miles, all downhill on easy trail. It took us about 30 minutes to get from just below Belford to Elkhead Pass.
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.