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Peak(s):  Belleview Mountain  -  13,248 feet
Date Posted:  10/16/2020
Date Climbed:   10/08/2020
Author:  bergsteigen
 A Beautiful View, the easy way   

Belleview Mountain A

  • Mileage: 8.42
  • Elevation gain: 3,196'
  • Trailhead: West Maroon (CB side)
  • Partners: solo
  • Class: 2+
  • Route NW ridge: No Scree

Back in September, I attempted this peak via the more usual West Maroon Pass. I thought I would get to the pass, and that the route would be obvious. But the combo of sore feet from the day before, thick smoke and the nasty route, I said: Another day, a better way! So I'll show a couple photos from that day, and then show the better route.


20818_01
Cabin at start of the trail (Sept)

The trail from the CB side is really nice and goes quite quickly up into the upper basin. 1-2 hour approach is all!

20818_02
Trail with Belleview behind (Sept)
20818_03
Heading up to 4 Pass loop (Sept)


20818_04
Joining the 4 Pass Loop (Sept)

As I made my way up the steep slopes to West Maroon Pass, I was trying to find the route, and wasn't liking it.


20818_05
Approaching the Pass (Sept)
20818_06
West side of West Maroon Pass (Sept)


20818_07
Belleview from WMP (Sept)
20818_08
Smokey Maroon (Spet)


20818_43
Pano from West Maroon Pass (Sept)

I spent an hour a little above the chaos of the pass, staring at this ridge. The smoke was giving me a headache and my feet didn't like the look of that scree. It just didn't look like fun. Not enjoyable at all. I understand that when you are running ridges and combining multiple peaks, you just have to roll over this terrain. But I wasn't doing that, and I do try to enjoy this hiking hobby. Not just get another checkmark and be done. So I figured I would take the route I had seen on the way up on a better smoke day.

I did enjoy listening in on the 70-90 some backpackers that passed up and over the pass while I was there. Plenty of funny conversations, including one from a lawyer talking about a local client.

Cop: Are you taking cocaine?

Dude: Yes, it's Asssssspen!!!

Though after awhile, all the non-hikers backpacking during Covid, I was over the scene, so I made a quick exit out and home.

October:

3 weeks later I came back to a much emptier trailhead, and found a nice quiet campsite.

20818_09
Campsite views

I got started up the familiar trail at civil twilight and made quick time up to where I decided to leave the trail to ascend the ridge.

20818_10
Foot print inception - human and others

I was treated to a nice local sunrise as I made my way uphill


20818_11
Sunshine over West Maroon Pass
20818_12
Sun on Fall

I made my way up the steep grassy slope with only a few willows up to the ridge. It was steep, but much better than scree!!!

20818_13
Steep grass

On the ridge the wind picked up a bit, as I got the first views into Fravert basin. I have a lot of memories contained in this view. One day I'll return on skis to finish it off.

20818_14
Maroon and Fravert basin
20818_15
Looking back down the ascent basin

Once on the ridge, it was an easy stroll to the west of the gendarme. The sun was in my face on the ascent, so the photos of the route above will come on the descent.

20818_16
Looking back on the lower ridge and the gendarme

The ascent up to the false summit looked steep, but wasn't bad at all. There's a bit of use trail, as if a handful of people have used this route before. Just steep talus that is stable and pleasant, as compared to the other way.


20818_17
Maroon and Belleview below false summit
20818_18
Maroon Belleview and Pyramid from false summit

Once on the false summit, the route over to the peak has a very defined climbers trail. While it looks like a ton of scree, it's actually quite limited.


20818_19
Belleview from the summit ridge saddle
20818_20
Cairned route up to summit


20818_21
Looking back at false summit

While the route up to the summit has a couple cairns, you do have a few options. I went directly up the first gully to a mini saddle, and then chose a classic Bells class 3 blocky route to the summit. You can go around that little horn to the east for a more loose but easier option to the summit.


20818_22
Bells blocky terrain, with Maroon in background

I sat for at least an hour on the summit enjoying the views. Since the route up here was not heinous scree, I will return during wildflower season (Hint MtnHub), when hopefully there won't be region wide wildfires obscuring the gorgeous views!

20818_44
Belleview pano


20818_26
Maroon
20818_27
Pyramid ridge


20818_23
The nasty rock Elks


20818_25
Treasure and Treasury
20818_24
13,180B and 13,140 (The next day adventure)


20818_28
13180B
20818_29
13140


20818_30
Fravert Basin

After drinking my fill of the amazingly beautiful views, I made a rapid descent down the trail, discovering a few new things along the way.

I noticed that if you trend more east off the summit, along the ridge with Maroon, the terrain is much easier - class 2+ I could see that if you went to the east of that little horn, you could go underneath it back to the false summit. Though I just traversed back west to near the horn, and down the gully I came up.


