Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
Summary
============== Start: 5:54 AM at Rockdale near cabins BEFORE the stream crossing Gate near Clohesy Lake: 7:22 AM Emerald Peak 13,904': 10:25 AM Iowa Peak 13,831': 11:33 AM Missouri Mountain 14,067': 12:12 PM Depart Summit: 12:40 PM Back at car: 3:35 PM Total Time: 9 hours, 41 minutes Total Distance: 13.83 miles Total Elevation Gain: 4,772'
==============
The best part of this whole outing had nothing to do with the hike. The best part was that there was NO traffic logjam on I-70 at Idaho Springs! A miracle. In fact traffic never slowed down below 60. There is a first for everything.
Parked at the Rockdale trailhead just after the cabins and before the first stream crossing.
We came across the Three Little Pigs on the Divide. We asked for a spot of tea. They refused so we huffed, and we puffed and...well you can see what happened next. They used to have such a nice little place looking towards The Three Apostles.
Mike looking up the nasty, horrible, expletive-laden scree field we need to ascend for Emerald Peak. You can see a faint trail traversing to the left and then up. Do not go that way...far too annoying. I started up that way to about 1/4 the way up and then switched over to the right along the ledges. Yes, there is still scree there, but more talus and more sections held together with grasses making it far easier to ascend. I've read some reports where folks talk about descending this route and how it is better. Different strokes I suppose, but my rump is far too eager to reintroduce itself to the rocks with my feet going out from under me on tired legs. Mike and I agreed it was better (for us) to ascend this direction. Plus the north side descent off of Emerald is only slightly better.
Summit of Emerald Peak looking easterly towards Mount Harvard and Columbia. We both agreed that Emerald Peak was literally in the middle of it all. Situated perfectly to see so much.
Off the summit of Iowa looking south back at the north side of Emerald which we descended. No obvious sustained trail that we noticed...just broken pieces here and there. There was a cairn near the bottom that seemed to direct you up the left half in the pic, but it didn't look all that much better.
Since this was the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I decided to take a flag up with me. Specmiata37 on the left and yours truly on the right with a backdrop of Harvard and Columbia.
There must have been a dozen folks at the top. Most were part of a CMC hike coming up the standard route from Missouri Gulch TH. It was pretty quiet on the summit and the CMC leader was concerned about the building clouds stating they shouldn't stick around too long. That all changed once the flag came out. Cameras started popping out left and right! Reminded me of my days walking the Paris runways, well except that I never did that before. I did, however, walk out on an airport tarmac once. Does that count? Everyone wanted their pic with the flag so it made the rounds to everyone. Rather than getting off the summit quickly, the CMC group ended up sticking around for about 30 minutes. Here is a little video from the summit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HrEmZb9MbA
Summit of Missouri Mountain looking toward a good chunk of our upcoming descent route. We followed the high ridgeline out to pt 13,930 and then followed the West Ridge route down.
A section of the 4WD road just before reaching the gate. Only saw two vehicles at the gate when we came through in the morning...a Land Rover and one other SUV.
A parking area before you get to the gate. There were far more vehicles parked here than at the gate. Most were vehicles like Xterras, Jeeps, etc, but I even saw one Ford Escape.
A few shots showing the stream crossing area:
Enjoy!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Good job! We drove our ATV up to the gate on Sept. 4th, then hiked backwards from what you did. I couldn't imagine going Emerald first, but as you said, different strokes!
The views are definitely amazing on all 3 of these peaks and we spent quite a bit of time on them soaking in the beauty. Hitting Iowa and Emerald is definitely a must-do if you're headed to Missouri!
Hey CinciKid. I think your Outback had a couple inches more clearance than my Ford Escape so I would say you should be able to get across the creek...at least the level it was at back on 9/11. I didn't take mine across since it was still dark and I wasn't sure what to expect. In fact I saw a Ford Escape at the parking area I mentioned in Image #22 ”A parking area before you get to the gate. There were far more vehicles parked here than at the gate. Most were vehicles like Xterras, Jeeps, etc, but I even saw one Ford Escape”. I think those few ”rough” spots in the road that I captured in a few of the pics will be more troublesome than the creek. Good luck!
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.