I-70, MM218

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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pvnisher
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I-70, MM218

Post by pvnisher »

When you're driving west on I-70, about 2 miles before you get to the tunnel, right at MM218, there's a peak which (from the highway) has an almost perfect "pyramid" shape. Of course, as you get closer and drive by it turns out to not be a pyramid at all.
Anyway, it looks like it'd be possible to pull off at the 218 exit, park, and hike the thing, doesn't look long at all.
Anyone hiked that, know if it's got a name, anything like that?
Every time I drive up to the mountains I want to climb it, I just haven't done it... Thanks!
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Post by P and P Dad »

Your not looking at Torreys are you?
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TK
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Post by TK »

I think he's looking at Torreys. There's a very brief view of Grays and Torreys through a gap to the South at about that point.
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Post by BillMiddlebrook »

Mt. Bethel - 12,705'

Pyramid-shaped and copper-colored as you see it driving westbound before the tunnel. To climb it, use the Loveland Pass exit and pull off at the dirt road on the right just after you exit. Walk up the road past a gate and up to a mill area where you can climb directly up Bethel's SW Slope. It's the peak with the large snow fences near the top.
Last edited by BillMiddlebrook on Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by jfox »

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Post by Chicago Transplant »

Image of Mt Bethel from the highway... good call Bill!

http://www.summitpost.org/image/186556/ ... ethel.html
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Herman Gulch/Mile marker 218

Post by CityHater »

I think Bill gets the prize...It's Mt Bethel. I've never climbed the side you can see from I70, looks like a lot of avy danger. If you follow the trail up from the parking lot (Herman's Gulch) it ends up going by the North side of Mt Bethel. Was up there in Dec and above treeline (for the most part) it was blown free of snow. The trail also runs up to the divide or Pettingel Peak.
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Post by P and P Dad »

Oh, I should know better than to go up against the pros. :lol:
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Post by Kiefer »

Yeah, Mt. Bethel it is.
I climbed it last September from the Herman's Gulch side. I pretty much just followed an old avy. path to an upper (shallow) basin and headed up the small ridge SE to the summit. I didn't last too long on top due to an incoming storm, or more like blizzard! The storm completely obscurred Pettingal Peak and the The Citadel!
Easy stuff though. No more then class 2 at most.
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Post by beazleys »

Climbed Bethel in early '06, literally walking between the snow fences. As noted in the photo posted by Bill, the summit is not what you expect when viewed from the east. Rather than a small and pointed summit block it is a long ridge with a few nondescript bumps, one of which is the summit.
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Post by pvnisher »

That is definitely the peak I had in mind. A little disappointed to hear that it's not a good "peak" at the top, but still...
I think I'll do it next time I drive by. What do you think, 2 hours total?
Anyone ever skied it? If it's not too windy looks like it could be some ok short laps.
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Post by Chicago Transplant »

pvnisher, keep in mind the reason why those snow fences are there. To protect the highway from avalanches coming off Mt Bethel. That face to the right of the snow fences in Bill's picture above is a big avalanche path that gets windloaded which the fences are trying to protect. Even with the snow fences that cornice can get pretty big.
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