Huron Peak Trip Report 05/24/2021

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Huron Peak - 14,006 feet Browns Peak - 13,526 feet Unnamed 13471 - 13,471 feet Middle Mountain - 13,062 feet
Date Posted	05/24/2021
Date Climbed	05/13/2021
Author	ScottLovesRMNP

Lulu Gulch Spring Loop Climb to Huron Peak
I've recently been going on a second lap through some of my favorite 14ers, and for its spectacular scenery, Huron Peak is on that list. Whenever possible, I try to make my second trip a different one. In this case, I used the non-standard Lulu Gulch route to Huron Peak. At the same time, I've been trying to nab as many 13ers as I can in the process. On this beautiful spring day, I found a way to do all of this in one hike. I had planned to hike up Middle Mountain B first, then traverse over to Point 13,462, then traverse Browns Peak, and finally, climb Huron Peak before descending via Huron's standard route. The trip didn't work out that way, because the sharp left turn onto the 4WD road that heads into Lulu Gulch was completely buried under snow, to the extent that I didn't even see that the road was there. Instead, I continued up the road I had started on from the outset and made it all the way to 11,700 feet before the road I was on also became buried in snow. The steep, vast snowfield that the road continued through would've been very challenging on the steep slope. Instead, I chose to abandon the road here and climb the steep but dry ridge above me. It was steep, but I didn't have to step in any snow before cresting the ridgeline. Once I arrived there, I realized that I was not in the correct place! The road I was supposed to be on was on the far side of the basin switchbacking up to Middle Mountain B. I wasn't going to get there anytime soon from where I was. Fortunately, the ridge I had crested was friendly and led me straight towards Browns Peak. I decided based on my position that I would first traverse the Browns-Huron ridge and tag Huron first and then work my way back down to bag the other three 13ers.....all the reverse order of what I had intended to do for this day. Huron was quite the undertaking thanks to strong winds and lots of trapdoor snow on the rocks, but I enjoyed the summit all to myself. Superb views of the Three Apostles and many other Sawatch summits like La Plata, Belford, Oxford, Missouri, Harvard, Columbia, Emerald, Iowa, and more. It was a dazzling scene with waves of endless peaks stretching across the horizon. Huron had once again lived up to its reputation for being one of the most scenic 14ers in Colorado! After my visit to Huron Peak, I was happy to start working my way back down. I retraced the Browns-Huron ridge, but this time I pressed onward up to Browns Peak, which required far less effort than Huron had. From Browns, I continued to Point 13,462, and then down again to Middle Mountain B. If traversing the route in this direction, be sure to stop and look back at the scenery as you go. The view of Huron Peak from the Browns-Point 13,462 ridgeline is breathtaking. Below Middle Mountain B, I followed the 4WD road I had intended to go up, traversing down the switchbacks into Lulu Gulch at treeline. From here, the view of Browns Peak soaring overhead is stunning. I pulled out my GPS now to try and work my way back to where I had gone wrong on the way up in the morning. Sure enough, I found where I needed to go and how to get there. Even with snowshoes on, the soft snow on this warm afternoon was tiring to trudge through, but before long, I found myself back down in Winfield again, fully satisfied by the scenery and the experience of the a solo adventure in the Sawatch in springtime! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Lulu Gulch Spring Loop Climb to Huron Peak

I've recently been going on a second lap through some of my favorite 14ers, and for its spectacular scenery, Huron Peak is on that list. Whenever possible, I try to make my second trip a different one. In this case, I used the non-standard Lulu Gulch route to Huron Peak. At the same time, I've been trying to nab as many 13ers as I can in the process. On this beautiful spring day, I found a way to do all of this in one hike.

I had planned to hike up Middle Mountain B first, then traverse over to Point 13,462, then traverse Browns Peak, and finally, climb Huron Peak before descending via Huron's standard route. The trip didn't work out that way, because the sharp left turn onto the 4WD road that heads into Lulu Gulch was completely buried under snow, to the extent that I didn't even see that the road was there. Instead, I continued up the road I had started on from the outset and made it all the way to 11,700 feet before the road I was on also became buried in snow. The steep, vast snowfield that the road continued through would've been very challenging on the steep slope. Instead, I chose to abandon the road here and climb the steep but dry ridge above me. It was steep, but I didn't have to step in any snow before cresting the ridgeline. Once I arrived there, I realized that I was not in the correct place! The road I was supposed to be on was on the far side of the basin switchbacking up to Middle Mountain B. I wasn't going to get there anytime soon from where I was.

Fortunately, the ridge I had crested was friendly and led me straight towards Browns Peak. I decided based on my position that I would first traverse the Browns-Huron ridge and tag Huron first and then work my way back down to bag the other three 13ers.....all the reverse order of what I had intended to do for this day. Huron was quite the undertaking thanks to strong winds and lots of trapdoor snow on the rocks, but I enjoyed the summit all to myself. Superb views of the Three Apostles and many other Sawatch summits like La Plata, Belford, Oxford, Missouri, Harvard, Columbia, Emerald, Iowa, and more. It was a dazzling scene with waves of endless peaks stretching across the horizon. Huron had once again lived up to its reputation for being one of the most scenic 14ers in Colorado!

After my visit to Huron Peak, I was happy to start working my way back down. I retraced the Browns-Huron ridge, but this time I pressed onward up to Browns Peak, which required far less effort than Huron had. From Browns, I continued to Point 13,462, and then down again to Middle Mountain B. If traversing the route in this direction, be sure to stop and look back at the scenery as you go. The view of Huron Peak from the Browns-Point 13,462 ridgeline is breathtaking.

Below Middle Mountain B, I followed the 4WD road I had intended to go up, traversing down the switchbacks into Lulu Gulch at treeline. From here, the view of Browns Peak soaring overhead is stunning. I pulled out my GPS now to try and work my way back to where I had gone wrong on the way up in the morning. Sure enough, I found where I needed to go and how to get there. Even with snowshoes on, the soft snow on this warm afternoon was tiring to trudge through, but before long, I found myself back down in Winfield again, fully satisfied by the scenery and the experience of the a solo adventure in the Sawatch in springtime!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

ltlFish99

Excellent report
5/25/2021 2:38pm

That certainly is an absolutely wonderful place.
Delightful photographs.
Huron is a mountain I look forward to returning to at some point.

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