Precipice Peak Trip Report 09/11/2023

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Precipice Peak - 13,141 feet
Date Posted	09/11/2023
Modified	09/12/2023
Date Climbed	09/03/2023
Author	JQDivide
Additional Members	RyGuy

Steep and Sweet
Precipice Precipice Day two in the Cimarrons. I hiked Fortress the day before with Anastasia, Ezra and Ryan. We were all moving slow on this morning, but somehow we still managed to start hiking around 8 a.m. again. I know, I know… we were lazy. But the weather was supposed to be clear all day. The only thing we had going on later was driving home. We simply walked across the road and starting moving into the gully. Yep, another gully. There is a trail of sorts along the gully. But don’t go into the trees yet, it’s a pile of pixie sticks of downed trees. And once again, near the 11,100 mark, you’ll see a large reddish boulder. You’ll work your past this rock on the left side of the gully, and a fairly short distance after, you’ll move into the trees. There is a somewhat of a trail. It’s tight. It’s more bushwhack than trail. But you should be able to see it. And now it gets ugly for a bit. The route is steep, very steep on loose dirt and some downed trees. Keep moving up, but stay close to the gully on the right. The farther you move in, the more downed trees you have to deal with. We found a fairly open path. You’ll pop out of trees for bit, there is a small cairn on a boulder. Then back into the trees. Then when you pop out again, you’ll see the route above treeline. There is a boulder field just steps away. You can see a large boulder with a cairn on top, near 11,500. Camp and Precipice The Gully The big reddish boulder, go past this rock on the left into the trees Into the trees bushwhack Steep Break in the trees Break in the trees Marmot and Pika From here, look up to see three ‘caves’ in the rock above. You will eventually move to the right of those caves. Pick your path up, grassy slope or grass and rocks, or rocks. (There was a group in front of us. They turned right and crossed the gully here and made their way to the saddle. You don’t have to do that, but it goes.) Before you reach the caves, you’ll move right towards a low spot. It’s Class 2+. You will eventually see a cairn, near 11,800. From here, look to your right. Across a small drop and grassy rise, you should see another cairn. From here, it is a grassy slope to the saddle ridge. You’ll stay to your left and not actually go to low spot of the saddle. You’ll be hiking up below the rock formation that forms the “V” notch you’ll cross through. Once on the saddle ridge, there are some interesting views, including the erosion on the opposite side. I took photos of the group on the summit from here. The east side of the summit has a very steep drop. Out of the trees, route above Looking back at the cairn Wear sunscreen, you are hiking into the sun in the morning Staying on this side of the upper gully Looking back The caves, go right (taken on the way down) Move toward the circle Ryan at the cairn Ryan after the cairn, moving in the grassy area The grassy area between the two cairns Bad photo, but you can see the cairn Looking back, can see both cairns. Upper slope A trail will take you to the notch. It’s a short easy scramble to get on it and over. There is a bit of a drop on the other side, just stay right. After the notch, the terrain changes. It’s more like Fortress, with the obvious volcanic rocks formations. There are is spot, you might need your hands, but it’s an easy up. There were two backpacks here as we went by. And shortly after that, we met the group coming down. And, as with so many of these situations, you either know, or know of, the other people on this 13ers. It was Gecko and Matt (Gubber13), and Paul and friends from Maryland. I passed along via Airdrop the photos I took of them on the summit. The notch and the summit The other side The summit Notch Looking back from the notch In the notch Other side of the notch In the notch Route up We chatted for a bit and went on our ways. Near the summit, there is an up and over, which included very short scrambles, or you could bypass them on the left. On top of this bump, we joked about pulling a “WW” and just calling this the summit. We decided to go on and make it official. Again, the views of the San Juans were great. We spent some time taking photos and enjoyed the weather. We followed our route down and got back to camp as the wind picked up. It wasn’t very pleasant, but we had lunch and took down camp. We drove out by Silver Jack Reservoir for a change of scenery. Stats 2.35 miles 3:45 hr/min 2:20 to reach the summit 2,200 feet It is kind of like bushwhacking the Manitou Incline. Looking at the notch from above The views! False summit Bit of a scramble Back down The summit Views! More views! Anastasia and Ezra on the summit Heading down... Ryan moving down Back across the notch Coming down, the grassy slope cairn can be seen Precipice The "straight" line on the GPX... yeah, don't follow that. Not sure what happened there. GPS Track(s) on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): View Map Download GPX File Download KML File Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Steep and Sweet

Precipice

Day two in the Cimarrons. I hiked Fortress the day before with Anastasia, Ezra and Ryan.

