Wah Wah Highpoint

Three weeks ago, when we were climbing a few peaks in the Wah Wah's, we mentioned to Tom that we needed to come back and explore the Pine Grove area.  Tom, who really enjoys the Wah Wah's, called us and said, "Let me look at the topo maps and I'll plan a hike in that area, for us."  Little did we know that his hike would be to a couple of peaks he had already done!  But then, again, that's the kind of friend he is . . . helping us check off our "to do" list, even if it meant repeating a challenging hike!

We are on the road heading to our trailhead . . .  Utah has some of the best sunrises and sunsets 

Don't let this fool you . . . those peaks are a couple of hours away 

Frisco Peak is off in the distance
Tom thinks we need to come back and walk the rim of the old volcano in the center of this picture, 
along with exploring the Kiln Springs kilns located close by

At times, the mountain mahogany bushwhacking was beyond ridiculous 
Do you see Tom? He's right in front of Kent! Who knows where Ezy is!

Kent snagged himself a branch

A new flowering bush . . . Desert Sweet or Fern Bush

Tom added our names to the Wah Wah Highpoint (9,393 ft) register
To the south, Peaks 9065 & 9066 are visible . . . we were there three weeks ago!

Descending the Wah Wah Highpoint . . . now we are headed to the next bump . . . Wah Bench Mark (9,383 ft)
To be honest, Kent was thinking that might be one bump too many . . . glad we didn't stop and pressed on!

We came across some Bristlecone Pines near the saddle between Wah Wah Highpoint and the BM
They are very easy to identify . . . the branches resemble a long bottle brush

Tom stopped suddenly . . . he just missed walking through this spiderweb! Yikes!

Wah Bench Mark was placed in 1958 . . . the surveyors arrived by helicopter 
They were smarter than us!

It's so fun to find ladybugs!

If Kent looks tired, it's because he is . . . although the hike wasn't particulary difficult, between the 2,000 ft total elevation gain, warm temperatures, high humidity, and little shade, it took a toll on the "old man" of the group!

We enjoyed a well deserved break at the Wah Bench Mark
We are looking north and discussing Otto De Groff's one day 18-mile, 14 hr hike across this ridge . . . 
Amazing!  Click here to read his report

Ezy is hoping for a bite of Pork Loin with Grey Poupon

Fir and spruce trees grow on the west facing slopes of the ridge 

An interesting rock we saw on our descent

Allison took this picture three weeks ago while standing on top of Peak 9066,
it provides a good view of today's hike and the mines of Pine Grove Valley

Kent is standing below the remnants of the Tasso Mine loading chute
  where Lead, Silver, Zinc, Copper & Gold passed through

Only a few buildings remain at Pine Grove

Revenue Mine storage building that was used for holding the mine's explosives

Pine Grove Springs flows through this pretty valley

Standing the test of time 

Wah Wah means "good clear water" and Pine Grove Springs lived up to that name!

This seemed like a tough hike for us! (Only 5.5 miles R/T, but took us 5 hrs)  If we had made the trek in early Spring or late Fall, when the temperatures are cooler, it might have been a different story.  The views (especially from the top) were incredible and made one want to explore the ridge farther north.  If you'd like a topo map and GPS tracks of our hike, you can click on Otto De Groff's post listed above.

Just a couple of final thoughts.  We came in on the old Revenue Mine road from the east . . . this was a slow and narrow 4WD road that had incurred additional damage from the heavy monsoon season.  We went out on the west side, which also had some monsoon damage from the summit to the Revenue Mine (although not nearly as bad as the east side).  Also, Allison ran into a rattlesnake at the 9,300 ft mark on our descent (she heard the rattle, saw the snake and froze . . . then left the area with only a memory, no time for a picture!)

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!