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Thursday, August 28, 2025

Marble, CO




 1. HUNTSMAN RIDGE, HUNTSMAN MOUNTAIN can be done as a long loop. A paved road goes up Coal Creek from Redstone to the TH at private land but hikers and bikers are allowed thru. The trail is a road that goes 1.2 miles to a fork with buildings and a spring near point 8535. I went right up to the peaks then came back on the left fork. But it would be easier to walk the left fork up all the way to the crest west of peak 11298 and on to the peaks then down. I put a track on peakbagger under Huntsman Ridge that makes it obvious.  8 hours, 15 miles with 4350 gain but rarely steep. Riding a bike the first 1.2 miles on the smooth road would help. The USFS topo shows these roads best. All the roads have mtn bike trails or cow trails and hardly any deadfall. I saw dirt bike tracks nearly up to the crest at peak 11298. Domestic sheep graze the high peak so there must be a decent way up from the west. Posted 2025
2. PEAK 11035 can be reached from McClure Pass using a steep but not eroded ATV trail.  It starts just east of the pass and ends at el 10500 then a trail goes on to the summit. From the summit I followed a trail down the east ridge to the east saddle of peak 10377 where I lost it. I kept going down the ridge to the trail east of point 9250 but that's fake. I used game trails along the route of the trail and hit a real trail at el 8600 and walked it out to the Coal Basin TH. That took me 6 hours, 11 miles with 3000 gain from the pass. I got lucky on the descent route but that's for crazy people. I only had some light brush and deadfall didn't show up until I got on the lower trail at el 8600 and it wasn't bad. A better plan is to drop north around peak 10377 to the logging roads and walk those to the lower TH. I can see cow trails or some such on those roads. The USFS topo shows everything best. I put a track on peakbagger under Huntsman Mtn because it would be a route for that peak but only for hikers with ATV. Posted 2025
3. MARBLE has a paved road to it from highway 133. A good dirt road goes up from town to a marble mine. Along the way are THs for Raspberry Creek and Yule Creek. There is a 4wd road that leaves town and goes to the town of Crystal where there is a historic mill. It's 5 miles of 4wd to reach it and will be clogged on weekends . I saw mtn bikers riding the road but it's out of my league. Some restaurants in town but nearest gas is Carbondale. Posted 2025
4. CHAIR MOUNTAIN can't be reached from McClure Pass. The road that goes up from the pass turns private at the 9800 line. A gate can be seen there on the topo. But there are campsites to that point. Posted 2025

Gypsum, CO


 1. Gypsum has a Family Dollar and a supermarket. Eagle has a City Market. One sunny camp area with Verizon is on the Cottonwood Pass Rd at the edge of town. FR412 is a  good road that goes up Gypsum Creek to campsites but they are miles up. Posted 2025
2. HARDSCRABBLE MOUNTAIN el 11166 has roads most of the way that Subaru types can make. I followed FR412 to FR413 then at FR441 there is a campsite where a trail runs NE up a clearing to the summits. The east summit has the best view. The main road goes on down to Eagle but I didn't ride it. Posted 2025
3. HOOSIER BENCHMARK el 11503 has an easy 4wd road most of the way. The Cottonwood Pass Rd leaves town and goes over a lower pass then across a creek and up to an OHV TH. Just before that is where FR514 goes left and up to the crest next to the peak. The road gets very rocky beyond there and I didn't last long. Posted 2025
4. RED HILL el 8164 is a loop ride that ebikers make. The paved Cottonwood Pass Rd tops out just past mp 5. Then a rutted road goes right and there is a cell signal to navigate the roads that go to the peak and also peak 8410. The main road goes back to the camp area on the Cottonwood Pass Rd which is where I started on my 125. 16 miles, few rocks. Only go clockwise. Posted 2025
5. BIG RED HILL el 8446 is north of town. Trail Gulch Rd goes north from the freeway exit to road #50. That road goes east to a fork NE of point 7784. I went left there and stopped at a steep hill west of point 7807 but could have gone on then walked the easy looking SW ridge of the peak. The east side of the peak is blocked by private land. Easy 4wd as far as I went and ebikers go out there. Posted 2025

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Kremmling to Silverthorne, CO

This shows what is still open in the Piney Peak area.

