Buckskin Benchmark

Route: From Buckskin Pass
Posted On: 8/16/2024, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Wildflowers might be a few days past peak, but they are still popping for the moment. Pretty easy to stick to grass for most of the traipse up to the summit from the pass. Nice, solid Class 2; great way to get a good hike in that has some excellent views without suffering the chossfests that are so many of the surrounding fourteeners and thirteeners. 

Route: South Ridge + 12ers to the East
Posted On: 8/9/2024, By: supranihilest
Info: From 13,048 we descended to Buckskin Pass then took the easy grass slopes up Buckskin Benchmark. There's some scruffly little red cliffs and outcrops at the top of the peak but nothing harder than Class 2+, all of which is avoidable anyway. If only the 13ers are your goal descend back to Buckskin Pass and pat yourself on the back for a great day. We wanted more so we got more. At about 12,900 feet a ridge splits off the sheer face of Buckskin and heads east. There's several options to reach the ridge between loose Class 2+ and loose Class 3, but overall not hard to gain this ridge and descend to Willow Pass, just be mindful of how loose it all is. We continued east from Willow Pass scrambling up the ridge and then when a huge sheer cliff blocked passage we scrambled down to the left (north) on Class 2+ dirt/talus/blocky slopes, bypassing the notch and reaching easy terrain shortly thereafter. The first 12er, 12,940 (LiDAR 12,930) is an easy grass romp and looks very much like a red version of Wildhorse Peak. We descended a bit west then circled around and climbed 12,942 (LiDAR 12,974) which was a horrendous pile of awkward, loose talus and not fun but it's ranked so we did it anyway. We descended due west, scrambled down some short, grassy cliffs into a creek, then joined the Willow Pass trail which we took back to the Buckskin Pass trail to Crater Lake trail and back to Maroon Lake. For most here the 13ers are the goal, but you all know you want to get more ass kicking so do some 12ers too 

Route: Willow Pass
Posted On: 8/31/2023, By: Catfood420
Info: Summer conditions all the way to the summit. -Fun class 2+, while class 3 can be easily found by staying slightly more direct. Double-check your holds if you do so. Tied a loop down to Buckskin pass to soak in the views a little while longer. Forgot to track mileage, but somewhere around 12 miles, 3,800-4,000 or so. - Slowly feeling the cooler temperatures tiptoe their way into the valley. Gr8 day. Goodbye summer! 

Route: Via Buckskin Pass
Posted On: 7/24/2023, By: jfm3
Info: I ran Four Pass Loop counterclockwise on July 23 and tagged Buckskin Benchmark from Buckskin Pass. There is a small snowfield on the north side of the small hill between the pass and the peak. I shoe-skied the snow down (on the ascent) and hiked up (on the descent) with no problems. The tundra immediately north of the snowfield has some standing water. The dirt and grass on the slope up to the summit was surprisingly soft. The rock and gravel near the top are loose, in typical Elk fashion. Outrageous views from the summit. 

Route: Buckskin Pass and Willow Pass
Posted On: 6/27/2023, By: ColoNativeGal
Info: Both bowls are still holding a ton of snow. Buckskin Pass is a snow climb with a good cornice. We opted to try the other access route over towards Willow Pass and it was holding snow as well but had a smaller cornice. Doable, but need to start early due to rapid melting and changing snow conditions. It softens very quickly starting at 9am. Crampons and ice ax required. The top of Willow Pass is dry. 

Route: Buckskin Pass
Posted On: 10/30/2021, By: Grover
Info: Buckskin Benchmark should be called Bang For Your Buckskin Benchmark. What an outstanding view from this little perch in the heart of the Elk Range. I highly recommend this peak/route to anyone looking to get out on a peak and enjoy a safe vantage point of your past Elk Range summits. The new snow cover only enhances the views. The Hike: Bells seen in their early morning full glory from Maroon Marsh (nee Lake). Icy and slick spots in the trees by and past the Pyramid turnoff. Going up Trail 1975 towards Buckskin Pass has occasional snow patches. You will need gaiters, spikes and poles no later than the signed trail split for Buckskin Pass and Willow Lake. That is where the snow levels increase. I broke trail at this point but also connected bare grass and rock segments to make a B-line to the next zig or zag of the trail. The actual trail up and over Buckskin Pass is covered with snow and corniced, so I left the trail, angled towards the right on dirt, rock, grass and even mud. From there, you will be smacked in the face with a view of Snowmass. Alas, you still have 0.4 miles to go to the summit, and there is deeper snow in the "dip" before actually going up the true (gentle) west slopes of BB. Incredible views from the summit! You can see all (7) Elk Range 14'er summits for this perch. Over the course of the day, the trail consisted of every type of surface possible: Pavement, rock, dirt, grass, mud, ice, running water, packed powder, powder snow, sugar snow, styrofoam snow, sastrugi snow. FYI: The (pain in the ass) reservation system for Maroon Lake TH ends on Sunday, 10/31. 

Route: from Maroon Lake TH, up Buckskin Pass
Posted On: 6/23/2021, By: mijoflynn
Info: A couple of minor snowfields left -- one just below the pass, the other in the Pt 12,733 / Buckskin saddle. Both are easily crossable in plain boots. It may look from below like the pass is blocked by a cornice, but the trail swings way left at the last moment, and allows you to just step over the remaining snow at the crest. 

Route: From Buckskin Pass
Posted On: 10/27/2014, By: TakeMeToYourSummit
Info: No major snow on the trail until you top out on Buckskin Pass. The largest (unavoidable) section of snow was north of the 12,700 foot bump on the ridge. Only a few post-holes were encountered; most the snow was of a rather stable wind-blown variety. Higher up wind gusts became a major factor - we stayed 20 feet or more away from the ridge! We remained on the summit only long enough to snap a few pictures - waiting to eat & drink until we could drop lower out of the wind. I love that you can see all the Elk 14ers from this summit (& more than half of the Elk 13ers too). Overall a good day out! Also as a heads up: It is snowing at my apartment in Snowmass Village as I write this...