7/4/2024 Route: Noname Approach and East Slopes Posted On: 7/7/2024, By: supranihilest Info: The Noname approach is tough. We started at the Purgatory Flats trailhead which added 9.5 miles each way and about 1,000 and 2,500 vert on the way in and out, respectively. From the Needleton cabins the trail immediately begins to deteriorate. Beyond the Ruby/Pigeon/Tie Creek trail has split off it's not maintained, overgrown, and covered in deadfall. While describing it in detail is impossible, in general it doesn't stray too far from the Animas River. We waded the crossings of Ruby and Pigeon Creek. Climbing Watertank Hill there are many trails zigzagging the hill. We followed whatever looked strongest. Only about 200 feet of gain is needed before you should begin looking for a big, flatish rocky spot with no trees. The watertank is clearly visible from here. If you get into extremely steep and/or scrambly terrain you're too high. Also note that the trail does NOT descend gently on the other side of the hill, so anything that does is deceptive and wrong. From the flat rocky area we traversed a bit farther north and then found the trail again as it descends very steeply down a gully. This gully is Class 2+, choked with plants and several downed trees, and would be pretty scary if wet due to mud - microspikes would be helpful. The remaining trail is about the same as everything prior. We again waded Noname Creek and then found excellent campsites about 100 yards north of the creek with access to the Animas for water. The campsites are just beyond where the trail splits and starts ascending into the drainage. From our camp the following morning (Thursday) we took the trail up into the drainage. The first 1.5 or 1.75 miles or so are actually quite good, though very steep, gaining well over 1,000 feet. Beyond this the deadfall is terrible and the trail is often overgrown or buried under marshes. We eventually got so tired of attempting to bypass the wet spots that we just waded through them all. This would probably be a lot nicer later season. Following the trail isn't generally a problem, it's just extremely tedious with deadfall. We did the five miles up to where we'd later go up to the Peak Twelve/Monitor Peak saddle in about four or five painstaking hours - honestly, this approach requires either one very long day of probably 12+ hours, or to be split over two days. We set up camp in a meadow just before the route to Twelve/Monitor. Although it was midday we went for Five, Four, and Heisspitz thinking they were easy. These peaks are NOT easy and NOT fast. There's somewhat of a trail up to the lake below Peak Six, though we mostly just went straight up towards the south side of Peak Five, then wrapped around to the east side. Instead of climbing the north ridge like some do we went straight up the enticing east slopes, which were a mix of steep grass and rocky outcrops. These slopes actually worked quite nicely and went at fun Class 3. The north ridge would probably make a better descent route. Beware the rabbit living in the camping meadow, it shredded both of my packs, the handle on my trekking pole, and several of my companion's tent guy-lines. |
