Peak(s):	"Tincup Peak" - 13,345 feet Unnamed 13050 - 13,050 feet Fitzpatrick Peak - 13,112 feet Gladstone Ridge - 13,209 feet Pt 12,780 B - 12780
Date Posted:	07/10/2012
Date Climbed:	07/07/2012
Author:	bergsteigen

Sawatch 13er Mini Golf: Dodging the Monsoon
Mt Princeton and Mt Antero being engulfed by low lying clouds Gladstone Ridge, "Tincup Peak", Pt 13,050, Fitzpatrick Peak Day 1 (Fri): Gladstone Ridge Mileage: 6.9 Elevation Gain: 3,363' Trailhead: Denny Creek With the weather forecasting 50-60% chance of storms and the monsoon starting to hit hard, I was looking to do some short easy hikes, to get those peaks that didn't fit into nice elegant and efficient loops. So with the Emma Burr to Jones loop planned for later, Gladstone Ridge sat by itself, a short day. So I drove up Thursday night, and camped at the Denny Creek Trailhead. Alarm went off at 4:30 and I was walking at 5:15, looking for a good access point that avoids the mining property across the street from the trailhead. From there it was a bit of a slog to get above treeline, and up onto the ridge that would gain access to the peak. Ridge to Gladstone Ridge, peak to right Soon as I had a view of the surrounding peaks, I could tell that the thunderstorm that sat over the northern Sawatch last night, had left some residual moisture, as there was plenty of low lying fog, whisping around the peaks to the north of me. The Crested Butte valley was also in the clouds. To the south of me, there wasn't anything, yet. It was an easy stroll on the upper ridges to the summit, and from there I commanded a nice view of the surrounding peaks that I've done, or wish to do. Even with a summit at 8:30am, I knew there was only a few hours left before the rains started. Some areas looked like they might get rained on sooner than others. This is where I decided to change plans for the next day. I didn't want a committing ridge, as there was no guarantee of no storms before noon. Since rain on a high rocky ridge could be bad. So instead of going over Cottonwod Pass to one group of 13ers, I decided to go down to Tincup Pass, where at least I had better bail options. Final ascent Ptarmigan stalking... Emma Burr Loop The foggy northern Sawatch Clouds whisping around the 3 Apostles So after sinking in all the beta I could for the other 13ers in the area, I headed down the ridge and was back at my truck by 11:30, the clouds above me already looking quite ominous. Restocked in BV and headed up the long dusty road to Tincup Pass. It was time for dinner and an evening of catching up on my reading. Mt Yale and Harvard with the clouds starting to build at 9am Mt Yale with an old mining building Day 2 (Sat): Tincup Peak & Pt 13,050 Mileage: 7.64 Elevation Gain: 2,624' Tailhead: Tincup Pass (Sawmill Hill) It rained all night long. So that when my alarm went off at 4:30, I had to wonder if I needed to dig out my emergency rain pants from the back of my truck. As I got ready the rain ceased, and I decided that I would forgo the rain pants. They were heavy and not really meant for hiking - I would live to regret this "weight" decision later on. So at 5:30 I was heading up the road to the pass. I decided against driving up the remaining 300' as I was eying a loop that I didn't necessarily want to go back up to the pass from Fitzpatrick Peak. At this point, I also didn't know about all the hidden class 1 trails in the area, or that it would start raining on me very early in the day. As soon as it started to get light out, I could tell that I would be contending with plenty of fog and low clouds for the morning and into the rest of the day. It certainly made the area look very enchanting. Tincup Pass Another foggy morning, after a night of non-stop rain Once at the pass, I turned right to go up the slope to Tincup. Part of a trail lasts for a little while, but as I knew the ridge bump in front of me was not the peak, I angled and contoured over to miss the extra elevation gain. Tincup looks a lot like a blob with a cairn on top, so I didn't really take many photos of this part of the trip. In fact, only one photo. I topped out on Tincup at 7:07am, with quite an amazing view of the Arkansas valley to the east. Low clouds/fog were rolling up the valley and engulfing both Princeton and Antero. Certainly the photo of the trip! It also told me, that today would be a shorter day than planned, and I may have to leave Fitzpatrick Peak for Sunday. So I quickly started down the ridge to Pt 13,050 as it looked like there may be some route finding to do, and I didn't want to do all of it in the fog! The rain and fog also made the lichens on all the rocks "slicker than snot on a doorknob". It was a tricky affair to cross any and all rocks! Mt Princeton and Mt Antero being engulfed by low lying clouds Ridge from Tincup to 13,050 A look back at the ridge, before it got engulfed in fog Some Elk I heard wailing all night On my way up Pt 13,050 I got engulfed by the advancing fog/cloud layer. So no photos from the summit, at 8:30am. I tried to send out a text to Darrin that I was changing plans, but the service was fake, and I wasted 20 precious minutes in that failed endeavor! This is one reason I have a SPOT messenger, at least I would