Looking around the area I see several in the 12-13k range - Emmons, Gothic, Baldy. I won't have a 4WD and I'd like something with a trail to the summit.
Ideas?
Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
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hamerhokie
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SkiBikeClimb99
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
Scarp's Ridge north of Irwin Lake. Not sure if it is accessible yet, though. Amazing views and very easy hike.
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peter303
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
Some I have done:
1) Mt Crested Butte. Cheat with the ski lift and do just last three miles. Even so that last piece is steep with talus. And likely to have some snow left this year.
2) O-be-joyful Valley. You have to cross a wide stream right at the beginning. You can go up the valley as far you have time to Blue Lake and Daisey Pass.
3) Copper Lake and East Maroon Pass. The trailhead is just north of Gothic. The final mile is steep. You continue another half mile to East Maroon Pass.
4) Snodgrass wildflower trail. Start just beyond the horse stables at the north end of Mt Crested Butte (ski condos).
You might want to return to Denver via Cottonwood Pass. At the top of the pass you can follow the Colorado Trail the ridge for as far as you want. Good views.
1) Mt Crested Butte. Cheat with the ski lift and do just last three miles. Even so that last piece is steep with talus. And likely to have some snow left this year.
2) O-be-joyful Valley. You have to cross a wide stream right at the beginning. You can go up the valley as far you have time to Blue Lake and Daisey Pass.
3) Copper Lake and East Maroon Pass. The trailhead is just north of Gothic. The final mile is steep. You continue another half mile to East Maroon Pass.
4) Snodgrass wildflower trail. Start just beyond the horse stables at the north end of Mt Crested Butte (ski condos).
You might want to return to Denver via Cottonwood Pass. At the top of the pass you can follow the Colorado Trail the ridge for as far as you want. Good views.
Last edited by peter303 on Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jon Frohlich
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
Mount Owen above Lake Irwin. Even though it doesn't look like it on the way up there really is a trail the entire way. The description on Summitpost always made me laugh, "Class 1 - Improbable". You follow an old mining road to the Ruby/Owen saddle and go from there. No idea how much snow is out there right now though.
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hamerhokie
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
Thanks all. I know the timing is poor snow-wise, but it is what it is.
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hamerhokie
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
Just got back from the trip. I did recon on most suggestions here.
Mt Crested Butte summit trail was closed above the Silver Queen lift. I just saw in another thread how little that kept some folks off the summit, but I was a nice guy and followed their rules. Stoopid me.
Both of the major gravel roads out of town were blocked by snow slides. I was headed to Schofield Pass but encounter both snow and land slides a few miles north of Gothic. No warning signs, just boom, there they were.
I did end up 'summitting' Snodgrass Mountain, apparently the only other mountain with a summit trail in the area. I also considered going up the Judd Falls trail but ran out of time. Took my wife to the Oh Be Joyful trail but the stream was too rapid to ford.
I ended up disliking the Crested Butte area in general. Lots of great mountain biking trails, too few hiking trails. Might have enjoyed it better later in the season. But there are plenty of peak trail opportunities that just haven't been developed, I guess due to the fact that they emphasize mountain biking over hiking. For instance, there is a nice opportunity to continue the Snodgrass Mountain trail to Gothic Mountain. And there are several opportunities off the Judd Falls trail.
Mt Crested Butte summit trail was closed above the Silver Queen lift. I just saw in another thread how little that kept some folks off the summit, but I was a nice guy and followed their rules. Stoopid me.
Both of the major gravel roads out of town were blocked by snow slides. I was headed to Schofield Pass but encounter both snow and land slides a few miles north of Gothic. No warning signs, just boom, there they were.
I did end up 'summitting' Snodgrass Mountain, apparently the only other mountain with a summit trail in the area. I also considered going up the Judd Falls trail but ran out of time. Took my wife to the Oh Be Joyful trail but the stream was too rapid to ford.
I ended up disliking the Crested Butte area in general. Lots of great mountain biking trails, too few hiking trails. Might have enjoyed it better later in the season. But there are plenty of peak trail opportunities that just haven't been developed, I guess due to the fact that they emphasize mountain biking over hiking. For instance, there is a nice opportunity to continue the Snodgrass Mountain trail to Gothic Mountain. And there are several opportunities off the Judd Falls trail.
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ray
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
yeah, it really sucks here in cb. hardly anywhere to hike. sounds like you really did a thorough job of scoping things out!
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ajkagy
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
yep, cb sucks, no access roads, no peaks, no trails and the wildflowers everybody talks about...that's just a mythray wrote:yeah, it really sucks here in cb. hardly anywhere to hike. sounds like you really did a thorough job of scoping things out!
http://wanderingthemountains.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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hamerhokie
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Re: Easy-moderate hikes in the Crested Butte area?
There are plenty of peaks and roads. I'm sure you locals know all the cool places - I had to go off the official recreational map. While I was driving up Gothic Road for my second snow blockage failure, I noticed some stuff that wasn't on the map.ajkagy wrote:yep, cb sucks, no access roads, no peaks, no trails and the wildflowers everybody talks about...that's just a mythray wrote:yeah, it really sucks here in cb. hardly anywhere to hike. sounds like you really did a thorough job of scoping things out!
