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Peak: Mt. Guyot, CO (13,370')
Date: Sunday, January 28, 2007
Team: TalusMonkey + 10 CMC members
Route: French Gulch (10,200')
After doing 11 miles and about 2,400 feet on North Twin Cone on Saturday, I figured I was up for another 9 miles and 3,400 feet for Mt. Guyot on Sunday. We met at the RTD park and ride at 0600 and took three vehicles to the trailhead in Breckenridge.
To get to the trailhead turn north on Lincoln St at the traffic light in Breckenridge. After 0.8 miles, turn left on Summit County Rd 450 and drive to an obvious parking area at 39deg 29m11.0s, 105deg 58m48.5s. Although the road continues past this parking lot, there is a locked gate about 1 km up the road - with no parking available. Park at the parking area!
From the parking area we walked up French Gulch on the snowpacked road. After approximately 1.7 km, we turned left up Little French Gulch near 39deg 28m45.6s, 105deg 57m35.1s. Someone has illegally taken a snowmobile up Little French Gulch (despite the posted prohibition) and we did not need snowshoes for the first part of the way up Little French Gulch.
Mt. Guyot from the Little French Gulch turn at about 10,500':
Little French Gulch is popular with backcountry skiers and there were signs of regular usage - on top of the snowmobile tracks. Eventually, however, we decided to install our snowshoes. Follow the Little French Gulch trail to about 11,000' and take an obvious trail to the right into the timber at 39deg 28m23.2s, 105deg 56m51.7s. This trail is the ski trail and we widened it with 11 pairs of snowshoes.
Mt. Guyot from the Little French Gulch trail where we turned off to the right into the timber:
We continued up this gradual trail to about 11,700'.
Mt. Guyot (left) and the remaining route:
We continued up to timberline on previously skinned switchbacks and continued onward. Now the wind started to blow... I took off my snowshoes near 12,000' due to broken snow cover, but everyone else left their shoes on until a little higher up.
Here is a view of the rest of the route from about 12,000':
From 12,500' to the summit at 13,370' its just a talus hoping exercise. The ridge is mostly windscoured. Everyone had abandoned snowshoes by 12,500'
Mt. Guyot from about 12,500':
Here is a shot looking west from the summit. The summit is at 39deg 27m31.1s, 105deg 56m13.7s. You can see the short west ridge that I crossed to get to the summit.
TalusMonkey on the summit of Guyot with Grays and Torreys on the right and some Keystone slopes on the left:
It was very windy on the summit. I waited 20 minutes for the next three people to summit, and then we headed down to wait below as others continued toward the summit. The weather was gorgeous (except the excessive summit wind). With proper clothing, however, the wind was tolerable.
Of the 11 members of the party, 9 summited. A great day to meet new friends!
(SarahT, you should hit this summit before any more substantial snow - we beat down a solid snowshoe trail up to 12,000' for you!)
Thanks TalusMonkey for the great report. I was one of the nine and had been drooling over this mountain for months. The summit has one of the most spectacular 360 degree view I can think of.
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