be able to communicate that I was staying another night with "OK" messages. As driving out the long 6 miles of 4WD road, then the long dusty road to beyond Princeton Hot Springs to get cell service was not happening! While passing the saddle to Tincup, I noticed something odd contouring over to another saddle that wasn't on any map I had looked at... a trail. At first I though it was just a well beaten game trail, but as it was now my ditching off the peak path, it became a class 1 trail! It still looked like animals used the trail more than humans, but a lovely trail it still was! If I had known about this earlier I would have planned for it! While arriving at Sawmill Hill along the Tincup Pass road the previous afternoon, I was noting the same saddle from the other side, wondering if that would be a good way to make an elegant loop with Pt 13,050, instead of the annoying "out and back" ridge walk I had planned. View of Tincup and the Class 1 trail, not on any maps So I followed along this lovely trail, snapping some photos of some flowers, as I hadn't drunken my fill on the surrounding landscapes because of the fog/clouds. Some pretty tiny flowers Flowers from a pika's viewpoint A very sad butterfly, about to be rained on I got to the saddle, at the other end of the trail, and I got a few second glimpse of the peak I had just done. A few seconds later, at 10:30am, It started to sprinkle on me. Then it started to graupel, hard for another 10 minutes or so as I raced down the trail. It turned back to rain, and shortly thereafter I got soaked to the bone. My new rainshell had failed. I got is for it's tiny lightweight features, but the lack of water impermeability is its failing. A glimpse of Pt 13,050 before it was engulfed in clouds Graupel! The trail as it zig zags down from the ridge, my truck just beyond the talus slope beyond Fog as I leave the trail to bushwhack back to my truck, getting soaked in the process by willows So now it was 11:30am, and I was back of my truck bound for the rest of the day! I even had to take tailgate grilling to a new meaning, as there wasn't a long enough break in the rain to be outside much. It wasn't all bad, I got a lot of reading done. Since everyone around me is talking about A Game of Thrones, I can't be the only one to not have read it already! I missed the references in SurfNTurf's TR a while back, and I can't have that! So it was like a mini beach vacation spent reading in the back of my truck, till it was time for sleep once again. Day 2 (Sun): Fitspatrick Peak Mileage: 4.8 Elevation Gain: 1,786' Tailhead: Tincup Pass (Sawmill Hill) The rain stopped over night, so I knew today would be better than the day before for fog. I was also glad to have a spare set of boots, pants, pack and other essentials, as the majority of gear from the day before was still soaked. So once again I walked up the road to the pass at ~5:30am, but this time took the trail off chute that avoided the road switchback. Once again I noticed either a game trail or a yet unmapped trail avoiding unnecessary elevation gain. But I decided to take it on the way out, I wanted to see what the ridge from the pass would be like, and scope out the "trail" for the return. (As it turns out, the ridge holds an unnamed 12er, so it can be worth your while to go over the ridge) There is an established trail over to Napoleon Pass that is on maps, but the section to Tincup Pass is "new". The ridge was quite rocky in places, and once again, the rocks were all extra slick with moisture. But the view of the Crested Butte valley in the fog and clouds was once again beautiful. It also gave me a nice view of the route up the ridge to the peak ahead. Another foggy morning, looking north up the Crested Butte valley at the Elks and Sawatch Ridge from false summit to Fitzpatrick Peak Another trail, not on any maps, and cairns to boot! A lovely grassy, humocky slope to the summit As it seems with many of my solo ventures, I run into plenty of wildlife along the trail. Today I once again chased some Elk up and over the peak ahead of me. Elks on the summit, wondering why I follow them! The view from the top was quite a different one, as I hadn't been this far out from the Sawatch 14ers before. Plenty of scouting for future 13ers was done from the chilly summit, before I headed back down. Another early summit, 8:06am, in my effort to avoid the worst of the monsoon. Wispy clouds/fog flowing over the continental divide, as I look to the south A view of the route up from Tincup Pass I took a little bit of time on the way down to photograph some flowers, as once again the dark dreary day didn't afford too many landscape photographs. Plus I got back to my truck at 9:30am, it was still early! View from another map-less trail I found If I had it to do all over again (with a better weather forecast), I would have done the trip in reverse. Starting with Fitzpatrick Peak and then going over the Pass to Tincup, and then to 13,050 with a return on the new trail. But it's also a good route to do if weather is an issue, as it is easily broken into two as I had to. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Sawatch 13er Mini Golf: Dodging the Monsoon Topo map included

