Mt. Lindsey

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/23/2018, By: KDinCO
Info: Hiked the ridge on both the ascent and descent. We were going to descend via the gully, but after hearing pretty much constant rockfall from 2 guys going down that way, we changed our minds. The ridge was a blast and very enjoyable on solid rock. We had great weather and although it had snowed a couple of days before and there was ice on some of the rocks leading up to the saddle, the ridge route was dry and ice free.

At the beginning of our hike, in the dark we missed (weren't aware of) the split where apparently we could have avoided the flooded area. I do not recall seeing an obvious split in the trail. The trail just runs straight into ankle/calf deep water that's flowing like a big stream (see image #1)! We were able to skirt around it but wasted time looking for where the trail went, so look carefully for that trail split!

Another surprise was the river crossing. There are actually two and the first is easy and smaller, with big rocks that you can use as stepping stones to cross without getting wet feet. The second, however, is large and was very fast flowing and deep (see image #2). We looked for a long time up and down the edge but found no route that would take us all the way across where the water level wasn't higher than our hiking boots. We ended up taking our boots and socks off. The water was calf to knee deep in the shallower area we chose to cross (see image #3, taken on descent). It was very cold and we had frozen feet and pins and needles within a few steps.

There were also several areas on the trail where water was running down the trail like a decent-sized stream, but not too deep (see images #4 & #5). Pine needles cover a lot of the lower trails but you could see large washed out areas (see image #6), so clearly there has been a lot of moisture falling in this area recently. After our hike I spoke to a friend who hiked Lindsey at this time last year and she couldn't even recall a river crossing, so clearly conditions were very different then! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/17/2018, By: MileHighAMC
Info: We climbed Mt Lindsey Northwest Ridge on 9/16/18. Started hiking at 5:30am, summited at 9:09am, and back to car at 12:30 pm. We made sure to take the difficult routes to make it challenging. The trail was a little confusing at the beginning in the dark. At the beginning, the trail will split. The left side is flooded with water. Stay on the right trail. Soon, the trail will become hard to find and it will feel like you are lost in the woods. Be careful here! It is a very obvious climb once out of the tree line. The trail conditions were perfect with ideal weather. The summit was calm and beautiful. We met a great guy named Bruce who climbed down with us. This was my favorite 14er of all time. Be careful, though. It is not easy! I made a detailed video of climbing Mt Lindsey:

https://youtu.be/nLWob07rJ04 

Route: Northwest Gully
Posted On: 8/25/2018, By: FleetFeet20
Info: Climbed the ridge and descended via the gully. All was in good order today with a great team from Colorado Mountain Club. We really enjoyed the scramble as it wasn't too long and wasn't too exposed, even the class 4 option. Get out and enjoy this mountain! 

Route: Northwest Gully
Posted On: 8/5/2018, By: AcornMan
Info: After doing the standard pre-hike research, I was prepared for the final ascent, which is just as steep and loose as advertised, but manageable if you take your time and choose your handholds and footholds wisely. I highly recommend a helmet in case people above you knock rocks down, which is easy to do even if you're being careful. The hike up to the final ascent is actually more challenging than I expected on account of the steepness, which makes for some slow going at times. Unlike some trails, this route does not appear to have improved (i.e. no stairs or other modifications). The steepness of the trail makes the descent more challenging than most 14ers I've done. If there's any moisture on the trail, it can get pretty dicey at times. There are a few spots that appear to be permanently wet and muddy, but they are easy enough to go through or around. There are several spots where it's easy to get off trail because it's not well marked, so I highly recommend a GPS to stay on track. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 8/5/2018, By: Jeeves042
Info: Ascended via the Ridge & descended via the Gully. After climbing in Northern & Central CO all summer it was nice to get back into the Sangres and on an old-school unimproved trail. The trail felt a bit like time travelling to what 14er trails felt like in yesteryears. The trail is still very much flooded in the first mile, but look for a small trail on hiker's right (while ascending) that stays dry and skirts the flooded section. The next part of class 2 through the woods and up to the saddle reminded me of the trail on Challenger once above Willow Lake. By that I mean it just pretty much goes straight up the hill(s) and has no switchbacks. The ridge was solid & knobby and a blast (for me, some other hikers we met were still getting used to Class 3/4). Seems like the early exit left on the crux wall is bit hard to catch, to keep it class 3. Most of us were going up the middle of it. I took the right, didn't think the exposure was the worst I had ever been on, but still a few sketchy spots. The gully back down was definitely much looser than the ridge, and a little challenging route finding-wise, but just keep angling towards the saddle and try not to stray to far from the standard route. Hiker's right (ascent) in the gully does have some firmer rock to get on. Saw about 15 goats in the basin, and lots of Pica & Marmots, also somehow there were bugs flying around the summit (didn't know they could fly that high). Mt Lindsey is a fun semi-secret southern Sangre and a good getaway from the Denver crowds. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 7/26/2018, By: joeygoat9
Info: Took the ridge up and gully down due to a storm looming on the horizon. Ridge is a blast with mostly solid rock. The class 4 part is much more direct than skirting around the wall and if you're comfortable on class 3 it won't seem too difficult. However, it's a no fall zone for sure. The gully wasn't as loose as I was expecting - for the most part you can stick to solid rock on the sides and downclimb facing in. Once you get past the choke point you can bootski down most of the way if it's safe to do so. When we were just off the summit 3 fighter jets came roaring by maybe 100 feet overhead and appeared to be practicing maneuvers - super cool.

