Courthouse Mountain

Two years ago, when we went to Ridgway, Colorado to hike the Blue Lakes and Bear Creek Trails, we could see Courthouse Mountain from our friend, Jeannine's home.  Not surprisingly, after watching "True Grit" (which was filmed in the Cimarron's and has a cameo shot of Courthouse Mountain) with Jeannine, we decided to add this intriguing peak to our list of "to-do" hikes.  So, here we are, two years later and we're excited to get to the top of this unique mountain and see those wonderful vistas that can only be found in the Cimarron and San Juan Ranges of Colorado.

Chimney Rock, on the left and Courthouse Mountain is on the right . . .
 The sun is just illuminating the top of Courthouse Mountain . . .
We will ascend from the other side

We turned off the Owl Creek Pass road and headed south on the West Fork road (No. 860)

Colorado has been getting a lot of rain and there are so many mushrooms

It's 7:15am . . . we're the first ones to sign the register today!
(We wanted to get an early start before the thunderheads began to build)

The first mile was fairly uneventful, but once we left this sign things began to change
The hike follows the spine of a ridge for ¾ of a mile, that provides ever expanding views, before
making it's final, very steep ¼ mile approach to the summit

This balancing rock almost looks like a frog

This Downy woodpecker was busy tapping away

We had awesome views of the Uncompahgre Wilderness to our southeast
(Looking at Redcliff 13,642 & Coxcomb Peaks 13,656 - slightly left of center) 

The Ragwort was waist high 

This picture gives you a view of the trail as it begins the final push to the top . . .
Switchbacks are always nice on steep trails 

Looking south . . . on the right is the east face of Courthouse Mountain

Kent looks so small
(There is a short section of rock scrambling, but nothing too bad)

We made it to the top (12,152 ft)!
Someone left a nice trail register for us to sign

Click on this picture for a panoramic view
(This is what makes the Rockies so special!)

It was a beautiful morning so we enjoyed a nice half-hour break on top, taking in the views 

Time to head back down
(That's Precipice Peak 13,144 directly above Kent's head . . . a hike for another day??)

We met this nice couple from Boulder, along with their Airedales

Chimney Rock stands tall behind Kent

Parry's Mountain Gentian is always a fun find

Really, it's not as bad as it looks

Back in the upper meadow and working our way back to the trailhead

What an amazing hike!  As the couple from Boulder said, "It get's you the most bang for your buck" for such a short hike (4-miles R/T).  Although very steep (about 1,800 ft of elevation gain - half of which is in the last ¼ mile), once you reach the top, it's almost like being on a sky island that is separated from the rest of the range.  This allows for unobstructed 360° views from a beautiful tundra mesa.  We have to say this has been one of our favorite mountain hikes in Colorado - we know there are many higher peaks, but for overall charm, this is a tough one to beat!

South Mountain

We were heading for Colorado, to do a couple of hikes, and thought we'd break up the long drive with a climb in one of our favorite Utah mountain ranges - the La Sal's (just outside of Moab).  There are a couple of peaks, on Kent's list, that we haven't done yet and South Mountain happened to be one of them.  So we made plans to drive up to La Sal Pass and camp at beautiful Medicine Lake.  From there, in the morning, we could walk to our trailhead, complete the hike, and then head for Colorado in the afternoon.  It was a good plan and came together nicely!

If all goes as planned we will be on top of South Mountain tomorrow

 Pink Yarrow was blooming near our camp site

In the evening, the sky opened up after the storm clouds moved on
(At least we thought they moved on . . . it drizzled for about three hours later that night)

At breakfast, we were treated to an alpenglow while a little mist formed on the lake   

Our trail began on the south side of Medicine Lake . . .
We will take a spur trail from Medicine Lake to the South Mountain Trail . . .
Time to get going, the mountain is waiting for us!

The trail weaves through the beautiful Manti-La Sal forest

We don't see moss very often . . . it almost felt like we were in the Pacific Northwest

 Toadstools and other fungi sprout up after the monsoon rains

The trees are so tall and haven't been devastated by the bark beetles . . .
It's refreshing to see a healthy forest

We have reached the South Mountain Trail and it's time to begin our ascent to the saddle

We had a great view of Mt. Tuk (on the left 12,482) and Mt. Peale (on the right 12,721) from this talus slope . . .
We previously hiked these peaks in 2017 & 2014, respectively 

Look at the angle of this slope . . . so glad there is a trail
(You can barely see the saddle we are heading towards . . . Once we reach it, we will begin our final ascent)

Splendid Daisy or Fleabane 

We have made it to the saddle and are now leaving the trail to begin our final approach . . .
This is looking back towards the Needles District of Canyonlands . . .
In the center of the picture, you can see our trail continuing on around the mountain . . .
(You'd think with a name of South Mountain it would make it's way to the top!)