Mt Princeton and Mt Antero being engulfed by low lying clouds

Gladstone Ridge, "Tincup Peak", Pt 13,050, Fitzpatrick Peak

Day 1 (Fri): Gladstone Ridge
Mileage: 6.9
Elevation Gain: 3,363'
Trailhead: Denny Creek

With the weather forecasting 50-60% chance of storms and the monsoon starting to hit hard, I was looking to do some short easy hikes, to get those peaks that didn't fit into nice elegant and efficient loops. So with the Emma Burr to Jones loop planned for later, Gladstone Ridge sat by itself, a short day.

So I drove up Thursday night, and camped at the Denny Creek Trailhead. Alarm went off at 4:30 and I was walking at 5:15, looking for a good access point that avoids the mining property across the street from the trailhead. From there it was a bit of a slog to get above treeline, and up onto the ridge that would gain access to the peak.

Soon as I had a view of the surrounding peaks, I could tell that the thunderstorm that sat over the northern Sawatch last night, had left some residual moisture, as there was plenty of low lying fog, whisping around the peaks to the north of me. The Crested Butte valley was also in the clouds. To the south of me, there wasn't anything, yet.

It was an easy stroll on the upper ridges to the summit, and from there I commanded a nice view of the surrounding peaks that I've done, or wish to do. Even with a summit at 8:30am, I knew there was only a few hours left before the rains started. Some areas looked like they might get rained on sooner than others. This is where I decided to change plans for the next day. I didn't want a committing ridge, as there was no guarantee of no storms before noon. Since rain on a high rocky ridge could be bad. So instead of going over Cottonwod Pass to one group of 13ers, I decided to go down to Tincup Pass, where at least I had better bail options.

So after sinking in all the beta I could for the other 13ers in the area, I headed down the ridge and was back at my truck by 11:30, the clouds above me already looking quite ominous. Restocked in BV and headed up the long dusty road to Tincup Pass. It was time for dinner and an evening of catching up on my reading.

Mt Yale and Harvard with the clouds starting to build at 9am

Day 2 (Sat): Tincup Peak & Pt 13,050
Mileage: 7.64
Elevation Gain: 2,624'
Tailhead: Tincup Pass (Sawmill Hill)

It rained all night long. So that when my alarm went off at 4:30, I had to wonder if I needed to dig out my emergency rain pants from the back of my truck. As I got ready the rain ceased, and I decided that I would forgo the rain pants. They were heavy and not really meant for hiking - I would live to regret this "weight" decision later on.

So at 5:30 I was heading up the road to the pass. I decided against driving up the remaining 300' as I was eying a loop that I didn't necessarily want to go back up to the pass from Fitzpatrick Peak. At this point, I also didn't know about all the hidden class 1 trails in the area, or that it would start raining on me very early in the day.

As soon as it started to get light out, I could tell that I would be contending with plenty of fog and low clouds for the morning and into the rest of the day. It certainly made the area look very enchanting.

Another foggy morning, after a night of non-stop rain

Once at the pass, I turned right to go up the slope to Tincup. Part of a trail lasts for a little while, but as I knew the ridge bump in front of me was not the peak, I angled and contoured over to miss the extra elevation gain. Tincup looks a lot like a blob with a cairn on top, so I didn't really take many photos of this part of the trip. In fact, only one photo.

I topped out on Tincup at 7:07am, with quite an amazing view of the Arkansas valley to the east. Low clouds/fog were rolling up the valley and engulfing both Princeton and Antero. Certainly the photo of the trip! It also told me, that today would be a shorter day than planned, and I may have to leave Fitzpatrick Peak for Sunday. So I quickly started down the ridge to Pt 13,050 as it looked like there may be some route finding to do, and I didn't want to do all of it in the fog! The rain and fog also made the lichens on all the rocks "slicker than snot on a doorknob". It was a tricky affair to cross any and all rocks!

