OTHER Trip Report 12/08/2023

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Fishers Peak 9,633
Date Posted	12/08/2023
Modified	01/04/2024
Date Climbed	12/05/2023
Author	Jay521

Newest Colorado State Park
Trailhead: Fishers Peak State Park Route: The newly opened Fishers Peak Trail Length: 16 miles Vertical: 3400 Partners: Solo Fishers Peak is visible as you drive south on I-25 towards Trinidad. It sits just east of Raton Pass and is very visible from the New Mexico side as well. It is also the tallest mountain from where it is (West longitude 104/27'46") going east to the Atlantic ocean. And while not technically a mountain (it's more of a mesa), it is none the less pretty cool looking. Fishers Peak just became accessible in the last month with the finalization of the trail from the entrance to Fisher Peak State Park to the summit and I immediately put it on my list. It was well worth the trip to Trinidad to hike this one - if nothing else than the 360 views one gets from the summit. Taken at an exit off I-25 a few miles north of Trinidad The entrance to the park is clearly marked - Take exit 11 off I-25 and follow the signs. There isn't any sort of visitor center but there is adequate (for now) parking and clean restrooms. My FJ all alone in the parking lot I guess this park hasn't been discovered yet - at least not for Tuesday mornings in December. I was the only one in the lot at the start, I saw only one other person who was biking up as I was hiking down and when I got back to the parking lot, there were only two other vehicles in the lot. Something tells me that will change this coming Spring. All the signs in the park have the silhouette of the peak across the top. And speaking of signs, there are signs at each segment of the trail. You start out on a gravel road (pictured above) and it goes on for about a mile and a half. That was the only part of the whole system I didn't like much. The picture shows it being flat - and it is at the start but it does get steeper and was kind of a pain in the neck - more accurately feet - coming down after a long day. It is also a lot rockier in the steep section but I didn't take a picture of that. Another note here - there is no water anywhere on the trail and the first half of the trail has very little shade. Even in early December, I was chugging down the water on that section and I normally don't drink all that much on the trail. As you gain elevation, the views really start to open up. But you ain't seen nothing yet! The Sangres! And then there was this... Right where the road ended (as far as hiking goes), they had built what almost looks like a medicine wheel. From this point, several trails start off in different directions. What follows are several pictures of what is called the Osita Ridge section of the Peak trail The Spanish Peaks! - Note the trail in the foreground The trail finally gains a little shade. A note here about the quality and maintenance of the trails. It has been my experience that Colorado State Parks do a really good job of trail maintenance and Fishers Peak is no different. Pictured below is what they have done most places where it's obvious that a runoff stream would cross the trail. I saw several of these. And the signs were always in the right spot each time the trail segment changed. They also note if bikes are allowed on the segment - and they are allowed on the Peak trail with the exception of the first (the gravel road segment and there is a bike-around) and the last segment. I didn't see a lot of footprints but did see a lot of bike tracks. Were I to do this again, I would probably take a bike but I'm glad I hiked it the first time as it gave me time to focus on all the great scenery. Erosion mitigation. Cool rocks First good view of the peak Getting closer Halfway there I chose not to hike up to Osita Point - it is a view spot that I think might have been available long before the Peak trail was complete. This section is called the Shady Forest segment. And it was exactly that. This is at about mile 6. No bikes past this point. Trial curves around to the north side of the peak. And there was a little snow. It was December after all. From here on, the hike was on the east side of the peak. Lots of switchbacks and great views to the east. And a short video I took around this spot. As you about to hike up to the summit, you see this sign. And then you get the only section that isn't pure trail Once up that short section, you are on the mesa/summit and the views are fantastic. Looking south. That is Raton Pass in the upper right. A short vid I took here. And then the trail makes a loop around the edge of the summit and it's all about the views. Trinidad Lake, Spanish Peaks, Trinidad and Greenhorn Mtn And a slightly different angle Looking north Pikes Peak in the distance Summit benchmark Two large cairns - the benchmark is next to the one in the distance. And the view east - almost looks like you could see Kansas. Strava link - which doesn't jive with what the CPW website says (it says 3000 vertical) Strava link I really enjoyed this hike and I would recommend it to anyone. There are also a lot more trails in the Park - some are hikers only and one is bikers only. Kudos to Colorado State Parks for this new one. Thanks for taking the time to read this and as always, please be careful out there! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Newest Colorado State Park

