Wetterhorn Peak Trip Report 07/30/2015

Peak(s):	Wetterhorn Peak - 14,021 feet
Date Posted:	07/30/2015
Modified:	09/02/2015
Date Climbed:	07/30/2015
Author:	Wentzl

Wetterhorn From Owl Creek Pass
This trip report is intended to give detailed information about hiking up Wetterhorn via the standard SE Ridge, but accessing it from the North via the West Cimarron trailhead. The trailhead takes about an hour to reach from the town of Ridgway. You need a 4WD vehicle with decent clearance to reach the end of the road, which is just a hair under 20 miles from the time you leave pavement and start up on County Rd. 10. If you don't have 4WD there is an obvious parking spot about 3/4 mile past the Courthouse Mt. trailhead. The section of road from here to the trailhead is about 1 1/2 miles. From the trailhead it is 8.1 miles to the summit. This is a long day, but about 2 1/2 miles in the Wetterhorn Basin are pretty flat and easy miles and during flower season offer some of the best wildflower views of anywhere I have ever been. In fact, this is one of the most beautiful hikes in the state, and it seems overlooked, which prompted me to write this report. The Owl Creek Pass road starts as County Rd 10 just a few miles North of Ridgway. After a few miles it merges with, and continues as County Rd. 8. The sign says 13 miles to the pass, but my odometer said 16.1 before I got there. Just .2 miles after the pass is the turn off for the West Fork Trailhead. This will pass the trailhead for Courthouse Mt. after about two more miles. Half mile past that is where there is a sign suggesting 4WD. Heed the sign. The road is rough. If you park here it is a little under one mile to the trailhead. There is a creek crossing and some of the best camping spots are located just before the creek. When the water is running high it is a little intimidating to drive through. On this occasion the creek was very low and easy to get across. After the creek there is a nice smooth section of road for the last 1/2 mile. At about 3/4 of a mile you reach the Uncompahgre Wilderness boundary. The trail is well defined and relatively flat. Another mile and you are out of the trees for the rest of the day. The view ahead looks daunting as the route to Coxcomb Pass hides from view. For the most part the trail is straightforward. However, there is a section just a couple hundred vertical feet below the pass where the trail has eroded and care must be taken on lose rock. Coxcomb Pass straight ahead! Coxcomb Pass is just a little over 3 miles from the trailhead and about 1,700' vertical. Looking to the North from Coxcomb Pass. Courthouse Mt. and Precipice Pk You are going to give 1,000' back as you descend into Wetterhorn Basin, but after an initial 400' drop the descent is spread over a long area and the climb back out is not as bad as it might sound. From Coxcomb Pass to Wetterhorn Pass it is just over 3 miles. Most of the hiking is very pleasant and only the last 1/2 mile up to Wetterhorn pass seems like a grunt. Wetterhorn comes into view after descending off Coxcomb Pass The flowers along the way will keep you distracted if you go between mid July and late August. Flowers in Wetterhorn basin are amazing. The trail across the basin is obscure. In many places there is no hint of a trail at all, testament to how seldom this hike is done. However there are cairns and poles placed strategically to keep you on your way. The low point across the basin is where the trail crosses one of the upper tributaries of Cow Creek. There is no sign. Just after the creek crossing turn and start the march directly toward your objective. Wetterhorn Peak. Trail obscure. This is the route just after the creek. Keep following the poles toward the pass. The trail is still hard to discern, but the hiking is pleasant and easy. Nearing the Pass It took about 3 hours to reach Wetterhorn Pass at an unhurried, but steady pace. It is 6.6 miles from the trailhead. The view of Wetterhorn from the pass should be studied because it is possible to climb or descend from the pass directly up the WSW Ridge. More on that later. The usual course from the pass is to traverse to the South. There is a faint climbers trail that contours to intersect the usual route from the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. It is worth taking a moment to locate this trail. It makes the traverse very easy and otherwise the side hill hike can be difficult and unpleasant. Depending on the time of year there may be one or two snowfields to cross. The next photo shows the traverse from the pass. The objective is in the far right. Wetterhorn from Wetterhorn Pass Looking back from Wetterhorn Pass you get a nice view of Coxcomb. Coxcomb. The route to the summit just above the highest snowfield After about 20 minutes, or another 1/2 mile you intersect the standard route and begin to see people, likely the first in several hours. There are several good Wetterhorn reports that discuss getting to the top so I won't spend time on that. Just a few photos of the journey. Intersection with Matterhorn Creek trail. Matterhorn Pk and Uncompahgre in view. Wetterhorn SE Ridge. Nearing the summit. The final push. View from the top. OK, now a little more about the more direct route from the pass. I have used this as a descent on two occasions. Each time finding a way out was uncomplicated. However, it is extremely loose and the likelihood of knocking rocks down on your partners is EXTREME. This is not an option for a crowd, or a dog. In case I have not made my point, this descent is not hard, but it is DANGEROUS. It does save about 1 1/2 miles of hiking and also avoids the snowfields mentioned earlier. So if you are feeling adventurous, ascend from the pass straight ahead. After about 400 vertical feet you will intersect the standard route on the final scramble as shown in the earlier photo. If you have come up the usual way and want to try something different on the way down, do the descent for the first 150' and where the typical hiker turns to the south just keep heading straight down. Here is the view you will encounter. Optional descent. It is loose and scrambly. There is occasional crab walking or other gymnastics required. There is a cliff at the bottom that is about 75' which has to be negotiated. Care must be taken not to get cliffed out, but there are several options that do not exceed 3rd class. Once you regain the pass all that is left is to hike home. Heading Home. Stats: Arrived at trailhead: 10:15 a.m. Trailhead to summit: 8.1 miles. Time to hike: 4 hours. Arrived on summit: 2:20 p.m. Round trip distance: 14.7 Total elevation gain: 4,800' Back to vehicle: 5:40 p.m. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Wetterhorn From Owl Creek Pass

