Fletcher Between the Raindrops
Third time was a close charm. Me and the rainy weather kept meeting at the base of the mountain. I finally summited Fletcher(13943) on September 8, 2024. Because it was a Sunday, I got up super early to claim a parking spot and sneak in a round trip back to the car before the rain clouds found me.
From Denver, W70 to exit 203. At the south end of Breckinridge, 8.8miles W to Blue Lakes Road (CR850). A quick tight left goes W onto a groomed 2wd dirt road to the small parking lot(15cars) overlooking the dam. Under pitch black morning skies, the canyon views from the previous 2 drives(pic1 of moon on one of those mornings) were still fresh memories in my mind. With the regular coffee flowing through my veins, I packed up just in time for the sun to barely come up(pic2).
The parking lot is 3/4mile from the lower Blue Lakes Trailhead. The dam sits quietly between Quandary on the N and North Star on the S. The flora and fauna paired with the colorful high rising canyon rocks makes this a beautiful valley morning, noon or night(pic3). A closed gate was the actual beginning of the hike(pic4). Scooting around its side, continued the Blue Lake Road as a paved road(pic5) to the dam(pic6): go figure after driving the dirt road up. The trail to Fletcher is on the right side of the dam. It is loose gravel going up(pic7), some cement and at the top, a sign saying Quandary peak can be reached from the West Ridge. Go left or W on the upper dirt trail (pic8). The lower trail along the lake will eventually dead end.
The next uphill portion was loose dirt and gravel. It was the second to the worse surface of the climb(pic9). A small sign at the top pointed W to Fletcher(pic10). After that, the single track dirt trail was typical elevational surfaces that were easy to navigate while enjoying one mountain view after another toward the basin. Pic11 going through willows. It was pretty much a straight line route to the basin. On my way, I saw deer tracks(pic12) and them running along Quandary’s W side. I saw a ptarmigan(pic13) and, lucky me: a pika(pic14).
The remains of a mining cabin marked the entrance to the basin(pic15) and I could see Fletcher cresting over the initial ridge. Pic16 in crossing the creek is vital. Its important to stop and determine direction because the color differences are sharper from this distance. The gateway to Fletcher was the band of rust or brass colored rocks angling up the NW side of the basin (pic17). I crossed the flowing creek a few times but stayed to its L side was preferred(pic18). Looking up the rust colored hillside, it had looked gnarly from afar but a cairn and a trail was apparent. Moving upward it’s simply a Class1-2 grass and rock mix(pic19). Pic20 of last push to the top of the ridge.
At the top, the terrain levels out and I aimed to a pole(pic21). Next was the sky. The crystal blue was a good neighbor but the few clouds floating in were not too concerning(pic22). The direction was a straight line and very bumpy walk to the base of Fletcher(pic23). From this vantage point, it reminded me of Mt Guyot, minus the mountain goat: it’s a pile of rocks(pic24). From here, the summit was obvious but choosing the best way of getting to the top without sliding back down was the goal. I balanced on portions of a semi path(pic25) but mostly I picked my way with a fair amount of scrambling on unstable rocks and loose talus. Staying to the left of the ridge seemed easier on this mostly Class2-3 surface but I would stabilize myself on a big rock occasionally. There were some cairns(pic26). Here’s my summit pics27-28. Even with an early start, the clouds were hovering(pic29). I was happy to stand atop Fletcher. Next I reversed my direction to get to the car without getting too wet. Going down I could see a trail here and there. And some fall blooming flowers (pic30). Pic31 was of big horn sheep I saw on the way home.
Since I was writing, I asked google some questions. First, how did Fletcher Mountain get its name? Thomas Fletcher was a rancher who owned the land where this mountain sat; hence his name. Second, what about the dam? Blue Lakes were 3 high altitude lakes that resulted from the construction of the dam in the 1870s at the first formed lake: upper blue lake. This collection of water is for the cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs. The public is allowed to fish as the lakes are stocked with rainbow trout and other species. The cobalt blue color of the 3 lakes named the valley with its beautiful views and trails. Breckinridge gets its water from the Blue River Basin which is filled from the snowmelt from its mountains.
In sum, those views made this mountain valley a breath taking experience. The trip was an out and back route to not just Fletcher but to several other 13er neighbors. The weather doesn’t always cooperate but I made it work. I was pleased to have another Centennial 13er on my climbed list. Starting above tree line made this into a quick climb of about 3 1/2hours and 4.5miles. This alpine trail offers a variety of surfaces, a challengeable and doable class1-3 terrain with easy to moderate elevation gains which made for a satisfying workout. The round trip effort did make my heart pound in a good way. But the good way was getting out and seeing how the sky touched the ground by way of the blue lakes.