22456_37

Trailhead: Fishers Peak State Park
Route: The newly opened Fishers Peak Trail
Length: 16 miles
Vertical: 3400
Partners: Solo

Fishers Peak is visible as you drive south on I-25 towards Trinidad. It sits just east of Raton Pass and is very visible from the New Mexico side as well. It is also the tallest mountain from where it is (West longitude 104/27'46") going east to the Atlantic ocean. And while not technically a mountain (it's more of a mesa), it is none the less pretty cool looking.

Fishers Peak just became accessible in the last month with the finalization of the trail from the entrance to Fisher Peak State Park to the summit and I immediately put it on my list. It was well worth the trip to Trinidad to hike this one - if nothing else than the 360 views one gets from the summit.

22456_01 — Taken at an exit off I-25 a few miles north of Trinidad

The entrance to the park is clearly marked - Take exit 11 off I-25 and follow the signs. There isn't any sort of visitor center but there is adequate (for now) parking and clean restrooms.

22456_02 — My FJ all alone in the parking lot

I guess this park hasn't been discovered yet - at least not for Tuesday mornings in December. I was the only one in the lot at the start, I saw only one other person who was biking up as I was hiking down and when I got back to the parking lot, there were only two other vehicles in the lot. Something tells me that will change this coming Spring.

22456_03 — All the signs in the park have the silhouette of the peak across the top.

22456_04 — And speaking of signs, there are signs at each segment of the trail.

22456_05

You start out on a gravel road (pictured above) and it goes on for about a mile and a half. That was the only part of the whole system I didn't like much. The picture shows it being flat - and it is at the start but it does get steeper and was kind of a pain in the neck - more accurately feet - coming down after a long day. It is also a lot rockier in the steep section but I didn't take a picture of that.

Another note here - there is no water anywhere on the trail and the first half of the trail has very little shade. Even in early December, I was chugging down the water on that section and I normally don't drink all that much on the trail.

As you gain elevation, the views really start to open up. But you ain't seen nothing yet!

And then there was this...

22456_07

Right where the road ended (as far as hiking goes), they had built what almost looks like a medicine wheel. From this point, several trails start off in different directions.

What follows are several pictures of what is called the Osita Ridge section of the Peak trail

22456_08

22456_09

22456_10

22456_11 — The Spanish Peaks! - Note the trail in the foreground

22456_12 — The trail finally gains a little shade.

A note here about the quality and maintenance of the trails. It has been my experience that Colorado State Parks do a really good job of trail maintenance and Fishers Peak is no different. Pictured below is what they have done most places where it's obvious that a runoff stream would cross the trail. I saw several of these. And the signs were always in the right spot each time the trail segment changed. They also note if bikes are allowed on the segment - and they are allowed on the Peak trail with the exception of the first (the gravel road segment and there is a bike-around) and the last segment. I didn't see a lot of footprints but did see a lot of bike tracks. Were I to do this again, I would probably take a bike but I'm glad I hiked it the first time as it gave me time to focus on all the great scenery.

I chose not to hike up to Osita Point - it is a view spot that I think might have been available long before the Peak trail was complete.

22456_18 — This section is called the Shady Forest segment. And it was exactly that.

22456_19 — This is at about mile 6. No bikes past this point.

22456_20 — Trial curves around to the north side of the peak.

22456_21 — And there was a little snow. It was December after all.

From here on, the hike was on the east side of the peak. Lots of switchbacks and great views to the east.