Lanceleaf Stonecrop

Yep, Kent is way up there . . . it was steep!
(Intimidatingly steep!)

Made it!  Thankfully those are clouds and not a volcano erupting!
(Click on the picture for a panoramic view)

Ah . . . Kent is a happy man . . . this peak (11,798 ft) has been on his list for a while

Time for quick picture . . . the clouds are building and we need to get off the mountain

Heading back for the saddle and the trail . . .
Going down is faster, although not necessarily easier, especially on the knees 

Back at the trail and enjoying the leisurely walk to Medicine Lake

A simple fungi

An old arborglyph from 1947

Looking back at South Mountain (and the saddle, on the left) from the La Sal Pass Road

Crossing La Sal Creek . . . did we mention it rained last night??
(Seriously, this is a normal flow for La Sal Creek and hadn't changed from the day before!)

If you're looking for a hike, in the La Sal's, that gives you a unique perspective on some of the highest peaks in the range, then you should enjoy this hike!  It certainly is less traveled (hiked) than many of the others, but we're not sure why.  It is challenging, and gives you a real sense of accomplishment once you're standing on top taking in those amazing views. Total distance round-trip was about 6.5 miles.  You might want to add this one to your list, as well!

Wah Wah Mtns

In late April, Tom invited us to hike Lamerdorf Peak with him and "his crew."  This was the first time we had explored the Wah Wah Mountains and the trip left us with a desire to do some more exploring of this area . . . even though it's a long, dusty road out to them!  So, when Tom said he had a couple of peaks he wanted to do in the Willow Springs area, we didn't hesitate to accept his invitation to come along.  It was a great decision!  We enjoyed the summer monsoon day, along with beautiful views and getting in a quite the workout with a good friend!

Driving up the Lund Highway (a dirt road) we saw Tom pull over to the side of road . . .
What a surprise! Burrowing owls, it looks like they were occupying an old prairie dog burrow

One of the Owlets

We are headed up Rose Spring Canyon
We have driven 65 miles of dirt roads from Tom's home in Enoch . . . we still have six more to go!

These Ponderosa Pines really stood out among the landscape . . .
Supposedly, the world's oldest Ponderosa Pine is located in the Wah Wah's!
(We had been on this stretch of road before, in Tom's Can-Am, and knew how bad the road
could be . . . so we decided to walk the extra mile to our trailhead . . . it was a good decision!)

At the trailhead, we continued to follow a side road . . . the so-called road quickly became steep and rocky . . .
Tom wants to come back and try it on his motorcycle!

A little reprieve as the road leveled out . . . now we can see the peaks we plan to climb

  Peak 9065 is coming into view . . .
 This road will lead us around to the west side where we'll begin our ascent 

It's always fun to see wild horses . . . they are beautiful! 

Looking west from the high plateau, atop the Wah Wah's, and some cool summer clouds

We enjoyed a nice break overlooking this valley before heading up our first Peak

Mat rock-spirea

Leaving Peak 9065, that's 9066 on the left

Keeping our eyes to the sky, as the clouds are beginning to build
This is looking north, towards Pine Grove (center) and the Wah Wah highpoint in the distance

Looking back at Peak 9065

We came across this marker on top of Peak 9066
We have never seen a marker like this before . . . have you?

We didn't spend too much time on top of either peak for good reason!
(I think this time Tom gets what Kent's pointing at!)

Ladybugs!

Axe hewn trees way up here?

Can you imagine cutting down trees with an axe and then, somehow, getting them down off this mountain?  Our guess is that beams were needed for several of the mines that are located in Pine Grove . . . Remnants, of the mines, still remain from the glory days when lead, zinc & silver were mined in the Wah Wah's.  The area was best known for it's most rare and desirable gem - Red Beryl. We need to get over to Pine Grove and do some exploring of these mines . . .watch for a future post!

The headwater of Willow Creek Spring
We have almost come full circle . . . we will follow the road back to our trucks

It's hard to resist water on a hot day and this spring was flowing with cold water right out of the road!

The summer monsoon clouds were brewing . . . 
So thankful, we got down before the lightning and torrential downpours that have frequented these mountains, began!

This hike, while not particularly long (5.6 miles R/T), really gains elevation quickly (approximately 1,300 ft in the first 1.5 miles).  The majority of this (800 ft) coming in a half mile of very steep "road" walking to get on top of the plateau.  Be prepared for some huffing and puffing!  Here's a link to Tom's Peakbagger.com post, from an earlier hike of Peak 9135, that describes in detail, this road.  For a link to today's hike, that will provide you with a topo map and GPS tracks, click here. If you like getting off the beaten path and way, way out there, you might enjoy this hike . . . we certainly did!