One way around that is to stay up all night.

It's the life of Riley on Buffalo Mtn. Just lay around all day and do nothing.







  Kremmling has a Dollar General and high priced supermarket. Frisco has a Walmart. There is plenty of BLM land around Kremmling to camp on with cell signal and I never had a signal again but for hikes. Forest roads at Elliott Ridge and over into the Piney Peak area have spots and then the turnoff for Williams Peak has some. FR141 and FR142 at Bills Peak have some. The closest to I-70 is the Rock Creek Rd at mp 109.2 on highway 9. There are designated sites in there on a left fork but bad for trailers and cars though I saw cars in there. Posted 2025
1. WOLFORD PEAK el 9182 near Kremmling has a road all the way but is gated at el 8485. Paved county 22 goes north at the east end of town for about a mile to road 224 as the sat image shows. That,s a maintained road to a fork just before point 8035. I could have drove a car that far. A 4wd road goes west to the gate near point 8485 then it's a 20 minute walk up. The cell tower on the summit saturates campsites in the area with a Verizon signal. 5 bars, baby. Posted 2025
2. JUNCTION BUTTE el 8764 is south of Kremmling. Graded county 33 runs along the north side then at mp 2.5 a high clearance road goes south along the east side. Soon a fork goes right and heads straight for the south ridge. Or stay left on a better road to point 7716 then go north to el 7850 where the road meets with the other fork and is closed beyond there. But it can be walked up to the south ridge where it fades in rocks but easy to walk to the summit. I took a direct line back down. 90 minutes, 900 gain. The roads are good for 2 wheelers. Posted 2025
3. MERIDIAN PEAK el 12426 is at the north end of the Eagles Nest Wilderness. A trail goes the whole way on an old road on Elliott Ridge. Turn off highway 9 at mp 128.5 and follow the paved then graded Spring Creek Rd to the forest boundary in about 6 miles. Subaru types can make the remaining 6 or 7 miles to the TH at Blue Lake el 11150. The topo is correct on the roads. The trail is on tundra most of the way and there is one big dip in the ridge of 250 feet. 5 and a half hours, 12 miles with nearly 2000 gain and all easy. Posted 2025
4. PINEY PEAK el 11573 -  FR401 comes in from the north and is graded to Slough Grass Lake. I came down from Elliott Ridge on FR202 which is easy 4wd. Subaru types can keep going on FR401 to FR442 at George Lake. Then it's a rocky mess on FR442 to FR784 and up to McCord Pass. I parked my 125 at FR784 and walked it to the pass but could have rode as I found out. From the pass I walked a closed road past a barrier and saw a way thru the trees to get on the ridge and up to the peak. I ran the ridge to peak 11385 then came back until I was .15 mile from a logging road at N39 48444, W106 29180. I took a gentle angle down to it and on to Piney Peak Spring. Just a dry trough there. I followed the logging roads back to the pass. I rode out on the road down 3 Licks Creek but that's a disaster. I saw God turn back on that. GRAND LOOP VERSION - walk the road up 3 Licks Creek to the pass then run the ridge to peak 11385. I saw a way off it to the old road past Chimney Rock then keep going to the eastern leg of FR441 which is still open as a map posted at a kiosk indicates. Walk that leg back to FR401 with an ebike waiting. I measured that on the computer as 14 miles for the hiking part.