22456_22

22456_23

22456_24

22456_25

And a short video I took around this spot.

22456_26 — As you about to hike up to the summit, you see this sign.

22456_27 — And then you get the only section that isn't pure trail

Once up that short section, you are on the mesa/summit and the views are fantastic.

22456_28 — Looking south. That is Raton Pass in the upper right.

A short vid I took here.

And then the trail makes a loop around the edge of the summit and it's all about the views.

22456_29 — Trinidad Lake, Spanish Peaks, Trinidad and Greenhorn Mtn

22456_30 — And a slightly different angle

22456_35 — Two large cairns - the benchmark is next to the one in the distance.

22456_36 — And the view east - almost looks like you could see Kansas.

Strava link - which doesn't jive with what the CPW website says (it says 3000 vertical)
Strava link

I really enjoyed this hike and I would recommend it to anyone. There are also a lot more trails in the Park - some are hikers only and one is bikers only. Kudos to Colorado State Parks for this new one.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and as always, please be careful out there!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

SenadR	! 12/8/2023 2:55pm Nice TR Jay!
Tim A	Thanks 12/8/2023 5:47pm Was hoping you'd do a TR after I saw that you'd hiked this recently. Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to doing this on a weekend when avy conditions make going anywhere else ill-advised.
HikesInGeologicTime	Ditto 12/8/2023 7:26pm to everything Tim A said. Definitely inspiring me to make a trip out to SE Colorado again!
wineguy	You are a trailblazer 12/8/2023 8:39pm Jay, excellent report. Had to smile as it stirred memories of my hike on a similar great-weather December day. I wasn't counting but probably saw about 8 people on Wednesday. Getting popular already, "if you build it they will come." I think your Strava is overestimating the vertical. Trailhead is about 6300' elevation and summit is 9633'. My Garmin Forerunner came in at 3400', which given a few ups and downs seems pretty close. Congrats on pioneering this route and spreading the word. A great late season trip for those of us who are snow-phobic.
bdloftin77	Good Work! 12/8/2023 9:44pm Thanks for the great trip report, Jay!
blazintoes	Strava 12/9/2023 6:48am Is a lot like Madonnas plastic surgery. It turns back time and bloats the data. [img]https://i.ibb.co/TWY9Ncp/IMG-2937.jpg" alt="Image">[/img]
Jay521	Thanks! 4/1/2024 5:55pm @Sen - Nice to hear from you and thanks for your comment. @Tim - It absolutely would work for those sorts of weekends. Cheyenne Mtn is another one that fits that bill @HGT - Much appreciated!!!! @John - I ended up using your vert - especially after reading Amy's comment above! LOL @Ben - And I see you did it on Thursday. @Amy - You totally crack me up!
gore galore	Different route, Different time 12/9/2023 1:55pm Reading your trip report on the state park route to Fishers Peak prompts me to mention mine by a different route from the north in a different time, 1987 when I climbed Fishers from a Trinidad subdivision. "Follow the route of the pipeline clearing," a local informed me. So, I went up a thorn brush covered canyon without finding a pipeline clearing in the direction of the peak. I found out later the pipeline clearing was in an adjacent canyon. I don't believe I had a map other than a sense of direction of where the peak was and used game trails to get around the east side to the south end where I could climb the peak. It was an adventure such that I wrote my story in a magazine. There is also an interesting story on how the peak got its name. Waldemar Fischer was a U.S. Army Captain who became lost while marching south with his men during the Mexican conflict in 1846. He declared he would climb the peak before breakfast to find his bearings but did not return until a day and a half later. Whether he actually climbed the peak itself is unknown but by 1870 his name became attached to the peak replacing the historic name of Raton Peak shown on earlier maps. I think if I ever climb Fishers Peak again I will follow the state park route in your report.
