Missouri Mountain Trip Report 10/13/2020

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Missouri Mountain - 14,071 feet
Date Posted	10/13/2020
Date Climbed	10/09/2020
Author	jibler

Missouri courtesy of Ethan
1st 14er in six years! So this will seemingly be a parallel trip report to Ace13's recent outing - on the same day no less. But as you'll see - my approach involved no rocks. and they seemed to have gotten a much earlier start judging from photos. and you almost couldn't be later than me! Started from the missouri gulch around 11:15am. Getting to the good stuff. Belford left/Missouri right. and while I had planned all along to just follow the main trail all the way back up the valley - i had been thinking all along that final section looked like a fairly steep section of trail. and I had been planning all along to potentially follow the high missouri/ethan ridge back towards the car to make a little loop out of it all. So - when I then saw a large section of mountain that was just a big grassy slope all the way up - I couldn't resist! I just busted up that hill to take the higher ridge further back to the north. climbing the grassy slope top of ridge - Ethan in foreground And I could see people up on the summit the whole time. Not large crowds - but there were people. But I lucked out and was able have the highest section all to myself- so rare these days. This otherworldly rock section was a real treat just below summit. and then I just busted down the regular route down! and I was right - I think that woulda been a little brutal coming up whereas I was able to modulate my approach up the grassy mountainside. at the saddle - about to drop down to missouri gulch area to left. No one lingered Peace in the valley. Rust color. The Final Flower. Back at car around 6pm. OK and here's where I editorialize: I had not climbed anything around here before. and I was initially thinking 'why not hit Belford because its taller and you can maybe pickup Oxford taboot'. BUT - i instead chose to just get to Missouri first because A) trail seemed more dynamic and fun rather than just pounding up Belford; and B) whatever view is compromised to the east by Belford isn't that great anyway! the money shot are South,West and North anyway. So I would urge you to think more about missouri if hitting this area for first time. and I now am thinking that if I were to go back and get to belford and oxford - that might be more worth it from the Pine Creek side in a larger backpacking effort. (Funny fact I was busting around up that Pine Creek almost 10 years ago - to the day - of this hike) Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Missouri courtesy of Ethan

1st 14er in six years!

So this will seemingly be a parallel trip report to Ace13's recent outing - on the same day no less. But as you'll see - my approach involved no rocks. and they seemed to have gotten a much earlier start judging from photos.

and you almost couldn't be later than me! Started from the missouri gulch around 11:15am.

20806_01 — Getting to the good stuff. Belford left/Missouri right.

and while I had planned all along to just follow the main trail all the way back up the valley - i had been thinking all along that final section looked like a fairly steep section of trail. and I had been planning all along to potentially follow the high missouri/ethan ridge back towards the car to make a little loop out of it all.

So - when I then saw a large section of mountain that was just a big grassy slope all the way up - I couldn't resist! I just busted up that hill to take the higher ridge further back to the north.

20806_02

20806_07 — top of ridge - Ethan in foreground

And I could see people up on the summit the whole time. Not large crowds - but there were people. But I lucked out and was able have the highest section all to myself- so rare these days.

20806_06 — This otherworldly rock section was a real treat just below summit.

and then I just busted down the regular route down! and I was right - I think that woulda been a little brutal coming up whereas I was able to modulate my approach up the grassy mountainside.

20806_08 — at the saddle - about to drop down to missouri gulch area to left.

Back at car around 6pm.

OK and here's where I editorialize: I had not climbed anything around here before. and I was initially thinking 'why not hit Belford because its taller and you can maybe pickup Oxford taboot'. BUT - i instead chose to just get to Missouri first because A) trail seemed more dynamic and fun rather than just pounding up Belford; and B) whatever view is compromised to the east by Belford isn't that great anyway! the money shot are South,West and North anyway. So I would urge you to think more about missouri if hitting this area for first time.

and I now am thinking that if I were to go back and get to belford and oxford - that might be more worth it from the Pine Creek side in a larger backpacking effort. (Funny fact I was busting around up that Pine Creek almost 10 years ago - to the day - of this hike)

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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