5. WILLIAMS PEAK el 11617 has a rocky 4wd road most of the way. Turn off highway 9 at mp 127.5 and the road goes up to the crest and runs for miles like the topo shows. I parked at the south saddle of the peak and had no trouble to the summit. The road smooths out on to Williams BM and it has a better view. I parked at the NW saddle and walked right of center on tundra to the summit. Then kept going on the easy crest to peak 11145 at N39 50367, W106 08643 and then down to the road at 50495, 08887. A trail goes on from the end of the road maybe to Ute Pass. I walked the road back. The spring on the topo had a good flow and was the only water I saw. The Williams  Peak Trail had a sign saying 6.7 miles to the lower TH. That hike took 3 hours and 7 miles. Easy one. I saw jeep tracks near the end of the road but there are long segments with no turnaround. Posted 2025
6. GREEN MOUNTAIN el 9418 has a faint road going high up the south ridge as the topo shows. Turn off highway 9 at mp 127.4 and go south on easy 4wd for about a mile then go right to logs blocking the road at just over 8000. The road goes up and fades but reappears again next to point 8525 reading N39 53802, W106 19556. It goes on to 53593, 19431 and on to the south ridge then it's easy to the summit. 2 hours, 1300 gain. Ebikes work here. Posted 2025
7. UPPER CATARACT LAKE is a scenic one. The paved Heeney Rd runs along the south side of Green Mtn Reservoir. At mp 5.5 a good road runs to the Surprise Lake TH. The trails leading to Surprise Lake and on to Upper Cataract are about like the topo shows and signs were up. 6 hours, 12 miles with 2600 gain, not steep. The first 3 miles are smooth. The only camping near the TH is a high priced campground. But if you're a cow you camp for free and when you gotta go you don't have to use the restroom. Posted 2025
8. UTE PEAK el 12303 - a one way hike can be done on a trail from Ute Pass over the summit  then down the Acorn Creek Trail to a second vehicle. Turn off highway 9 onto Ute Park Rd at about mp 112.1 and stay left at the first fork then right at the second to the Acorn TH. I left my truck there then rode my cycle 8 and a half miles to the pass and walked the trail. There is only one trail up. All the others on the topo are fake. At the summit I just kept going down the main ridge to the Acorn trail at N39 46232, W106 04277 el 11300  then walked it down to my truck. 6 and a half hours, 10.4 miles with 3300 gain.  Highway 9 has a wide shoulder for ebikes and the Ute Pass road has light traffic and is paved. Posted 2025
9. BILLS PEAK el 12703 can be done as a loop up the trail along Kinney Creek then down to Horshoe Lake and back on that trail. Drive over Ute Pass then past a huge mine to mp 9 then follow signs to the Kinney TH. Cars have trouble with the last 3 miles but could ebike it. Subaru types make it all the way. The trail goes roughly like the topo shows. The trail forks south of point 10785 which is where the loop begins. Left goes up to the peak. I stayed on the trail until I could get on the south ridge of the summit then went up. I resumed on the trail to N39 50933, W105 57973 el 12400 and leveled off to get on the ridge that circles the lake. An obvious elk trail SW of the lake is the way down. It reads 50545, 59056. I picked up the main trail on the east shore of the lake and walked it out. 6 and a half hours, 11 miles with a bit over 3000 gain. The first 2 miles are in a burn area that ends just before the fork. The main road goes on under a mine conveyor then FR142 is a good one lane road that  goes over 4 miles to a TH with campsites along the way. It's a good road for two wheelers. Posted 2025
10. BUFFALO MOUNTAIN el 12777 is west of Silverthorne. The TH is at the end of Ryan Gulch Rd but the two dozen spaces fill up every day. So start crazy early or ride an ebike from Target. A bike path runs along Ryan Gulch Rd. The trail goes steep and rocky for 3 miles to the summit. The important thing is where the talus starts the real trail goes right and fake trails go left. A family of goats resides here. 5 hours, 6 miles with 3000 gain. Two cars were waiting to take my space when I returned. They had to shoot it out. Posted 2025

