Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone has any good info on Mt. Morrison. I live on Green Mountain and I was eye ballin' it yesterday while I was just ballin', holla!
Anyway I saw some info on summitpost as well as mountainproject that make it sound like the east face trails were all closed in 2012. I was wondering if anyone had any updated info on this as well as if its easy to reach the scrambling, class 4 and low 5th areas I was reading about. I'd love to have something in my backyard I can get a good workout on as well as some fun scrambles.
A buddy of mine did it last year from the east side and said there are some gnarly scrambles you can do on that side.
I'm not sure he was supposed to be on that side though.
Thanks!
Mt. Morrison
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
-
jwagner
- Posts: 38
- Joined: 6/25/2012
- 14ers: 40
- 13ers: 27 3
- Trip Reports (0)
-
FireOnTheMountain
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: 2/28/2011
- 14ers: 53 1 23
- 13ers: 269 29
- Trip Reports (23)
Re: Mt. Morrison
2mi one way, 2000' from entrance 4 just west up the hill outside of town of Morrison goes up the south ridge. Shes steep and dirty. Fun little wacks off the east face or can ascend also.
Go forth and be creative.
Go forth and be creative.
Everyday is a G r A t E f U L Day here in the ID...?
Re: Mt. Morrison
Mt Morrison:
The east face is closed (allegedly). You're in Red Rocks Park.
The south ridge route starts at entrance 4 to Red Rocks (just west of the town of Morrison). 2 miles and 2000' up. Some rocks to scramble on the ridge if you're so inclined.
There are also a number of well established bouldering routes on the hogback just north/east of the town of Morrison.
The east face is closed (allegedly). You're in Red Rocks Park.
The south ridge route starts at entrance 4 to Red Rocks (just west of the town of Morrison). 2 miles and 2000' up. Some rocks to scramble on the ridge if you're so inclined.
There are also a number of well established bouldering routes on the hogback just north/east of the town of Morrison.
"A couple more shots of whiskey,
the women 'round here start looking good"
the women 'round here start looking good"
-
CorduroyCalves
- Posts: 1911
- Joined: 4/10/2006
- 14ers: 16
- 13ers: 1
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Mt. Morrison
I just hiked it yesterday via the route from entrance 4. Steep but very dry. A great workout close to Denver.
Life is too short to pay full retail for outdoor gear!
"God has cared for these trees, saved them from draught, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempasts and floods; but he cannot save them from fools; only Uncle Sam can do that."--John Muir
"God has cared for these trees, saved them from draught, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempasts and floods; but he cannot save them from fools; only Uncle Sam can do that."--John Muir
-
Derek
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: 5/22/2006
- Trip Reports (57)
- Contact:
Re: Mt. Morrison
My favorite route is starting at Mathew Winters park. Head to the slide trail, second switchback below the top of the plateau, leave the trail and ascend the north ridge to the summit. Descend view the south ridge out to entrance 4 (as noted above) then mix/match trails back north through red rocks to the Mathew Winters park again. (Can add dakota ridge too.)
Dont miss the Bob Sagat spray paint portrait on the concrete near the summit.
--D
Dont miss the Bob Sagat spray paint portrait on the concrete near the summit.
--D
-
Rick Canter
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 7/8/2012
- 14ers: 31
- 13ers: 6
- Trip Reports (13)
Re: Mt. Morrison
Help out the out-of-stater, if you would. I hiked up Mt. Morrison in November of er, 2009-ish. Parked at Red Rocks and went up the established east-side trail, with a notable level patch for only 300' or so, about halfway up. If I understand today's thread correctly, this trail is now closed by the Amphitheater??? If so, when did this happen, and why? Liability?
-
Rick Canter
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 7/8/2012
- 14ers: 31
- 13ers: 6
- Trip Reports (13)
Re: Mt. Morrison
QUOTE: I saw some info on summitpost as well as mountainproject that make it sound like the east face trails were all closed in 2012
Ok, most of my query is answered. What a bummer! Why?
Ok, most of my query is answered. What a bummer! Why?
-
adamjm
- Posts: 224
- Joined: 6/11/2009
- 14ers: 58 5
- 13ers: 21
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Mt. Morrison
I don't know about gnarly scrambles, but I was up there a few weeks ago. The east side (right above red rocks) is closed off to hiking, but you can approach from the southeast-ish (bottom of the road to the top parking lot). There is a good trail up to the ridge and over to the summit. There is some class 3 near the summit but you have to look for it. Class 4 and 5 you would have to hunt for on that route - although if you're as dumb as me you can avoid the trail all together and go east face direct from the road and find some fun bouldering.
Dumb route up
Correct route down
Dumb route up
- Mt. Morrison up.jpg (19.63 KiB) Viewed 999 times
- Mt. Morrison down.jpg (15.27 KiB) Viewed 999 times
Lemmiwinks wrote:Marmots are like the wagyu beef of alpine meats.
-
jwagner
- Posts: 38
- Joined: 6/25/2012
- 14ers: 40
- 13ers: 27 3
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Mt. Morrison
Thanks everyone for the info, super helpful. I think I'll check it out this weekend!
-
jibler
- Posts: 676
- Joined: 6/12/2008
- 14ers: 13
- 13ers: 35
- Trip Reports (18)
Re: Mt. Morrison
The city of Denver closed the eastern routes in summer of 2011/12 (?) under a temporary emergency closure.
I think it was more part of their plan to reduce people's access to the lower slopes on concert days.
It has shut down many good routes. They don't really respect that place much at all - and there is a mishmash of JeffCo Open space and Denver mtn park land up there and no one really seems to really want to do much about it.
Personally - I love mt Morrison - I wish it was more of "real trail" kind of space - they could build better trail up there and get those routes open again.
You know there used to be a cool shelter/lookout at the top too - until it burned down.
But if anything the tide is turning the other way - they're building a new antennae array up there now - and fencing off that side of the mountain too - which makes the northern approach much more difficult!
If you like this area - tell the Friends of Red Rocks and Denver Mountain Parks about it!
I think it was more part of their plan to reduce people's access to the lower slopes on concert days.
It has shut down many good routes. They don't really respect that place much at all - and there is a mishmash of JeffCo Open space and Denver mtn park land up there and no one really seems to really want to do much about it.
Personally - I love mt Morrison - I wish it was more of "real trail" kind of space - they could build better trail up there and get those routes open again.
You know there used to be a cool shelter/lookout at the top too - until it burned down.
But if anything the tide is turning the other way - they're building a new antennae array up there now - and fencing off that side of the mountain too - which makes the northern approach much more difficult!
If you like this area - tell the Friends of Red Rocks and Denver Mountain Parks about it!
Keep looking up - Jack Horkheimer
-
Rick Canter
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 7/8/2012
- 14ers: 31
- 13ers: 6
- Trip Reports (13)
Re: Mt. Morrison
Thank you, jibler. Too bad they cannot come up with a policy "hike only on non-concert dates and times, yada yada". I really enjoyed my hike up Mt. Morrison and considered it a good place to acclimate. I guess it goes along with the true summit of Mt. Bross, some Boulder watershed land and other legally dangerous places now. Oh well...