A look back at the ridge, before it got engulfed in fog

On my way up Pt 13,050 I got engulfed by the advancing fog/cloud layer. So no photos from the summit, at 8:30am. I tried to send out a text to Darrin that I was changing plans, but the service was fake, and I wasted 20 precious minutes in that failed endeavor! This is one reason I have a SPOT messenger, at least I would be able to communicate that I was staying another night with "OK" messages. As driving out the long 6 miles of 4WD road, then the long dusty road to beyond Princeton Hot Springs to get cell service was not happening!

While passing the saddle to Tincup, I noticed something odd contouring over to another saddle that wasn't on any map I had looked at... a trail. At first I though it was just a well beaten game trail, but as it was now my ditching off the peak path, it became a class 1 trail! It still looked like animals used the trail more than humans, but a lovely trail it still was! If I had known about this earlier I would have planned for it! While arriving at Sawmill Hill along the Tincup Pass road the previous afternoon, I was noting the same saddle from the other side, wondering if that would be a good way to make an elegant loop with Pt 13,050, instead of the annoying "out and back" ridge walk I had planned.

View of Tincup and the Class 1 trail, not on any maps

So I followed along this lovely trail, snapping some photos of some flowers, as I hadn't drunken my fill on the surrounding landscapes because of the fog/clouds.

A very sad butterfly, about to be rained on

I got to the saddle, at the other end of the trail, and I got a few second glimpse of the peak I had just done. A few seconds later, at 10:30am, It started to sprinkle on me. Then it started to graupel, hard for another 10 minutes or so as I raced down the trail. It turned back to rain, and shortly thereafter I got soaked to the bone. My new rainshell had failed. I got is for it's tiny lightweight features, but the lack of water impermeability is its failing.

A glimpse of Pt 13,050 before it was engulfed in clouds

The trail as it zig zags down from the ridge, my truck just beyond the talus slope beyond

Fog as I leave the trail to bushwhack back to my truck, getting soaked in the process by willows

So now it was 11:30am, and I was back of my truck bound for the rest of the day! I even had to take tailgate grilling to a new meaning, as there wasn't a long enough break in the rain to be outside much. It wasn't all bad, I got a lot of reading done. Since everyone around me is talking about A Game of Thrones, I can't be the only one to not have read it already! I missed the references in SurfNTurf's TR a while back, and I can't have that! So it was like a mini beach vacation spent reading in the back of my truck, till it was time for sleep once again.

Day 2 (Sun): Fitspatrick Peak
Mileage: 4.8
Elevation Gain: 1,786'
Tailhead: Tincup Pass (Sawmill Hill)

The rain stopped over night, so I knew today would be better than the day before for fog. I was also glad to have a spare set of boots, pants, pack and other essentials, as the majority of gear from the day before was still soaked. So once again I walked up the road to the pass at ~5:30am, but this time took the trail off chute that avoided the road switchback. Once again I noticed either a game trail or a yet unmapped trail avoiding unnecessary elevation gain. But I decided to take it on the way out, I wanted to see what the ridge from the pass would be like, and scope out the "trail" for the return. (As it turns out, the ridge holds an unnamed 12er, so it can be worth your while to go over the ridge) There is an established trail over to Napoleon Pass that is on maps, but the section to Tincup Pass is "new".

The ridge was quite rocky in places, and once again, the rocks were all extra slick with moisture. But the view of the Crested Butte valley in the fog and clouds was once again beautiful. It also gave me a nice view of the route up the ridge to the peak ahead.

Another foggy morning, looking north up the Crested Butte valley at the Elks and Sawatch

Ridge from false summit to Fitzpatrick Peak

Another trail, not on any maps, and cairns to boot!

A lovely grassy, humocky slope to the summit

As it seems with many of my solo ventures, I run into plenty of wildlife along the trail. Today I once again chased some Elk up and over the peak ahead of me.

Elks on the summit, wondering why I follow them!

The view from the top was quite a different one, as I hadn't been this far out from the Sawatch 14ers before. Plenty of scouting for future 13ers was done from the chilly summit, before I headed back down. Another early summit, 8:06am, in my effort to avoid the worst of the monsoon.

Wispy clouds/fog flowing over the continental divide, as I look to the south

I took a little bit of time on the way down to photograph some flowers, as once again the dark dreary day didn't afford too many landscape photographs. Plus I got back to my truck at 9:30am, it was still early!