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Rabbit Ears Range, Never Summer Range

Bearpaws Peaks

Parika Peak

Bowen Mtn

Arapaho Ridge




 1. The peaks in the area are easy tundra hikes. Granby has a City Market and Dollar General.
2. BOWEN, FAIRVIEW, PARIKA - these peaks can be done as a loop. FR750 is a good road to the TH for trail #1141. I walked it to Bowen Pass. The last water is a big spring below the pass at the junction with the CDT. I went up the ridge from the pass to a faint trail at N40 21918, W105 56248 el 12200. It drops a little then goes along the right side of crags then the rest is obvious. One narrow ledge beyond there will worry some but a route 20 feet lower can be used then back up a chute. Take a 20 foot handline for the squeamish. I didn't think the ledge to be risky. I came back and walked the ridge and then under peak 12442 to an elk trail at  22370, 56381 el 12200 and then on over Fairview and up to Parika. I came back to the trail that goes over the shoulder of Fairview and then went straight down tundra to the saddle el 11396 and on to 22328, 57217 and soon hit the trail again then on back. 7 and a half hours, 9.3 miles with 3600 gain and mostly on tundra. Nothing harder than class 2.  It would only add 250 to go over peak 12442. The USFS topo shows the trails best. Posted 2025
3. CASCADE MOUNTAIN el 12303 has trails nearly the whole way from FR750. A logging road works well for the return. I walked trail #1141 from FR750 to Bowen Pass then took a trail up the ridge. It runs to the right of peaks including Ruby then almost to the top of Cascade. I then dropped to the saddle east of peak 11550 and went down a trail on the left. Once on the floor I moved far right and walked meadows to a passage at N40 21395, W105 57951 and then on to the logging road at 21639, 57906 el 10640. I went on to a fork at 21708, 57884 and went right to another fork at 21954, 57861 and right again and walked left of the creek down to FR750.  6 hours, 8.7 miles with 2800 gain. Easy tundra and meadows. Posted 2025
4. MOUNT CINDY el 12047 can be done as a loop including Bearpaws Peaks. FR740  is maintained as far as Teller City. Some cars might make it another half mile to good campsites along FR758. Then it's 3 miles of rocky 4wd road to a fork at FR7581A. That's the last parking spot for 4wds. I rode my cycle a little more and parked at N40 23994, W105 58148 el 10100. Then I walked the road to the Jack Creek TH. At the 11000 line I went straight up a clearing to cut a switchback and hit the trail running on a closed road. I should have tried going straight on up to the ridge but I walked the trail up. At 24035, 55657 el 11200 I came to the last good stream. I kept going up to the ridge and walked a fading road on it to peak 11740. The road seems to drop to the Michigan River but I went up an elk trail to el 11680 then skirted left of the summit and on up the ridge. A crag is in the way so I took an elk trail at 24777, 56123 el 11700 to get around it on the left. From the summit of Cindy I walked the ridge to Bearpaws. An elk trail runs left of center into the east saddle of peak 11570. A camera was attached to a tree there. I skirted left around the peak then up to the ridge that leads to Bearpaws. I took a trip out to the high peak then came back to the ridge out to peak 11590. I skirted that one on the right then went over the left shoulder of the next peak then down to a wide tundra drainage at 24327, 58299 el 11040. I went down the center then moved left at a steeper part then on down tundra and came to some deadfall. I went left around that then hit the road at my cycle. 6 hours, 9 miles with 2400 gain. All easy terrain. One compromise on that rocky road is to drive halfway to a campsite at the 9560 line along Jack Creek. That would make it a 12 mile hike. An ebike might work for a mile past Teller City. Posted 2025
5. CDT LOOP - one hike I thought about but skipped is to start at the Illinois River TH and walk to the CDT then on to trail #1141 near Bowen Pass then back on that trail to a bike waiting at that TH. It might be 10 miles of hiking. 
6. TELLER CITY was a late 19th mining town. A loop trail with displays leads past log cabin ruins. Cars can get there. Posted 2025
