First, hike to the summit of Mt. Belford using either the
Northwest Ridge or
Southwest Slopes route. From the summit, Mt. Oxford lies 1.5 miles to the east, with the connecting ridge between Belford and Oxford mostly visible (
1). Before committing to the traverse, consider that the round trip to Oxford involves nearly 1,500 feet of elevation gain over 3 miles.
To begin the traverse, descend southeast from Belford's summit and follow the trail in that direction (
2). After approximately 1/4 mile, while still above 14,000 feet, turn left to begin descending Belford's east ridge
toward the Belford-Oxford saddle (
3). Before this turn, you may notice another trail leading toward Elkhead Pass—be sure to stay on the trail to Oxford. Continue descending the ridge (
4 and
5), following the path as it weaves through the rocks (
6), until you reach the saddle
at 13,500 feet (
7).
Cross the saddle and begin ascending Oxford's gentle southwest ridge (
8 and
9). As you approach 14,000 feet, the summit will come back into view (
10). Stay on the trail, ascend a final pitch (
11), and walk across rocky terrain to reach Oxford's summit (
12 and
13). For the return, retrace your route by climbing back to Mt. Belford (
14) and descending into Missouri Gulch using one of the two routes described at the start. There are no alternative trails or shortcuts back to the trailhead without reclimbing Belford.
GPX Track File
