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.
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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 |
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| We turned off the Owl Creek Pass road and headed south on the West Fork road (No. 860) |
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| Colorado has been getting a lot of rain and there are so many mushrooms |
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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) |
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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 |
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| This balancing rock almost looks like a frog |
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| This Downy woodpecker was busy tapping away |
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We had awesome views of the Uncompahgre Wilderness to our southeast
(Looking at Redcliff 13,642 & Coxcomb Peaks 13,656 - slightly left of center) |
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| The Ragwort was waist high |
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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 |
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| Looking south . . . on the right is the east face of Courthouse Mountain |
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Kent looks so small
(There is a short section of rock scrambling, but nothing too bad) |
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We made it to the top (12,152 ft)!
Someone left a nice trail register for us to sign |
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Click on this picture for a panoramic view
(This is what makes the Rockies so special!) |
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| It was a beautiful morning so we enjoyed a nice half-hour break on top, taking in the views |
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Time to head back down
(That's Precipice Peak 13,144 directly above Kent's head . . . a hike for another day??) |
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| We met this nice couple from Boulder, along with their Airedales |
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| Chimney Rock stands tall behind Kent |
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| Parry's Mountain Gentian is always a fun find |
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| Really, it's not as bad as it looks |
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| 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!