This trip report is intended to give detailed information about hiking up Wetterhorn via the standard SE Ridge, but accessing it from the North via the West Cimarron trailhead. The trailhead takes about an hour to reach from the town of Ridgway. You need a 4WD vehicle with decent clearance to reach the end of the road, which is just a hair under 20 miles from the time you leave pavement and start up on County Rd. 10. If you don't have 4WD there is an obvious parking spot about 3/4 mile past the Courthouse Mt. trailhead. The section of road from here to the trailhead is about 1 1/2 miles.

From the trailhead it is 8.1 miles to the summit. This is a long day, but about 2 1/2 miles in the Wetterhorn Basin are pretty flat and easy miles and during flower season offer some of the best wildflower views of anywhere I have ever been. In fact, this is one of the most beautiful hikes in the state, and it seems overlooked, which prompted me to write this report.

The Owl Creek Pass road starts as County Rd 10 just a few miles North of Ridgway. After a few miles it merges with, and continues as County Rd. 8. The sign says 13 miles to the pass, but my odometer said 16.1 before I got there. Just .2 miles after the pass is the turn off for the West Fork Trailhead. This will pass the trailhead for Courthouse Mt. after about two more miles. Half mile past that is where there is a sign suggesting 4WD. Heed the sign. The road is rough. If you park here it is a little under one mile to the trailhead. There is a creek crossing and some of the best camping spots are located just before the creek. When the water is running high it is a little intimidating to drive through. On this occasion the creek was very low and easy to get across.

After the creek there is a nice smooth section of road for the last 1/2 mile.

At about 3/4 of a mile you reach the Uncompahgre Wilderness boundary. The trail is well defined and relatively flat.

Another mile and you are out of the trees for the rest of the day. The view ahead looks daunting as the route to Coxcomb Pass hides from view. For the most part the trail is straightforward. However, there is a section just a couple hundred vertical feet below the pass where the trail has eroded and care must be taken on lose rock.

Coxcomb Pass is just a little over 3 miles from the trailhead and about 1,700' vertical.

