Sentinel Point is a fairly unknown mountain on the west side of Pikes Peak. One can access the mountain by driving to Divide on Highway 24 and heading South on Highway 67 just past the old tunnel. The "Horsethief Park" trailhead, which provides access to both Sentinel Point and Pancake Rocks can be found roughly halfway between Divide and Cripple Creek. Having just purchased new snowshoes, my friend Ethan decided that he wanted to test them out. We departed Colorado Springs around 6:30 AM and began hiking around 7:45 AM. The trail begins fairly easy and we did not put…
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Some fun information about this great hike: Mt. Massive - 14,421 ft. - 2nd highest in Colorado; third highest mountain in the contiguous U.S. 8 miles round-trip via Southwest slopes route 3,950 ft. elevation gain More snow than I expected... I thought that my climbing season had ended after being snowed on in mid-September on Grays and Torreys; however, I got the itch to climb again this weekend. Serendipitously, a fellow climber from Colorado Springs, Rob, posted on 14'ers.com that he was going to Mt. Massive on Saturday and that anyone from Colorado Springs was welcome to join him. I…
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Short story: One of the most scenic and enjoyable hikes I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing. Long story: On Friday evening I drove via I-25, C-470, and I-70 past Vail to the Tigwon Rd. near Minturn, CO. The total drive time was 3.5 hours. I think I arrived at the trailhead at about 9 PM and prepared my luxurious accommodations: I’ve been wanting to do Holy Cross for a long time. The famous views of the Cross Couloir are something I’ve been wanting to see since I was a little kid. Not that I’m religious, but the mountain is…
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Kit Carson Mountain is a very prominent mountain located in the Sangre de Cristo Range. The area surrounding Kit Carson Mountain is both rugged and pristine, with views of amazing peaks such as Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak in abundance. The hike to Kit Carson Mountain by way of the Willow Creek trailhead is nothing short of astounding, with breathtaking vistas available the whole way up. To put it lightly, this is one of the best hikes in Colorado, bar none. Here are some meaningful statistics from my adventure up these amazing mountains: Challenger Point – 14,081 ft – ranked…
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What an adventure! Never in my dreams did I think I would ever conquer the mighty Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak. After seeing them from two years ago, I figured I’d never have the testicular fortitude to attempt them. Here is Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak (right of Crestone Needle) as seen from the summit of Humboldt. Alas – when I read my friend's itinerary for his mountain climbs back in April 2009, I saw the Crestones and decided it would be the best chance I’d get to give them a shot… My friend Terry picked me up from my…
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Blanca Peak has always mystified me. It is one of the most prominent mountains in Colorado - it towers over the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is easily one of the most impressive looking mountains in the State, from almost any angle. With that being said, it was quite exciting to finally get to climb it along with its neighbor, Ellingwood Point. Here are some meaningful statistics from this adventure: Blanca Peak - 14,345 ft. (ranked 4th highest in Colorado) Ellingwood Point - 14,042 ft. (ranked 42nd highest in Colorado) Total mileage: Approximately 10…
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Mount Antero is one of the easiest mountains to identify as you are driving into Buena Vista from Colorado Springs. It is a very pointed peak to the South of Mount Princeton. Mount Antero towers above the Arkansas River Valley as one of the mighty 14ers in the Southern Sawatch. Here are some fun statistics from this adventure: Mountain climbed: Mount Antero. 14,269 feet. 10th highest in Colorado Elevation gain: 3,401 ft. Total miles: 6.4 miles My mission, and it was a fun mission indeed, was to reach the top of Mount Antero. Being out of shape and out of…
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