7. RADIAL MOUNTAIN el 11241 - a trail goes up from Willow Creek Pass to a T at el 10000 where a dirt bike trail crosses. Then there is deadfall on up the ridge but I could weave or step over all of it. It clears up at el 10700 and it's a clean ridge to the summit. 3 and a half hours, 1700 gain. Posted 2025
8. PARKVIEW MOUNTAIN el 12296 - an easy 4wd road goes to 11050 from BM 9485 at mp 21 on highway 125. Near timberline there is a fork so stay left across a dip to a parking area. ATVs can go on to el 11300 then a rocky trail leads to tundra and then it's just pick an angle to get on the SE ridge and up to the lookout. It took me an hour to the top from el 11050. I wouldn't take any rig wider than a jeep on that road. My 125 made it easily. EBIKE VERSION - FR730 is mostly smooth to el 10300. I would ride that far then walk FR751 over the ridge to the other road and go up then back down the NE ridge. Cars have to park at the pass and use a trail from there but could do the same loop.  Posted2025
9. SHEEP MTN and HYANNIS PEAK -  a one way hike is the best in the range. I started at Grassy Run TH and walked the trail up to Arapaho Ridge then kept going to the CDT. I took a 2 hour side trip to Hyannis then went on over Sheep to trail #1187 but that trail is gone. I made it to my bike at Longs Lake anyway. The best version is to start on the CDT at FR107 el 10600 and it's an all trail walk of about a 11 miles to Grassy Run TH. Some deadfall on the descent slows things down by 15 minutes. The version I did took 7 hours. Next time I'll start on the CDT and skip Hyannis and include Red Hill. That would be a 5 mile side trip total. The USFS topo shows the trails. FR106 and FR715 are good roads for cars and the others are good high clearance roads and all ebikeable. Posted 2025
10. SHEEP MOUNTAIN el 11819 has a trail most of the way. FR106 is a good road to the T at FR730. Then go right to FR107 and up to the crest on easy high clearance roads that are ebikeable. The CDT runs along the crest to the peak like the USFS topo shows. 3 hours, 40 minutes and 7.5 miles with 2000 gain. The other SHEEP MOUNTAIN el 11361 has a road up to the top but is closed at el 10700. OHVs don't have to obey that and go all the way up. Posted 2025
11. HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN el 11495 has a fairly easy NE ridge. FR106 is a good road to the T at FR730. Then go left on FR730 which is easy 4wd and ebikeable. In 2 miles park and there is a trail going up to the NE saddle of the peak where the CDT crosses. Just before the CDT there is a clearing in view on the right. That leads up the ridge to the summit. It took one hour with 1100 gain to get to the summit. Then I dropped back to the CDT and walked it up to peak 11466 and then walked a tundra ridge north to peak 10972. That's the best part. I took a left turn at that peak and on down tundra to the road. I ran out of tundra and walked the forest for 4 minutes to hit the road and walked it back. That leg of the hike took 2 and a half hours with 1300 gain.  FR730 goes on a dozen miles to the highway but gets narrow and rocky. Posted 2025
12. GRAVEL MOUNTAIN el 11769 - FR123 departs highway 125 at mp 17 and goes up Willow Creek. After a bit over 10 miles the road tops out in the west saddle el 10600 of peak 10724. I parked there and took a bad right fork then right at the next fork and on to 3 forks. I stayed far right to a meadow then straight up to a saddle el 11200 on the NE ridge then up. 2 hours, 1100 gain. Cars can go several miles up FR123 then ebike it. High clearance can make it all the way to the saddle. The hike is not in the burn area. Posted 2025
13. ELK MOUNTAIN, CORRAL PEAKS - these are easy ones. Turn off highway 40 at mp 194.6 and take county 21 into the forest as FR112.6. It's a good road to FR111 el 9990. That's a good high clearance road to a fork el 10560. The right fork is gated and the left fork is rough for a short way to a grassy road at N40 09525, W106 08375 el 10700. I could have drove a jeep on up to the summit of Elk. Back on FR112.6, keep going to 11875, 08335 el 10500 and turn left on easy 4wd for a third mile to a closure. Walk on up the closed road to the saddle between the Corral Peaks then it's easy to climb each one. The USFS topo shows roads the best. I saw a low clearance car almost at the Corral Peaks and still going. The first campsite is 3 and a half miles in on county 21. Posted 2025

