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Backpack and Traverse the Never Summer Range in RMNP

Grand Lake, Colorado

Details

Distance

30 miles

Elevation Gain

5000 ft

Route Type

Point-to-Point

Description

Added by Kristin McLerran

The Never Summer Range lies on the western-most side of Rocky Mountain National Park, and although the trailhead is on Trail Ridge Road, most of this trip is within the Never Summer Wilderness, a much quieter and more rugged region than the rest of the Park. Come here for solitude, an incredible point-to-point route, and an insane number of peak-bagging possibilities.

This route begins at the Bowen-Baker Trailhead and can end at either the Silver Creek Trailhead or the Colorado River Trailhead. It could be anywhere from 30 miles to 45, depending on how many peaks you want to attempt and where you exit, and therefore can be done in anywhere between 3 and 6 days. Take your time and plan to spend more than three, because not only is it gorgeous in the Never Summers, but the trails can be hard to follow and snow lingers until late in the summer. Also remember to bring helmets with you--most of the peaks in this region are covered in loose talus and scree.

When starting from the Bowen-Baker TH, at 8,864 ft, you will quickly leave the National Park and enter the Never Summer Wilderness. Camping permits are not required here; simply follow LNT principles and camp on durable or previously impacted surfaces. The first day of this trip takes you about 5.8 miles and up 2,300 ft of elevation to Baker Pass. You will switchback up through forest and cross a creek (with no bridge) right before the trail reaches a Y. To the left is Parika Lake, a beautiful place to camp if you have an extra day, but if not, follow the trail to the right toward Baker Pass. After this turnoff the Never Summers begin to appear, following below Mounts Baker, Stratus, and Nimbus. There are spots to camp just on the other side of Baker Pass, either right in tree line in case of bad weather, or below Mount Cumulus. There is ample water here, even in summer, because of the late snowmelt.

A day trip is possible on the second day if you want to try for some summits. Camping at Baker Pass leaves you in a great position to climb Nimbus, Stratus, and Baker. Leave before dawn and hike back up to Baker Pass, where you can ascend the ridge line straight up to Nimbus. Expect steep, loose talus and a quick ascent of about 1,300 vertical feet in about a half of a mile. There are many false peaks, and be sure to stay to the right on the ridge as there are some gnarly cliffs between Nimbus and Cumulus. After peaking Nimbus, head for Stratus. Steep drop offs lie on either side of you, but there is about a five foot wide area upon which you can walk, which doesn't seem to be any more than class 2 in difficulty (albeit exposed) and is about a half mile in distance. After peaking Stratus, continue on to Baker if you still have the energy and good weather. You will lose and gain more elevation and have more class 3 moves on the ascent to Baker than that of Stratus. From all three peaks you can spy Longs Peak in the distance, and on a clear day can even look down into Wyoming! Descend from Baker through one of the many gullies, back to the Baker Gulch Trail that you ascended the day before. 

Camp again next to Baker Pass, unless you plan on attempting Howard and Cirrus the next day, in which case there is a great campsite about 2 miles further. The site is above treeline next to small pool just south-west of Howard Mountain. Be aware that after crossing Baker Pass you are walking on the Never Summers Trail, which becomes very faint in places. There are often cairns to follow, but you'll have to keep a keen eye out for them at all times. If you choose to summit Howard and Cirrus, they are best approached from the 11,800 ft saddle just to the west of Cirrus, which you will have to cross anyway as you continue along the Never Summers Trail. From this saddle, climb a short but steep ridge, ascending about 1,000 ft to the summit of Cirrus, making sure to avoid the cliffs to the left. Follow a more gradual route south down to the saddle between Cirrus and Howard, losing only about 400 vertical feet, and climb another 400 ft back up to the summit of Howard. If you plan to continue for the day, return the way you came to the 11,800 ft saddle next to Cirrus. More great campsites lie about two more miles down the trail at an unnamed lake a few miles below Lead Mountain.

After this point, you have a few choices: if you plan on ending at Silver Lakes TH, walk around 1.5 miles to the trailhead, a high clearance road where you can be picked up. Otherwise, you will have to go off-trail to continue on with your traverse of the Never Summers. If this is your choice, you will need a compass, gaiters, and good route-finding skills. From the Silver Lakes TH sign, walk about 200-300 feet until you find the largest drainage. You will have to bushwhack up thick brush along this drainage for .75 miles until you reach treeline. Here your route will open up into a vast, open, flat area; the drainage you have been following leads left into a couloir below Mount Richthofen, and a lesser creek leads right toward Lead and Teepee Mountains. This is a stunning place to camp for the night in good weather, and is a great launching pad for summits of all three peaks, as well as Static Peak just beyond Richthofen. 

Proceed beyond here only if you are ready for steep, exposed, long ascents with both class 3 and 4 terrain. If you want to exit at the Colorado River TH, you must ascend (in full packs!) to the pass between Teepee and Lead Mountains. There is a tiny signpost that marks the pass, but it no longer has the sign, just the post! Follow a gully up to the pass, staying off the loose scree and on the tundra as much as possible. This is steep and definitely becomes class 4 at times. The pass is a great place to drop your packs and summit Lead and Teepee--both peaks can be reached by following the ridge you are already on, Teepee to the Left and Lead to the right, and include both class 3 and 4 terrain. However, be aware that treeline on the other side is very far away, and the route back down from the pass is not simple. And once you have scrambled down the other side of the pass, you have arrived in Skeleton Gulch, which is once again in Rocky Mountain National Park, so you will need permits to camp there.

From Skeleton Gulch, you can camp if you have a permit, or hike about 4.5 miles to Michigan Lakes, which is campable and on wilderness land that does not need a permit, or you can hike out the 6.6 miles all downhill to the Colorado River Trailhead.

What I love so much about this route are the limitless options. There are so many peaks to summit, trailheads to exit from, and gorgeous places to camp. And, more likely than not, you will see fewer than five people during your whole trip there.

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