Jay521	Wow! 12/9/2023 3:17pm GG - I absolutely love your historical perspective on all things mountain. I had it on my list to research where the name came from but you have saved me the trouble. I can only imagine how tough the bushwhacking must have been for you going up from the north side. I didn't take a picture of it but on my pic # 18 (the shady forest one), looking both left (down) and right (up), the deadfall was horrible. I could see why Walderman FIscher would take a couple days to make the summit. If he did... And it's interesting that they dropped the "C" in his name when naming the peak. I really appreciate your addition!
Will_E	Fantastic! 12/10/2023 9:06pm Great report Jay! Youre my hero!
Jay521	Hero? 12/11/2023 11:38am Will - you deserve that title more than I do - you have certainly done more in quantity, quality and difficulty than I am capable of doing. Thanks for your nice words!!!
JQDivide	Lot of Flat 12/15/2023 9:02am there is a lot of flat ground out there... for miles. Would be interesting to see that in the spring when everything is green.
Jay521	Spring... 12/15/2023 10:27am Joel - At the last trail segment where bikes aren't allowed, there was a sign that I did not take a picture of that said that section of the trail would be closed from March to July for raptor nesting so I think getting to the summit in Spring wouldn't be allowed. But you're correct - seeing it in Spring would be really nice.
Kiefer	Nice... 12/18/2023 11:08am report, Jay. The pictures in this really do it justice. They really did a great job with the trail and trailhead. Nice to see Colorado access to this one. Kudos!!
Mtnman200	Nice Report 12/18/2023 12:50pm Thanks for posting, Jay. I may have to head to Fishers Peak State Park and take my bike. Definitely taking your route and not GG's!!
ScreeSurfer	Thanks 12/27/2023 10:42am Thanks for posting this report Jay. I'm looking forward to exploring this area in the future!
Jay521	More thanks 12/28/2023 7:03am Eddie - Yeah - GG sure did it the hard way. I think Susan Joy Paul did a difficult route, too. John - Yep - I think you will like it a lot. I may have to go back down and hike some of the other trails in that park.
mtn_nut	Thank you 12/31/2023 12:19am I didn't realize this was open yet, and it doesn't seem to show on their official website yet either. Thanks for the heads up.
Jay521	CPW website 12/31/2023 12:29pm Hi Ted - Yeah, I only heard about it opening on a local news report. The CPW website didn't mention it at all and I went down there not really knowing if I would be able to hike it or not. Obviously it was. As I mentioned earlier, I think that the final summit trail is closed for the Spring for nesting raptors. Thanks for your nice words!
lukePlumley	Raptor 1/8/2024 10:17am Great report Jay! Do you remember specifically the dates for the raptor closure? Cant find any other info on this yet. Thanks!
Jay521	Dates... 1/9/2024 10:38am Luke - I don't remember the specific dates but I do recall when I read about the last leg on a Pueblo news station (can't remember which one either) that it said 4 months starting in March. So I would assume something like 15Mar - 15Jul. Perhaps a phone call or email to CPW could answer your question more specifically. Sorry... Update! Just found the dates of the closure - 15Mar to 31Jul. The article I read said it would be closed on those dates every year.
boudreaux	Fishing for Fishers 1/10/2024 2:49pm Alright Jay! Wow, you really grinded that one out. 16 miles is no gimmee. Nice pictures as always. Thats a long ways for a peak. I love the pictures of the Spanish Peaks and the Culebra Ramge of the Sangre De Cristos.
Jay521	Thanks Beau! 1/11/2024 4:11pm Yeah - it was a nice day. I've been trying to up my game distance wise but honestly, this was a pretty easy hike. Thanks for your kind words. They mean a lot to me...
lukePlumley	Summit! 1/14/2024 4:18pm Mike and I had a great day on Fishers Peak today. Thanks for the idea Jay. There is a nice trench to the summit now if anyone wants it!
Jay521	You are quite welcome! 2/12/2024 4:01pm Thanks for your kind words, Luke. Glad you had a great hike up!

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