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Eastern Uinta Mountains

Leidy Peak

Something peculiar on Leidy

Elk near Leidy

Rock ring near Leidy

Marsh Peak



The cave at Big Brush Creek





 1. Highway 191 out of Vernal is the easiest way to get to the national forest. At mp 376 is a huge camp area with restrooms. 2500W and 3500W are roads out of Vernal that go into the forest and become good graded roads. The road to Paradise Lake is old pavement to the forest boundary and then FR104 is very bumpy on to the lake. Cars go in there. FR117 out of Elkhorn is the road to Chepeta Lake and it is extremely bumpy but improves some when it tops out. Cars might get to the lake. Uinta is the Indian word for rocks, rocks, and more rocks that go on forever. Posted 2025
2. LEIDY PEAK el 12028 is an easy one. FR43 goes to the TH el 10920  just short of what the topo shows. Some cars could make it. The spring near the 10400 line had good water. I followed trail #25 to the east ridge then it's mostly tundra to the summit. I had to detour around snow by way of good springs at N40 45877, W109 49383 el 11120. I came back down and strolled out to peak 11139. The last saddle has a large rock ring at 45239, 48256 el 10800. Be careful around that. It's hard to find Indian relics at that elevation. A herd of elk was out there. 5 hours, 8.5 miles, 2000 gain. There is good camping at the TH and it was deserted on a Saturday. Posted 2025
3. MOUNT UNTERMANN el 12074 has a spotty trail going to it from Hacking Lake around  the north side of Leidy. Then there is the option to loop back on trail #39 or come back over Leidy. I did the former.  The trail on the topo is off in places but not enough to get you lost. Near the start are decoy cairns running too low. The correct trail is at N40 46289, W109 50446 then fades and shows up again at 45889, 51060 and then it drops to a lower level at 45834, 51367. And there I saw that Gabbro Pass was snowed in so I merged onto the ridge and up a talus point. I stayed left of center and it only took 5 minutes to get up then I had tundra nearly to the summit. I then went over to peak 12011 and saw a rock ring with a zigzag line on the summit at 45480, 53073. Be careful there as it might be Indian. I then headed down trail #39 and the map is off so it's best to head down tundra to the trail at 45481, 52137 then on to a sign for trail #41 that leads back. 6 hours, 15 minutes and 12.3 miles with 2800 gain. Just to Untermann and back the same way would be 9 miles and less than 5 hours. Posted 2025
4. MARSH PEAK el 12240 has a trail on the east ridge like the topo shows but the last 3 miles of FR27 is rocky. Expect an hour for that.  I went to the summit then north on the ridge to trail #51 and back along the lakes. I followed the trail then zigzagged up the east ridge to N40 42612, W109 49325 el 11800 where I leveled off around to the north side then up. I kept going on the main ridge to the south saddle of peak 11951 then dropped left on tundra to 43927, 50956 and went straight on down to a rim el 11200 and walked tundra all the way to trail #51 at 44946, 52288 el 11200. That hits bottom and fades but ignore fake cairns and stay on the right like the topo shows. I filled up at a spring along there reading 45105, 51852 and then went on to trail #39 at 45229, 51529 el 10800 and it gets heavy use. It follows close to the topo but one meadow is tricky but I picked it up at 44646, 49397. 8 hours, 13.3 miles with 3000 gain. Some talus has to be dealt with but stable. I would wait until July when bogs are easier. I nearly had to wade the creek in late June. ALTERNATE - coming in from the TH above Hacking Lake would add 5 or 6 miles to the total but a base camp could be set up at the junction with trail #39. I could have drove a car to that TH. Trail #26 might work too but I never saw it. Posted 2025
5. TROUT CREEK PEAK el 10519 is along FR43 to Hacking Lake and Leidy. FR38 is a decent high clearance road but then there is a locked gate at the 9800 line. But there was no sign against riding an ebike. As the road passes under the north saddle I left it and then at the saddle is a trail that goes nearly to the summit and some survey junk. Mosquitoes were bad. Posted 2025
6. GRIZZLY BENCHMARK el 9968 is 2 miles west of highway 191. A 4wd road goes all the way up. FR181 leaves the highway at mp 375.8 and goes to a ski hut el 9200 then on to the summit. It's not worth taking a 4wd past a campsite at N40 44948, W109 30674 el 9750. Posted 2025