View from another map-less trail I found

If I had it to do all over again (with a better weather forecast), I would have done the trip in reverse. Starting with Fitzpatrick Peak and then going over the Pass to Tincup, and then to 13,050 with a return on the new trail. But it's also a good route to do if weather is an issue, as it is easily broken into two as I had to.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

dmccool	awesome shots, Otina 07/10/2012 20:27 I gotta start finding these obscure 13ers. Looks amazing
Chicago Transplant	Bonuses 07/10/2012 20:46 Nice bonus trail there, and you got a bonus 12er too - your ”false summit” between Fitzpatrick and Tincup Pass is actually a ranked 12er, PT 12780. I guess its good you decided to stick to the ridge on the way up instead of the bypass trail in case you start working on the 12ers Nice weekend outing despite the wet forecasts, I wimped out on traveling and repeated some peaks close to home, looks like I should have gone to the Sawatch after all, clearer mornings than I had up this way!
mtgirl	Humocky ?? 07/10/2012 21:46 Is ”humocky” really a word ??? Way to make use of a rainy weekend.....while I was roasting my butt off in Utah. Hope we can get together again soon - perhaps the Emma Burr loop !
SuperPolok	Tincup Road 07/10/2012 21:48 How rough is the Tincup Road? I've only snowshoed up it in winter to do Fitzpatrick so am wondering what to expect. That's a beautiful area to be sure!
rking007	I love it 07/11/2012 01:53 I know the Sawatch gets a lot of grief for being full of slogs, but seriously, are people just on the wrong trails? I love the photography you brought back in, in my humble opinion, beautiful weather. Well done!
Kevin Baker	I like the new camera 07/11/2012 04:29 Great shots, Otina! You really have an eye for beauty. So are you in pursuit of all the 13ers since you're hitting lower ones?
KeithK	Those are purty tundra bumps. 07/11/2012 14:24 I like that you spend three days wandering around the Sawatch, so Darrin and I don't have to. Not that I wander around anywhere these days. Great pictures and perception as always.
bergsteigen	Loving the new camera! 07/11/2012 17:01 Still working through all the new ”features”, but so far it is quite nice! Chicago Transplant - Wow, I should have checked my 12er+13er map on my website, since while I don't have ”plans” to get all 676 12ers, I won't pass up one in my path! The 584 13ers is daunting enough right now! mtgirl - not sure if the y on the end of hummock is legal, but... that's what it looked like! So far I'm saving the Emma Burr loop for a FMG hike SuperPolok - The road isn't too bad. The flat parts of the road are mainly high clearance. The climbing sections are rougher, but I didn't find them hard at all. Stock 4WD vehicles should have little problem. rking007 - I've been pleasantly surprised by the 13ers in the Sawatch. I had avoided them before, but with the smoke, they were the only range that wasn't inundated this summer, so far. Kevin - Why yes, I am in pursuit of all the 13ers. Only 502 more to go! Very much enjoying the exploration part of it all. Keith - We all know how much Darrin loves bump humping! Let alone stopping for 5 minutes to photograph flowers Just let me know if you want to wander up some tundra bumps in the future! Still saving a few near home, just in case.
Mindy	Love it..... 07/17/2012 13:18 I wish the places I feel comfortable attempting were this ”isolated”..... I went up to the Evan's area over the 4th to do Evan's via Spalding route from Summit Lake. By the time I got to the top of Spalding, I was so completely annoyed by all of the people that I threw all my plans to the wind and headed toward Gray Wolf. I only saw 2 people on that route (I think the Finn's per the summit register of GW). Your photos tell a story. Love the clouds. Nicely done.
Jay521	Hidden trails... 08/24/2017 09:54 The one that is on the saddle between Tincup and Pt13050 is part of the Colorado trail... Nice loop, Otina!
bergsteigen	CT trail 09/03/2017 13:34 I realize that the trail is CT, now! Old maps don't show that trail very prominently it seems. Need the newer ones to confirm that. Always love running into the CT!
Trotter	still useful 08/05/2020 18:00 even years later. Did your route, both unmarked trails were much nicer then regaining all the bumps on the ridges. According to a CT hiker I passed, that trail near tincup peak is part of the alternative collegiate colorado trail part? In any case, its extremely well built now. Drainage, flat rocks placed on trail, etc. Really pretty basin on that side, and you can't hear the ATVs any more.

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