14ers.com • Trip Report - Mount Parnassus

Peak(s):	Parnassus, Mt - 13,574 feet
Date Posted:	06/27/2017
Date Climbed:	06/25/2017
Author:	jibler

Mount Parnassus - secret Northern approach?
Climbed Mount Parnassus from the Ruby Creek approach near URAD mine west of Empire. Just when I thought I'd exhausted all the low hanging/simple hikes between Summit County and Denver along the I-70 corridor -- this one popped onto the radar! And simple is really the rule to follow here. I was expecting to just check out the drainage - I had just hiked Mt Wilcox on Friday so I wasn't sure if I had the gas in the tank to hit up another 13'er. But in following the old jeep road up the valley - I quickly saw a fairly simple route towards Parnassus. First look I approached up grassy slopes between the two snow fields on the mid-upper right on that photo. Once up on that ridge - there is a pretty dang large shoulder left to climb of Parnassus. Once up there I saw lone figure climbing the Woods Mtn - likely from Herman's Gulch (aka "Herman's Head") - which I myself did a long time ago. BUT - this way towards Woods and/or Parnassus is way better - you have no notion about I-70 until you're taken that ridge - everything back in the valley is full Serenity. The view from Parnassus is quite commanding too - full sweep of northern CO - including Flattops; plus practically all of Gores - hints of Elks - and sweeping views of Northern Sawatch and Ten Mile Ranges. Cap it off with Epic boot ski down that large snowfield (the one on the left of the approach photo) - and you got yourself a good Sunday. Good thing no weather that afternoon too! overall mileage (estimated) is 5-6 miles from the road. Took me from 2:15pm - 6:20pm or so. Started at the gate with ominous signage (there was a more overgrown road a notch further up the road that someone else was parked at - but I have no idea where that road went as it never seemed to catch up with my route) To display your photos (uploaded below) in the final trip report, type the image number (i.e., 1, 2, 3), highlight it with your cursor, and click on the Image button on the right. Example: First look More image format examples: Float image right: Float image right, width of 300 pixels: Float image left, width of 175 pixels: External image: Float external image right, width of 600 pixels: Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mount Parnassus - secret Northern approach?

Climbed Mount Parnassus from the Ruby Creek approach near URAD mine west of Empire.

Just when I thought I'd exhausted all the low hanging/simple hikes between Summit County and Denver along the I-70 corridor -- this one popped onto the radar!

And simple is really the rule to follow here. I was expecting to just check out the drainage - I had just hiked Mt Wilcox on Friday so I wasn't sure if I had the gas in the tank to hit up another 13'er. But in following the old jeep road up the valley - I quickly saw a fairly simple route towards Parnassus.

I approached up grassy slopes between the two snow fields on the mid-upper right on that photo.

Once up on that ridge - there is a pretty dang large shoulder left to climb of Parnassus. Once up there I saw lone figure climbing the Woods Mtn - likely from Herman's Gulch (aka "Herman's Head") - which I myself did a long time ago.

BUT - this way towards Woods and/or Parnassus is way better - you have no notion about I-70 until you're taken that ridge - everything back in the valley is full Serenity.

The view from Parnassus is quite commanding too - full sweep of northern CO - including Flattops; plus practically all of Gores - hints of Elks - and sweeping views of Northern Sawatch and Ten Mile Ranges.

Cap it off with Epic boot ski down that large snowfield (the one on the left of the approach photo) - and you got yourself a good Sunday. Good thing no weather that afternoon too!

overall mileage (estimated) is 5-6 miles from the road. Took me from 2:15pm - 6:20pm or so.

Started at the gate with ominous signage

(there was a more overgrown road a notch further up the road that someone else was parked at - but I have no idea where that road went as it never seemed to catch up with my route)

To display your photos (uploaded below) in the final trip report, type the image number (i.e., 1, 2, 3), highlight it with your cursor, and click on the Image button on the right. Example:

More image format examples:
Float image right:

Float image right, width of 300 pixels:

Float image left, width of 175 pixels:

External image:

Float external image right, width of 600 pixels:

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Jay521

Fun route!
06/27/2017 11:49

That IS a fun route in a beautiful valley, isn't it? Last time I was up that way (several years ago), there was a sign a mile or so before the sign in your TR that says it's private property for the next xx miles. I always parked at that sign cuz I was afraid my truck might get towed and probably added a couple unnecessary miles to the trek. Obviously, you had no trouble parking where you did. Thanks for bringing back some fond memories. Nice pics!!

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