7. DYER MOUNTAIN el 10248 has a 4wd most of the way. FR249 goes up along the east side then into the north saddle el 10100. I don't think it's worth it to take a 4wd past the Dyer Mines el 9800. I had no trouble riding my 125 to the saddle. Posted 2025
8. RED PINE TRAIL - this one goes down into Ashley Gorge and shows on the topo. Cars can make it to FR237 then it's nearly 3 miles of easy 4wd to the rim at N40 41047, W109 38878. Ebikes could make it.  It took half an hour to get down to the creek. One good campsite is there. In September of 2004 I was here and my notes read " The trail goes to a cable crossing the creek. In Sept the creek was hard to cross. I went upstream to cross and then went downstream to a sink where the whole creek goes underground at 40574, 39338. From the sink, it's an hour of boulder hopping down to a canyon on the right where a large stream enters. A half hour after that on the left a larger volume of water enters at 39193, 38319. This is from a diversion canal. Now there is a river. I turned back here and went directly up the slope above the sink to the trail. 6 hrs,1500 gain. " This trip I saw no cable. Posted June, 2025.
9. BIG BRUSH ICE CAVE - this is on the floor of Big Brush Creek near some mines below the 8300 line. The topo shows it as a depression and the creek goes underground in this cave but it's normally dry. FR18 is a good road running north of it and the main trail down starts at a pullout at a sharp bend in the road. Park there but ignore the main trail and walk 200 feet to a closed road at N40 42026, W109 35113 that shows on the topo going to the mines. The cave will come into sight then there are fixed ropes to get down the last steep slope. The ice formation in the cave is 15 feet tall or so. From the cave, I walked up the dry canyon for half a mile to where the oncoming creek sinks. It sinks all at once. Along the way there is a left bend in the creekbed where the left bank has ruins. Just past the sink there is a lean-to on the left  bank. A few feet past that I could see a way up the slope to the road then walked 5 minutes back to the start. That loop takes less than 2  hours with barely more than 100 strenuous gain. The main trail hikers use for the cave is steeper with trickier rope work and needs to be closed off. Posted 2025
10. LIMBER FLAG el 9510 has a 4wd road most of the way. FR254 goes up the south ridge then at the last tenth mile there are blocks in the way. A faint trail goes along the right side then it's a guess which block is highest. LIMESTONE MOUNTAIN is nearby and also has a 4wd most of the way. FR257 goes up the south ridge to a bump el 9150 then it's an easy stroll on up. There are rocks on these roads that make 2 wheelers no fun but the roads up Pothole Creek and East Draw are good. Posted 2025
11. ASHLEY GORGE WEST RIM - FR30 goes south from FR18 to the edge of a rim.  A car could make it that far. Then FR435 runs rocky to a rim and smooths out and ends south of peak 8441. I walked to N40 36336, W109 38711 to get down to a clearing and on across the canyon to peak 8441 for a view. An elk trail goes up the last bit. That hike took 85 minutes with 500 gain. The ride in on the 3.3 miles of 4wd road took 35 minutes. An ebike could make most of that. I had a cell signal and there's good camping with a view on that rim. Posted 2025
12. LAKE MOUNTAIN, MIDDLE MOUNTAIN - these two can be done from the top down on trails and roads. I parked on FR104 just inside the forest boundary el 8100. Then I rode my cycle to Logger Cabins Park el 9450 and walked down FR115 to a stock trail at N40 36896, W109 51414 and then walked that to Middle Mtn. On that there is a tricky fence that I crossed at 37198, 49823 but a gate is to the right of that and easier. I kept going to Lake Mtn then took a trail at 36158, 48598 that goes down past Chenab Spring and to a good pipe spring at el 8500 and then on down to my truck. 3 hours, 7 miles and hardly any noticeable gain. Hikers who prefer to go uphill can reverse this. Posted 2025
13. ICE CAVE PEAK el 10036 is a short walk from FR298. It has no view but has some peculiar benchmarks. The end of the road has a good view. I didn't visit the ice cave but was told it is a crevice just south of Ice Cave Spring.  FR441 has a trail at the end that goes to point 9527 and also a closed road that goes to bald peak 9359. On the return from that easy peak I made it harder by taking a wrong fork and going up steeper. What a dope. These roads are good for two wheelers but not the closed one. Posted 2025