20818_31
Blocky summit terrain, with horn on left (from east ridge area)


20818_32
Looking down gully, next to the horn. West Maroon Pass in middle ground

On the little green shoulder area, I went out onto the prominence to take a couple better shots of the route, from the further away vantage point.


20818_33
Summit zone with Bells blocky terrain
20818_34
False summit


20818_35
Snowmass Hagerman and Capitol through the viewfinder - Moabesque
20818_36
Belleview

Back at the false summit, it was a quick descent down to the ridge.

20818_37
Looking down the false summit to the NW ridge


20818_38
Belleview and false summit from the NW ridge

I took a slightly higher path down to the grassy slope I ascended. Less willows. I noted back at the trail, that I could have gone straight up to the pass, instead of contouring up, and it could be an easier way, less stress on the joints.


20818_39
False summit from 4 Pass loop trail
20818_40
Fall colors almost done


20818_41
View from the lower trail

Once I was back on the lower trail, the exit to the trailhead was fairly rapid. I then got to relax with my grilled dinner and dessert. First time trying to grill bananas. They were a little under ripe, so the heat made them taste delicious!

20818_42
Dinner and dessert!



My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):




Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44


Comments or Questions
nickm
Great Info!
10/16/2020 3:02pm
I was just up on 13140 yesterday. Scoping out Belleview for next week. My conclusion was the same, to gain the ridge. Forget the pass. This confirms that. Thanks!!
Nick


Sbenfield
User
Nice!
10/16/2020 3:59pm
Did this one last month, very fun


MtnHub
User
Bellísima!
10/16/2020 5:32pm
I'd still LOVE to do this someday, but I'm afraid my opportunities are quickly dwindling. Still very disappointing we didn't get it in back in 2018, but it's great to see what I missed! Sept/Oct are good months for this -- no snow and high waters to cross, and lovely colors! Thanks, Otina!


Trotter
User
nice
10/16/2020 10:20pm
We eyeballed this from the pass, while doing the 4 pass loop. We ended up skipping it, because it looked super screey and not fun. Glad to see theres a better way up


bergsteigen
User
Thanks!
10/20/2020 11:44am
Nickm - Nice when others see the best route too! I understand why those coming from Maroon Lake would just go up the pass, instead of adding a couple miles, but sheesh, what a way to pay for it!

Sbenfield - a nice peak to repeat periodically!

Doug - I can only hope there is more time for you to enjoy the mountains! At least I found a nicer route, for when/if you can hike this one!

Trotter - That‘s why I sat on WMP for so long, I just couldn‘t fathom why anyone would *want* to go up that way! I may also be getting old!


sunny1
User
Sanity check
10/22/2020 7:57am
Nice job on the alternate route!
I enjoyed this hike from W Maroon Pass in July a few years ago.
The wildflowers were absolutely stunning, definitely worth a visit, especially with your photographic skills.
The weird thing that has me questioning my sanity, is that I don't recall the scree being horrid!
We managed to get into some airy, sketchy terrain to gain the summit, which was corrected on the descent.
Enjoyed the TR!


bergsteigen
User
Perception of scree
10/22/2020 12:49pm
Sunny1 - ones experiences in the mountains can be colored/biased by the company/partners we have, and things we see like amazing wildflowers. It‘s why one has to be careful when someone says ‘it wasn‘t as bad as I expected. When I was up on WMP, my feet were sore from the previous days endurance hike and the smoke was bad. My mind was already checked out and I was biased against finding a way through that. So I‘m glad you had a good experience!

One Pyramid hike with rock fall, and a partner freaking out. The next, a fun finisher party and no rock fall. 2 completely different experiences, same mountain. One person would say it was terrifying, the other ‘not as bad as I expected.


MtnHub
User
I agree!
10/23/2020 11:29am
The weather day, how you are feeling and your current frame of mind, and a good partner can make all the difference in the world. My confidence levels drops dramatically when I go solo over even perceptively sketchy stuff, but when I'm with a good partner, it is completely different.

Nancy, that time we bagged CH and I first started to go over to Alice, that loose narrow ridge kind of freaked me out. I'm sure it wasn't that bad, especially if I would have crossed it slowly, but I wanted to hurry so I could eventually catch up with you. And doing Neva with Otina and Dillon, I don't remember any of it giving me any pause at all. I was completely comfortable with everything we climbed.


sunny1
User
Agree
10/28/2020 5:36am
I probably wouldn't be super motivated to climb Belleview if it were smoky (it doesn't take much smoke for me to cancel hiking plans) and I were tired from a long endurance hike the day prior.
Unlike you, Otina, I tend to turn around easier when I'm solo than when I have a good partner.

Doug - good to hear from you!


dillonsarnelli
User
hey stranger
9/6/2022 11:29am
I've never been to crested butte. can you believe that. I think this will be a good intro to put on my September to do list. Thanks!



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