Mt. Audubon Trip Report 07/19/2022

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Audubon - 13,217 feet Paiute Peak - 13,094 feet
Date Posted	07/19/2022
Date Climbed	07/02/2022
Author	jollyusername

Mt Audubon to Paiute Peak
Mt Audubon to Paiute Peak A great introduction to ridge scrambling. I did this solo to prepare for some tougher technical ridge scrambles this summer and felt very comfortable. There's some debate on other forums if you should do this clockwise or counterclockwise. I say that it honestly comes down to experience. If you've done this kind of stuff before you'll know if you prefer to go up or down steep loose gullies that have no trail. If you don't know, then this is a great hike to find out! There are some loose sections but not as bad as some I've been on. I prefer to go up loose steep gullies so I have no idea why I did it counter clockwise. I agree with the person who said maybe an out and back from Audubon would be better lol. Another reason I'd say to do it clockwise is that even in early July, Mitchell Lake Trail was pretty muddy and had some snow still, as well as being pretty rocky so it was hardly runnable at all. I'd have wanted to go up that so I could more quickly descend the nice Audubon trail. But again, it just comes down to personal preference. Here's all the info I usually look for when I'm trying to research these routes: 8:00am start 5.5 hours total activity time Clocked 9 miles with 4,000" elevation gain Wore my Altra Lone Peak All Weathers low (a pretty grippy trail running shoe) and felt very comfortable Parked at the winter lot and biked in to Mitchell Lake Trailhead. 30 minutes to bike in (3.3 miles, 500' gain), 15 minutes to bike out Remember, registration required to go past the winter lot with the road closed so no option to drive in early before reservation times. Plenty of parking still in the am at winter lot, I'd say pretty much full when I got back around 1:00pm No trail from Audubon to Paiute and no trail down from Paiute to Mitchell Lake Trail. But the views are clear so very little route finding difficulties Saw only one other person on the traverse, I thought that was surprising on a Saturday during a holiday weekend I'd call this the absolute easiest class 3 you could imagine. If you're brand new to scrambling you might be a touch uncomfortable but this would be a great introduction A note to the biker who I FINALLY passed on 72 only to SKIP THE STOP SIGN AND PASS ME ON THE RIGHT WHILE I STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN IN WARD so I got stuck behind you forever AGAIN.... Rude. Rude. Rude. Hope that helps, happy adventuring. GPS Track(s) on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): View Map Download GPX File Download KML File

Mt Audubon to Paiute Peak

A great introduction to ridge scrambling. I did this solo to prepare for some tougher technical ridge scrambles this summer and felt very comfortable.

There's some debate on other forums if you should do this clockwise or counterclockwise. I say that it honestly comes down to experience. If you've done this kind of stuff before you'll know if you prefer to go up or down steep loose gullies that have no trail. If you don't know, then this is a great hike to find out! There are some loose sections but not as bad as some I've been on. I prefer to go up loose steep gullies so I have no idea why I did it counter clockwise. I agree with the person who said maybe an out and back from Audubon would be better lol.

Another reason I'd say to do it clockwise is that even in early July, Mitchell Lake Trail was pretty muddy and had some snow still, as well as being pretty rocky so it was hardly runnable at all. I'd have wanted to go up that so I could more quickly descend the nice Audubon trail. But again, it just comes down to personal preference.

Here's all the info I usually look for when I'm trying to research these routes:

8:00am start
5.5 hours total activity time
Clocked 9 miles with 4,000" elevation gain
Wore my Altra Lone Peak All Weathers low (a pretty grippy trail running shoe) and felt very comfortable
Parked at the winter lot and biked in to Mitchell Lake Trailhead. 30 minutes to bike in (3.3 miles, 500' gain), 15 minutes to bike out
Remember, registration required to go past the winter lot with the road closed so no option to drive in early before reservation times. Plenty of parking still in the am at winter lot, I'd say pretty much full when I got back around 1:00pm
No trail from Audubon to Paiute and no trail down from Paiute to Mitchell Lake Trail. But the views are clear so very little route finding difficulties
Saw only one other person on the traverse, I thought that was surprising on a Saturday during a holiday weekend
I'd call this the absolute easiest class 3 you could imagine. If you're brand new to scrambling you might be a touch uncomfortable but this would be a great introduction

A note to the biker who I FINALLY passed on 72 only to SKIP THE STOP SIGN AND PASS ME ON THE RIGHT WHILE I STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN IN WARD so I got stuck behind you forever AGAIN.... Rude. Rude. Rude.

Hope that helps, happy adventuring.

GPS Track(s) on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

View Map

Comments or Questions

JQDivide

Needs Work
7/20/2022 8:08am

See comment in your other TR.

Joel

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