Pika Peak

• Mileage: 11.18
• Elevation gain: 3,993'
• Trailhead: Fulford Cave
• Partners: solo
• Ascent Route: WSW Ridge, class 4 (3 minimum) - Potential new route
• Descent Route: West Ridge, class 2 talus

When I hiked Gold Dust Peak a couple years ago, I had meant to do the class 4 traverse, but decided against it (https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=17444). I went up to Mystic Island Lake to get a view of the route on Pika, and I was not enthused about all the talus and cliffs.

So I hoped that the fall colors would help offset this talus. Little did I know that I would find a more fun route up this peak!

I drove up the day before to find my campsite from the previous trip still open. It's the only legal site along the route before the Fulford campsite (which is closed for the season). Had a forest visitor as I was eating my grilled dinner.

I got up to the TH as the light was starting to spread before sunrise. A chilly fall morning.

The trail up to Lake Charles is in the trees, and the aspen gold ends quickly, so I was able to make fast time. Only a short photo stop from here to there.

I got up to the lake and got the first view of Pika peak from the trail.

I turned uphill after the marshy muddy trail section on a trail to a campsite, and then followed a game trail further uphill. When I exited the trees, I was faced with a left or right turn as I was had a cliff directly in front of me.

From this vantage point, you can't see the gray blocky talus that goes down the west ridge, as it's hidden behind the cliff bands. The line to the right called to me, as I could see a way up that looked good. I followed the talus gully, sticking next to the cliff bands. I had planned to go to the meeting of the talus gully to the ridge at the horizon line on the above photo. But I turned up the scramble cliff bands early to the left.

You can keep this lower section class 2, but I stayed closer to the cliff face, and had some easy blocky scrambling to start.

Once above that quick scramble, the terrain eased and was talus with grass for a bit.

The ascent got grassier still for a little bit and soon I was presented with some nice scrambling on the left, which I decided to take.

When I got enticed by the solid cliff scrambling to my left, I could tell that above the cliff bands, I could always go back to the talus gully, if I wanted. So I decided to spice it up and have more fun!

After the initial solid cliff band scrambling, I was presented with the ridge proper, as it narrowed down. At this point, it looked like you could easily contour over to the main route, but I decided to finish off the ridge, which continued to be class 3.

While the ridge remains solid, you still have to exercise basic caution, as blocks will move. Not many have likely gone this way.

Very close to the summit, the ridge eased in difficulty and was just class 2 talus up to the false summit.

While enjoying my summit time, I heard the call from my summit spirit animal. Quite fitting to see a pika on the summit of Pika Peak!

I had debated wether I wanted to head down to the saddle with Eagle and drop steep loose scree talus to get to Mystic Island Lake, but decided to go down the more standard way.

I decided to get hands on with the cliff negotiations and was treated with some good views along the way. I zig zagged through a couple cliff bands, before it seemed that I had to go back to the gray waterfall talus gully.

When I turned back to the talus gully, I had a mini ledge scramble to get into it. The last of the fun route.

Obviously you can stay within this talus zone, but the waterfall nick point looked pretty steep. I went right and then to the left side of the talus gully, and then finally crossed back to the right over the big talus to go into the trees down to the trail by the lake. Here I could see fully the route that was hidden by the cliffs from my ascent path.

When I got down to the lake, I decided to take some photos from the other side, to see both routes more clearly.

I was happy that in my time at the lake, the clouds disappeared and the sun got bright again!

Once back on the trail, I made quick work down to the golden trailhead and off on a nice fall drive to my next destination

I can't exactly claim that this is an entirely new route, as someone has probably done it before, but I haven't read about it anywhere. This would be a good ascent option for those that have orphaned this peak, as that way you don't have to go up and down the endless talus that is quite boring. My route was quite fun and it made for a much better outing than I had anticipated!