Also, descending the gully took about 15 minutes less than ascending the ridge so it is definitely the better bailout option if weather starts to roll in or you are short on time. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 7/22/2018, By: dwoodward13
Info: Summer conditions. Took the ridge both up and down and it was a blast. Very solid rock, and the Class 4 variation on the crux wall added some extra spice! Crux wall can easily be kept at 3 by going to the left like in the route description. Opted to not cross the "points" on the way up, but did take them on the descent. Generally solid, but some pretty hefty exposure...for those that may not want that, about 30 feet below you can avoid them and scramble up a small gully that leads to the base of the crux wall. 

Route: Northwest Gully
Posted On: 7/12/2018, By: Lithic
Info: Due to forest fires, all access to the Lily Lake TH was still closed as of 7/11. Military road blocks in place on 580 just outside of Gardner. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/24/2018, By: PBR Powered
Info: We ascended the ridge and descended the gully. There is no snow left in the gully which makes for a lot of loose rocks and a need for a helmet if you want to consider it as a possible option. I would bring a helmet with me next time for either route. There's a good amount of traffic with climbing over/under other climbers.

Our group of 3 (with D- fitness) made the summit in 5 hours and the descent in 4 hours. It was a beautiful day on the mountain with the dozen other groups. Happy trails. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/18/2018, By: Scott Conro
Info: Finding the trail in the dark made for wet shoes and a couple extra minutes of adventure! Took the ridge. Dry and fun. Dropped down just before the crux wall and descended the loose gravel of the gully, which was an unintentional time save.

Recommend the ridge if you're ok with exposure. A party of three was in the gully as I was hiking Huerfano Peak (dry conditions) and I heard long lasting rockfall on multiple occasions. Doesn't seem like a safe option. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/9/2018, By: amaccallum
Info: Another beautiful day on Mt. Lindsey! I've hiked in this area before, and the river seemed very low today. No need to worry about crazy stream crossings- with a little bit of care, we were able to avoid even getting our feet wet, and didn't encounter any mud. When the trail goes down to the river, there are numerous social trails that weave in and out of willows and can waste a lot of time (especially in the dark). When the trail first dropped down to the river, we turned right and got on a great little trail that traveled up in between the true river (on the left), and what looks like it used to be the trail and is now permanently a stream (on the right). This great little trail is easy to follow and avoids the willows. 

Route: Northwest Gully
Posted On: 6/1/2018, By: RWSchaffer
Info: The river overflows its banks to run across and along the trail. This is nothing unusual, but it does make for some dicey stream crossings. Lightweight waders solved the problem nicely.

The gully is mostly melted out. By scrambling the rock along the gully to avoid scree, one also avoids most of the snow; only a few small snowfields need to be crossed. I carried ice axe, crampons, and spikes, and didn't use any of them. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/28/2018, By: BenThom11
Info: Its been said a bunch, but this route is in great shape. A bit of flooding towards the bottom, but it's all easy to avoid. Almost 0 snow, definitely no gear needed.
Not sure why anyone would do the gully route. It looks like a terrible pile of scree, and the ridge is great. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/26/2018, By: TalusRunner
Info: Great day on Lindsey. Even with some pretty strong sustaining winds on the saddle between Lindsey and the nip, it was a beautiful day. Went up the left most class 4 portion of the crux wall. For those who haven't done the route yet, there are solid holds and good footing aplenty along the ridge and wall. If you get into a place where there are no holds, you're going the wrong way. By far, this was my favorite climb to date. In fact I was so distracted when I got back to the trailhead that I forgot my boots...

Love those boots. So please let me know if you find them. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/21/2018, By: Burke
Info: Hiked up Lindsey yesterday. My partner and I were open to taking either the NW Ridge route or the Gully. Once we could see both routes though, we determined that the NW Ridge looked to have better climbing conditions. While there is snow in the Gully, the coverage looked thin and slushy. The NW route on the other hand, was snow free other than a couple very small patches. There was some mud which made parts of the route slippery, so use caution especially when descending.