Mt. Belford Trip Report 08/03/2015

Notice: This report has been DELETED by the author.

Peak(s):	Mt. Belford - 14,202 feet
Date Posted:	08/03/2015
Date Climbed:	08/02/2015
Author:	AppalachianAdam

Mt.Belford
Nearly two dozen cars were in the lot as I awoke at 4:30, and right at 5am I was off. The first creek crossing was just a few hundred yards from the TH and quite obvious. From there, a lot of elevation is picked up in a quick amount of time. Switchback after switchback climbing through the darkness in the company of towering aspens...the trail wasn't too technical, but the elevation gain is huge. The next creek crossing is a little more difficult to spot, but there is enough visible indication that the trail kind of herding you across the creek. There are a series of logs, usually about two to three wide that offer an easy crossing. But while crossing, I couldn't help but to think that this would be difficult to cross during a heavy rainstorm. The only muddy part of the trail was around this area, just below the 2nd crossing. As day broke I was passing the old cabin and emerging from the trees with Mt. Belford appearing in front of a dreary, overcast backdrop. There was a little bit of sun peaking onto Missouri's northwest ridge. The fork to elkhead pass and Belford is pretty obvious, you can't miss it. Not too far from where the trail turns to rocks and shoots up the Northwest ridge, there is another "creek" crossing, but at this point it's hardly a dribble. By now, whatever sunlight had started emerging, disappeared, and overcast skies encompassed the whole sky with some darker clouds lingering to the north over Twin Lakes. This mountain is difficult to judge weather in my opinion because on this day, there wasn't much wind and as I gained enough to see over Missouri's ridge and looked west, a lot more darker rain clouds lingered. I really wasn't able to make my decision to head down the saddle to Oxford, or saddle up and make the decent down to the TH. I reached the summit in 2.5 hours and had it to myself, but it didn't look like I was the first that day. I took off my pack and first figured out which direction was blowing...faintly to the west. Which made me feel a little better with those darker clouds that were west and north of me. But as I rounded that 360 spin, with the NE coming into sight, there was a lot of cloud cover over the southern part of the Mosquito Range. Do I keep going on to Oxford? I snapped some great shots of Missouri's precarious east ridge and sat down and ate my breakfast, a nature valley bar, and quickly assessed my situation. Obviously traversing over elkhead pass to attempt that east ridge of Missouri was out. I had mostly talked myself out of that ascent previously due to the dangers I've read about. I did some quick math on how long it would take to make that traverse over to Oxford and back...nearly 3 miles. The couple other climbers I passed ascending, caught up and quickly began digesting there current weather situation. I was only on the summit for 10 minutes before starting the descent around quarter of 8...only it was the descent to the TH, not down the Oxford, Belford saddle. The man and woman that summited after me split up and the man pushed on to Oxford. Maybe 30 minutes and dropping 1000' in elevation I stopped for a drink and continued to watch the clouds. Thankfully whatever was building to the northeast had slowly drifted directly north of me and I began to regret my cautious decision to retreat back to the TH. Kind of a bummer not to make it over to Oxford, but having to make a game time whether decision, I made the wisest choice I could giving the circumstances. I passed a lot of people on the way down the tree line, but only saw one more person from that old cabin down to the TH. I stopped just below the old cabin and got a few more good shots a cool little waterfall in the flowing through the bush. Those final switchbacks had me somewhat galloping down the last half mile or so as momentum continued to build as I descended the final six or seven hundred feet. I returned to the trailhead at 9:45. All in all a great climb with some serious elevation gain in only 8 miles. Will have to mark down as incomplete though. I shall return to stand on top of Oxford and Missouri. For what's it's worth, for me, I think if will be a great mountain to call my first for a snowboard descent. The winter TH isn't too far from the summer TH, about 4 miles or so. There looks to be some good shelter to camp near the old cabin, and the grade isn't ever too steep to manage some nice powder. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt.Belford

Nearly two dozen cars were in the lot as I awoke at 4:30, and right at 5am I was off. The first creek crossing was just a few hundred yards from the TH and quite obvious. From there, a lot of elevation is picked up in a quick amount of time. Switchback after switchback climbing through the darkness in the company of towering aspens...the trail wasn't too technical, but the elevation gain is huge. The next creek crossing is a little more difficult to spot, but there is enough visible indication that the trail kind of herding you across the creek. There are a series of logs, usually about two to three wide that offer an easy crossing. But while crossing, I couldn't help but to think that this would be difficult to cross during a heavy rainstorm. The only muddy part of the trail was around this area, just below the 2nd crossing. As day broke I was passing the old cabin and emerging from the trees with Mt. Belford appearing in front of a dreary, overcast backdrop. There was a little bit of sun peaking onto Missouri's northwest ridge. The fork to elkhead pass and Belford is pretty obvious, you can't miss it. Not too far from where the trail turns to rocks and shoots up the Northwest ridge, there is another "creek" crossing, but at this point it's hardly a dribble. By now, whatever sunlight had started emerging, disappeared, and overcast skies encompassed the whole sky with some darker clouds lingering to the north over Twin Lakes. This mountain is difficult to judge weather in my opinion because on this day, there wasn't much wind and as I gained enough to see over Missouri's ridge and looked west, a lot more darker rain clouds lingered. I really wasn't able to make my decision to head down the saddle to Oxford, or saddle up and make the decent down to the TH. I reached the summit in 2.5 hours and had it to myself, but it didn't look like I was the first that day. I took off my pack and first figured out which direction was blowing...faintly to the west. Which made me feel a little better with those darker clouds that were west and north of me. But as I rounded that 360 spin, with the NE coming into sight, there was a lot of cloud cover over the southern part of the Mosquito Range. Do I keep going on to Oxford? I snapped some great shots of Missouri's precarious east ridge and sat down and ate my breakfast, a nature valley bar, and quickly assessed my situation. Obviously traversing over elkhead pass to attempt that east ridge of Missouri was out. I had mostly talked myself out of that ascent previously due to the dangers I've read about. I did some quick math on how long it would take to make that traverse over to Oxford and back...nearly 3 miles. The couple other climbers I passed ascending, caught up and quickly began digesting there current weather situation. I was only on the summit for 10 minutes before starting the descent around quarter of 8...only it was the descent to the TH, not down the Oxford, Belford saddle. The man and woman that summited after me split up and the man pushed on to Oxford. Maybe 30 minutes and dropping 1000' in elevation I stopped for a drink and continued to watch the clouds. Thankfully whatever was building to the northeast had slowly drifted directly north of me and I began to regret my cautious decision to retreat back to the TH. Kind of a bummer not to make it over to Oxford, but having to make a game time whether decision, I made the wisest choice I could giving the circumstances. I passed a lot of people on the way down the tree line, but only saw one more person from that old cabin down to the TH. I stopped just below the old cabin and got a few more good shots a cool little waterfall in the flowing through the bush. Those final switchbacks had me somewhat galloping down the last half mile or so as momentum continued to build as I descended the final six or seven hundred feet. I returned to the trailhead at 9:45. All in all a great climb with some serious elevation gain in only 8 miles. Will have to mark down as incomplete though. I shall return to stand on top of Oxford and Missouri.

For what's it's worth, for me, I think if will be a great mountain to call my first for a snowboard descent. The winter TH isn't too far from the summer TH, about 4 miles or so. There looks to be some good shelter to camp near the old cabin, and the grade isn't ever too steep to manage some nice powder.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Moflatlander81

Weather Held
8/4/2015 4:06am

Hey man, nice meeting you on Belford. The weather ended up holding, but I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision on going to Oxford for a while. You’ll get it next time!

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