14. PEAK 11529 is NW of Marsh Peak. The easiest route is to take trail #75 then up into the north saddle. FR296 is 3 miles of easy 4wd to trail #51 then rocks get bigger to Blanchett Park where the road ends. Trail #75 starts where the topo shows then fades in grass so just pick it up again at N40 42623, W109 54951. A spring at the 10320 line is a good one. At 44577, 54906 leave the trail and head for the north saddle thru an easy forest.  The saddle is defended by a talus slope. I went up it at 44633, 53765 and took 10 minutes to get up to tundra then had an easy stroll to the summit. Then I had two ways to descend. Either the south ridge or go back to the saddle then east to Red Belly Lake and walk the that trail back. And the latter was my original plan but I got suckered by how easy the south ridge looked so I went down it but it gets too tedious near bottom. So stick with the Red Belly route or back the same way. I had a 6 mile hike to the summit from my parking spot near trail #51 with 1000 noticeable gain. Next time I'll try the loop back on trail #51. Posted 2025
15. LITTLE MOUNTAIN el 8620  has a bumpy high clearance road to the top. It leaves highway 121 at mp 32.5 and goes a dozen miles. Cars can make the first 3 miles or so then try an ebike. It's bumpy due to embedded rocks, not so much loose ones. Posted 2025
16. PEAK 12062 is NE of Cliff Lake. Two loops are possible by going up the main south ridge then back by way of the lake road or trail #75.  I did the former. I parked on FR459 where it tops out and walked a logging road that soon fades. I went on along the south side of Johnson Lake then up to the north saddle of Mesa. I went up the ridge and dodged the worst talus by staying far right of point 11497 at N40 42770, W109 57127. I went on to the summit then down the west ridge to 44510, 58650 el 11160 where I had an easy route down to trees. I went on down a ridge at 44411, 58868 el 10800 then thru an easy forest to a meadow at 44240, 59030. I then walked elk trails and hit trail #49 then the road that leads back. 7 and a half hours, 13 miles with 2700 gain and mostly easy. Lots of talus but stable and not too big. FR459 is easy 4wd but gets worse beyond where I parked. Returning on trail #75 would be the better hike and a car and ebike would work. I saw a way down off the main ridge that leads down to the south side of the lake at the head of Reynolds Creek. For that one I would just park on FR104 and go around Mesa. Posted 2025
17. WHITEROCKS RIVER CANYON has a good dirt road running for 9 miles up it. About halfway is where campsites under the pines start and the remaining road makes a good bike ride. I didn't see anything else to do. Posted 2025
18. BUCK RIDGE el 10001 - FR282 runs for 3 miles and ends just before the peak. A trail goes on like the topo shows making for a 10 minute walk to the summit.  The road has lots of embedded little rocks but I think I could have rode an ebike on it. It would be groovy to walk the trail on down the mountain. It's a pretty area with no cattle. Posted 2025
19. CLOVER BENCHMARK el 12335 is an easy one up the south ridge. FR305 is a good road until the last fifth mile before a closed road at N40 40316, W110 05776 el 10550. I walked that road to 40813, 05845 then in another tenth mile I left the road and went up along the right side of rock fields to 41168, 05574. I turned left there and up a slope to get on the south ridge. At 11500 I moved right some and on up to the BM at 43004, 05518. 4 and a half hours, 10 miles with 2100 gain and not steep. I was on tundra strips most of the way. It looked OK to go on to peak 12425 but I wasn't looking for a hike that long. I put a track on peakbagger under that peak. Posted 2025
20. PEAK 12666 is west of Chepeta Lake and has a rocky trail most of the way. It starts at the dam and runs close to the topo and then near the summit it's an easy walk to the top. I descended to the east saddle and took a nap on a handy slab at N40 48464, W110 06051 el 12500 then down from the saddle to the trail at 48076, 05913 el 11900 and on back. 7 and a half hours, 14 miles with 2500 gain, not steep. Posted 2025 

Goose Lakes


Marsh Peak
Peak 11139

Rock ring and zigzag line on peak 12011