8/28/2024 Route: Traverse from 13587 Posted On: 8/29/2024, By: tjf242424 Info: I stayed on the ridge from 13587, traversing the technical section that most seem to avoid. I couldn't find any description of the difficulties on this site, but it goes at solid 4th class or maybe easy 5th class. It would definitely be harder going from 13573 to 13587, as both cruxes would need to be down-climbed. The rock is not great, but not as terrible as it initially appears. The first crux is climbing out of a notch that can clearly be seen from across the valley. This is steep for a few moves, but on solid ledges and nothing stressful. Then there's some meandering around small spires and blocks, but pretty obvious route finding. As I approached the end of the "pointy fingers section," it looked like I was hosed, but I was able to climb pretty direct up the final arete on some blocky conglomerate. This was the most stressful section due to rock quality and I would not want to do it going down, but it deposited me back on tundra and it was straightforward the rest of the way. I can't speak for the bypass that others have described, but my recommendation is to just do these two peaks separately. The traverse is doable, but exposed and very high consequence on less than ideal rock. |
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7/27/2023 Route: Cataract Lake Posted On: 7/29/2023, By: dwoodward13 Info: Loop of NW Pole, Pole Creek, and 13,580 From Cataract Lake, headed up to the Colorado Trail and then east to the junction with trail #820 (although signed as #787, its the Pole Creek Trail). Descended this trail until about 12,200 picking a line across the meadow and headed up to the obvious saddle on NW Pole's N ridge. Was able to keep feet dry but YMMV. Followed the straight forward terrain until the summit block. Took the class 4 option in Furthermore's TR. Just one or two moves, but with the exposure and remoteness wouldn't want to slip. Very cool summit register. Descended directly east toward the saddle with Pole Creek. Found game trails here and there to utilize on the way up to Pole. There are faint trails in the talus on the upper sections of the mountain if you are looking closely. Descended back down to the lowest point of the broad saddle, and then picked my way down heading toward trail #822. I took a line very similar to Wild Wanderer's, skirting a point marked as 13,066 on the USFS topos on the south/east sides before dropping into the drainage on the northeast side of this point. Was able to make use of various game trails to make pretty easy work all things considered back to the human trail. Headed up trail #822 to the crossing of Pole Creek. I waited near some willows here to wait out a small shower then headed up 13,580's obvious northwest ridge. Very nice ascent route (much more gradual than directly from the pass on #822). Descended the same way and headed back to camp. Approx 14 miles, 5,300 although with all of the off trail time, felt harder than those would indicate. |
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8/14/2022 Route: From Carson Pass Posted On: 8/16/2022, By: supranihilest Info: This peak is now 13,573' via LiDAR. From Carson Pass we took the CDT west to the plateau between Carson Peak and 13,580 B, then south at the very first opportunity that made sense, which took us up a scree and talus ridge to the summit plateau. The ridge was steep and loose but not difficult. From the summit plateau it's a short walk south to the true summit bump. |
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5/31/2022 Route: From Carson Peak Posted On: 5/31/2022, By: ScottLovesRMNP Info: Dropped down the southwest slopes of Carson avoiding the rugged ridge leading to Tundra Top. Followed the Colorado Trail up to its high point and then an easy tundra walk to this summit. All snow avoidable. This peak is far out there (especially if you started at the bottom of Wager Gulch Road), and it's also hard to see from distance, you have to sneak up on it since it hides well. But still, there are a decent number of names in the register — mine is the first 2022 entry. I really wanted to traverse to Point 13581 since I'm chasing BiCents, but I was a bit unsure of the route, the ridge is rough, and dropping off the ridge may well put you in steep snowfields on the north-facing slopes. I decided it's probably easier right now to get this one from Carson Pass, although again, from the bottom of Wager Gulch Road, even this peak alone is a huge hike (16 miles and 5500 feet of elevation, by my estimation). Bottom line: this is a day when a 4WD high clearance vehicle would have really helped! Oh well. At least it was a beautiful day - sunny with a refreshing breeze all day long!) |
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8/23/2020 Route: Carson Pass Posted On: 8/24/2020, By: JasonKline Info: Summer conditions |
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6/20/2020 Route: From Pole Creek Mountain Posted On: 6/21/2020, By: WildWanderer Info: From Pole Creek Mountain I traversed off trail north and then east down to trail 822. I encountered several areas of snow I needed to cross, but all were passable without traction. The basin was a bit marshy but creek crossings were easy. Once on 822 the route was snow free. I then traversed north to the CDT and was able to avoid any snow there was. |
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7/12/2019 Route: Cataract Posted On: 7/12/2019, By: cottonmountaineering Info: I think this is the right mountain, summer conditions on all the 13ers in this area, pole Creek area still has a lot of snow More snow the farther west you look |
