Gore Range Recommendations

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Scott P
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by Scott P »

I agree that the trails are popular, but the peaks really are not.
I hate to disagree with my friend Mike, but I’ll have to on this one.

Compared to the 14ers, maybe they are not extremely popular, but for a “secret” range they sure are popular. I haven’t climbed as many peaks in the Gores as Mike or some others, but I have run into people or seen people from the summits of at least four of them.

It is certainly common to climb a peak in the Gores and not run into anyone, but I would guess that they are climbed a lot more frequently than people realize.

Even on some of the more “remote peaks” I’ve been to, some the summit registers had half a dozen signatures a year. On most (obviously not all) areas of the Rockies, that would definitely be considered to be quite popular. I don’t know if it’s really fair to refer to a peak as secret or unpopular if it doesn’t at least have a chance of going through the summer without an ascent. I wonder how many ranked peaks (I’m guessing very few, but I could be wrong) in the Gores actually do make it through the summer without an ascent? Obviously, not all have resisters and not everyone signs, and I could be wrong on this, but I still doubt that many ranked peaks make it through even one summer without being climbed.

Colorado is the most populated state in the Rockies. Even in Moffat County, for example, there are 156 ranked peaks. It’s impossible to tell I guess, but as far as I can tell, only 5 of them receive more than one ascent per year. That’s in a county that is the most populated state in the Rockies, so other areas of the Rockies are far more remote.

The term "popular" could be debated, but I would bet that most of the Gores are climbed more frequently than people realize; probably several times each summer. Since they are very beautiful and a few hours from major population centers, this is not surprising. To me it is unfair to refer to the Gores as not popular or a secret. I would bet that most everyone on 14ers.com has heard of them and most probably know at least something about them and could name a few peaks in them. The Gores are wonderful and are meant to be shared (as long as you tread lightly).
Buffalo Mtn is the most popular and the only one with a class 1 trail to its summit.
Meridian Peak has a class 1 trail to the summit as well.
Last edited by Scott P on Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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MtHurd
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by MtHurd »

Been on 6 Gore Range peaks. Not a sole on any of those summits. Peak G had a summit register from the 50's with very few signatures since then. I would imagine the summit attempts are now increasing because of Kane's SP pages. :P
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jbchalk
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by jbchalk »

Chicago Transplant wrote: Its not a bad place to call home that is for sure! (right Brandon?)

A wonderful place to call home, Mike. Count my lucky stars everyday.

Barry, Ripsaw is a damn fine ridge run. My crew made it C to G last Fall. Considered going for H, but weather was building. Turned out we could have continued. Cest la vie. Going to head back this summer to finish it off. See if I can do G to West Partner. May be more than meets the eye, though. We shall see.
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Carl
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by Carl »

Chicago Transplant wrote:I have climbed 42 out of 48 ranked peaks in the Eagles Nest Wilderness
Damn. That's pretty sweet. I bet Lordhelmut is super jealous. On your route description for Peak C on summitpost you mention a 5th class route on the northwest ridge. Have you come across any more beta for it? Ever heard it described as "easy" 5th class? I haven't found any info on it. Thanks!
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Scott P
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by Scott P »

Peak G had a summit register from the 50's with very few signatures since then. I would imagine the summit attempts are now increasing because of Kane's SP pages.
29 claimed ascents on Lists of John alone (of which only a fraction of climbers belong to). :shock: :D I can't get onto List of John to see who they are though (I'm not active). I'm still guessing more than one ascent per year. :D

PS, I hope no one removes the old register. Old historic ones are really cool to look at. I've seen ones dating back to 1910 and they are always cool to read, especially if over 50 years old.
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Chicago Transplant
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by Chicago Transplant »

I do agree with Scott actually on the "popularity" of peaks issue. These peaks see ascents every year, probably several times. They are hard to call remote, even though because of private land some drainages are difficult to get to, were not talking multi-day backpacks just to get to them. Some peaks are better as 3-day weekends than day trips as a result of the private land on the east, however. They are close to I-70, right outside of Vail (and highly visible from the ski mountain) and have many good approach trails to high lakes, so they are not a secret either. People know they exist, and many people hike the trails to the lakes and waterfalls, especially from the Vail side. Popularity is I guess a relative term, and even on many Front Range 13ers with well defined routes and easy access I can climb them and not share the summit with anyone else, so just judging popularity by "being alone" does not mean much. Heck I climbed Yale once on Labor Day from the East Ridge and only saw 1 other person the whole day, at the saddle with Mascot actually.

From living here I would argue that the Holy Cross Wilderness is less popular, and the peaks even less climbed than the Gore, but because of Holy Cross itself, people don't tend to see it that way. Once you get into some of the other basins though, they are seem pretty untraveled and 3 of LOJ's "50 least climbed 13ers" are in the HCW in the Mt Jackson Quad.

Carl- I do not know what the route is rated, sorry. I want to say its not low 5th, that its probably in the 5.7 and up range? I have nothing to back that up with other than rumor and conjecture though :lol:
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Carl
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by Carl »

Chicago Transplant wrote:Carl- I do not know what the route is rated, sorry. I want to say its not low 5th, that its probably in the 5.7 and up range? I have nothing to back that up with other than rumor and conjecture though :lol:
Thanks for the response. We'll have to go take a look and see what we find. Fitting for the Gores I suppose.
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MtHurd
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by MtHurd »

Carl wrote:
Chicago Transplant wrote:I have climbed 42 out of 48 ranked peaks in the Eagles Nest Wilderness
Damn. That's pretty sweet. I bet Lordhelmut is super jealous. On your route description for Peak C on summitpost you mention a 5th class route on the northwest ridge. Have you come across any more beta for it? Ever heard it described as "easy" 5th class? I haven't found any info on it. Thanks!
I did Peak C from Kneeknocker Pass. Went 4th class with a lot of route finding. It's possible there was a couple of low 5th class moves but we were comfortable unroped.
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

Carl wrote:
Chicago Transplant wrote:I have climbed 42 out of 48 ranked peaks in the Eagles Nest Wilderness
Damn. That's pretty sweet. I bet Lordhelmut is super jealous. On your route description for Peak C on summitpost you mention a 5th class route on the northwest ridge. Have you come across any more beta for it? Ever heard it described as "easy" 5th class? I haven't found any info on it. Thanks!
Yo Carl, the SW ridge of C was pretty awesome. Went up with an experienced climber and one of the sections she said was 5.6ish (not too long). We were unroped. Problem is there is no way I could tell you what we went up, we just chose something and did it. Uber awesome peak along with its neighbor C`!
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Re: Gore Range Recommendations

Post by highplaces »

Thanks everyone for the ideas and suggestions. This should keep me busy for awhile! I look forward to getting out to all these spots.
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