We were all moving slow on this morning, but somehow we still managed to start hiking around 8 a.m. again. I know, I know… we were lazy. But the weather was supposed to be clear all day. The only thing we had going on later was driving home.

We simply walked across the road and starting moving into the gully. Yep, another gully. There is a trail of sorts along the gully. But don’t go into the trees yet, it’s a pile of pixie sticks of downed trees.

And once again, near the 11,100 mark, you’ll see a large reddish boulder. You’ll work your past this rock on the left side of the gully, and a fairly short distance after, you’ll move into the trees.

There is a somewhat of a trail. It’s tight. It’s more bushwhack than trail. But you should be able to see it. And now it gets ugly for a bit. The route is steep, very steep on loose dirt and some downed trees. Keep moving up, but stay close to the gully on the right. The farther you move in, the more downed trees you have to deal with. We found a fairly open path.

You’ll pop out of trees for bit, there is a small cairn on a boulder. Then back into the trees. Then when you pop out again, you’ll see the route above treeline. There is a boulder field just steps away. You can see a large boulder with a cairn on top, near 11,500.

22321_48 — The big reddish boulder, go past this rock on the left

From here, look up to see three ‘caves’ in the rock above. You will eventually move to the right of those caves. Pick your path up, grassy slope or grass and rocks, or rocks.

(There was a group in front of us. They turned right and crossed the gully here and made their way to the saddle. You don’t have to do that, but it goes.)

Before you reach the caves, you’ll move right towards a low spot. It’s Class 2+. You will eventually see a cairn, near 11,800. From here, look to your right. Across a small drop and grassy rise, you should see another cairn.

From here, it is a grassy slope to the saddle ridge. You’ll stay to your left and not actually go to low spot of the saddle. You’ll be hiking up below the rock formation that forms the “V” notch you’ll cross through.

Once on the saddle ridge, there are some interesting views, including the erosion on the opposite side. I took photos of the group on the summit from here. The east side of the summit has a very steep drop.

22321_04 — Out of the trees, route above

22321_38 — Wear sunscreen, you are hiking into the sun in the morning

22321_37 — Staying on this side of the upper gully

22321_06 — The caves, go right (taken on the way down)

22321_34 — Ryan after the cairn, moving in the grassy area

22321_33 — The grassy area between the two cairns

22321_32 — Bad photo, but you can see the cairn

22321_31 — Looking back, can see both cairns.

A trail will take you to the notch. It’s a short easy scramble to get on it and over. There is a bit of a drop on the other side, just stay right.

After the notch, the terrain changes. It’s more like Fortress, with the obvious volcanic rocks formations.

There are is spot, you might need your hands, but it’s an easy up. There were two backpacks here as we went by. And shortly after that, we met the group coming down. And, as with so many of these situations, you either know, or know of, the other people on this 13ers.

It was Gecko and Matt (Gubber13), and Paul and friends from Maryland. I passed along via Airdrop the photos I took of them on the summit.

We chatted for a bit and went on our ways. Near the summit, there is an up and over, which included very short scrambles, or you could bypass them on the left. On top of this bump, we joked about pulling a “WW” and just calling this the summit. We decided to go on and make it official.

Again, the views of the San Juans were great.

We spent some time taking photos and enjoyed the weather.

We followed our route down and got back to camp as the wind picked up. It wasn’t very pleasant, but we had lunch and took down camp. We drove out by Silver Jack Reservoir for a change of scenery.

Stats

2.35 miles

3:45 hr/min

2:20 to reach the summit

2,200 feet

It is kind of like bushwhacking the Manitou Incline.

22321_20 — *Looking at the notch from above*

22321_12 — Anastasia and Ezra on the summit

Heading down...

22321_08 — Coming down, the grassy slope cairn can be seen

The "straight" line on the GPX... yeah, don't follow that. Not sure what happened there.

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

View Map

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Gubber13	Blowdown hoedown 9/12/2023 9:31am Was great talking with you, Joel and Ryan. Only wish we had time to join you for a drink too. Maybe next time? As always, great trip report.
d_baker	neighbors for a day 9/15/2023 4:54am My friend Sam and I were camped in the trees next to the road, just before the big "lot" of a TH on Fri night through Sat night. Left on Sunday. We hiked Precipice on Saturday and Redcliff on Sunday....such an awesome area! I'll be back for Coxcomb, hopefully next summer!
Marmot72	Love the Cims 9/15/2023 10:17pm Nice summary of one of the more distinctive peaks out there.
PaulVee	Great to meet you!! 9/17/2023 7:03pm It was great to meet you Joel! We really enjoyed chatting with you at the trailhead. We loved Precipice too with our trusty guide Matt! Great pics! Hope to see you out there again sometime! ... Paul

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