Looking to the North from Coxcomb Pass. Courthouse Mt. and Precipice Pk

You are going to give 1,000' back as you descend into Wetterhorn Basin, but after an initial 400' drop the descent is spread over a long area and the climb back out is not as bad as it might sound. From Coxcomb Pass to Wetterhorn Pass it is just over 3 miles. Most of the hiking is very pleasant and only the last 1/2 mile up to Wetterhorn pass seems like a grunt.

Wetterhorn comes into view after descending off Coxcomb Pass

The flowers along the way will keep you distracted if you go between mid July and late August.

Flowers in Wetterhorn basin are amazing.

The trail across the basin is obscure. In many places there is no hint of a trail at all, testament to how seldom this hike is done. However there are cairns and poles placed strategically to keep you on your way. The low point across the basin is where the trail crosses one of the upper tributaries of Cow Creek. There is no sign. Just after the creek crossing turn and start the march directly toward your objective.

Wetterhorn Peak. Trail obscure. This is the route just after the creek.

Keep following the poles toward the pass. The trail is still hard to discern, but the hiking is pleasant and easy.

It took about 3 hours to reach Wetterhorn Pass at an unhurried, but steady pace. It is 6.6 miles from the trailhead. The view of Wetterhorn from the pass should be studied because it is possible to climb or descend from the pass directly up the WSW Ridge. More on that later. The usual course from the pass is to traverse to the South. There is a faint climbers trail that contours to intersect the usual route from the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. It is worth taking a moment to locate this trail. It makes the traverse very easy and otherwise the side hill hike can be difficult and unpleasant. Depending on the time of year there may be one or two snowfields to cross. The next photo shows the traverse from the pass. The objective is in the far right.

Looking back from Wetterhorn Pass you get a nice view of Coxcomb.

Coxcomb. The route to the summit just above the highest snowfield

After about 20 minutes, or another 1/2 mile you intersect the standard route and begin to see people, likely the first in several hours. There are several good Wetterhorn reports that discuss getting to the top so I won't spend time on that. Just a few photos of the journey.

Intersection with Matterhorn Creek trail. Matterhorn Pk and Uncompahgre in view.

OK, now a little more about the more direct route from the pass. I have used this as a descent on two occasions. Each time finding a way out was uncomplicated. However, it is extremely loose and the likelihood of knocking rocks down on your partners is EXTREME. This is not an option for a crowd, or a dog. In case I have not made my point, this descent is not hard, but it is DANGEROUS. It does save about 1 1/2 miles of hiking and also avoids the snowfields mentioned earlier. So if you are feeling adventurous, ascend from the pass straight ahead. After about 400 vertical feet you will intersect the standard route on the final scramble as shown in the earlier photo. If you have come up the usual way and want to try something different on the way down, do the descent for the first 150' and where the typical hiker turns to the south just keep heading straight down. Here is the view you will encounter.

It is loose and scrambly. There is occasional crab walking or other gymnastics required. There is a cliff at the bottom that is about 75' which has to be negotiated. Care must be taken not to get cliffed out, but there are several options that do not exceed 3rd class. Once you regain the pass all that is left is to hike home.

Stats: Arrived at trailhead: 10:15 a.m. Trailhead to summit: 8.1 miles. Time to hike: 4 hours. Arrived on summit: 2:20 p.m. Round trip distance: 14.7 Total elevation gain: 4,800' Back to vehicle: 5:40 p.m.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Matt	Thanks 7/31/2015 6:43am Great report. I’ve always enjoyed the atypical views of Wetterhorn and Uncom from the West Cimarron peaks, and wondered about taking the route you did.
spong0949	Cool 7/31/2015 2:14pm to see this done from a different trailhead. Very awesome views from that angle! Thanks for sharing!
mdanderson	Great report 8/2/2015 5:07pm Very good report and nice pictures. I will be in Lake City the last week of this month and I hope to do Wetterhorn for the first time. I have done Handies, Redcloud, and Uncompahgre. Thanks again for the report.

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