Kodiak High Route History?

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seano
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by seano »

hellmanm wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:35 pm Also, unrelated -- I've been reading of a similar lifesaver of a trail in the Tenmile Creek drainage. Can anyone verify this/give more detail?
There's an old built trail in there on the north side -- see http://www.drdirtbag.com/2020/09/17/the ... me-divide/ . It's not always clear, but still way better than bushwhacking. I couldn't find out anything about when it was put in, or where it led.
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hellmanm
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by hellmanm »

d_baker wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:43 pm
I haven't read anything positive about a route in/out of Tenmile, if you're talking about from the Animas.
Route into Leviathan Basin stays on N side of creek, and pretty well above it for most of it. Below is a map of the "routes" and "camp" we used. " " indicates estimate.

Leviathan routes.jpg
seano wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:40 pm There's an old built trail in there on the north side -- see http://www.drdirtbag.com/2020/09/17/the ... me-divide/ . It's not always clear, but still way better than bushwhacking. I couldn't find out anything about when it was put in, or where it led.
Thanks @d_baker and @seano. I'm considering a 6-7-day trip in the area going from Molas pass-->Vestal Basin--Balsam Lake-->Leviathan Lake (with peaks on each day ofc), but I'm trying to decide how to get out. The 4 options are 1. from Leviathan Creek/Vallecito, 2. via Tenmile Basin if there's a good way out, 3. via Noname Basin and the train (where I actually know the way from this past year), and 4. all the way back over the Vestal/West Trinity saddle and back to Molas. This info helps a ton. Thanks again!
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by d_baker »

hellmanm wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:25 pm
d_baker wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:43 pm
I haven't read anything positive about a route in/out of Tenmile, if you're talking about from the Animas.
Route into Leviathan Basin stays on N side of creek, and pretty well above it for most of it. Below is a map of the "routes" and "camp" we used. " " indicates estimate.

Leviathan routes.jpg
seano wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:40 pm There's an old built trail in there on the north side -- see http://www.drdirtbag.com/2020/09/17/the ... me-divide/ . It's not always clear, but still way better than bushwhacking. I couldn't find out anything about when it was put in, or where it led.
Thanks @d_baker and @seano. I'm considering a 6-7-day trip in the area going from Molas pass-->Vestal Basin--Balsam Lake-->Leviathan Lake (with peaks on each day ofc), but I'm trying to decide how to get out. The 4 options are 1. from Leviathan Creek/Vallecito, 2. via Tenmile Basin if there's a good way out, 3. via Noname Basin and the train (where I actually know the way from this past year), and 4. all the way back over the Vestal/West Trinity saddle and back to Molas. This info helps a ton. Thanks again!
Here's another idea for a loop.

Grenadier Wemi loop potential route.jpg
Grenadier Wemi loop potential route.jpg (328.52 KiB) Viewed 1877 times


Edit: I forgot you mentioned a stay at Leviathan. There's a few campsites near the lake that I saw, but they're rather close to the lake. I think the loop I suggested could be altered to fit your goals (i.e., peaks you want, mileage per day, etc).
If you went out Hunchback and picked up the Elk Park trail, there's a lot of other camping options as well, and, other peaks to consider. Hunchback camp you could do Hunchback, White Dome, Pk 1, etc.
Along the Valicito, if you camped, you could do the Nemo group or Rock Creek group. Plenty of options.
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by DaveLanders »

CMC built the Tenmile trail in 1941. You probably have to cross the Animas to access the bottom of the trail, which will be difficult or impossible until late in the summer. And you probably have to walk along the train tracks from Elk Park, which the railroad doesn't like.
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by seano »

DaveLanders wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:16 am CMC built the Tenmile trail in 1941. You probably have to cross the Animas to access the bottom of the trail, which will be difficult or impossible until late in the summer. And you probably have to walk along the train tracks from Elk Park, which the railroad doesn't like.
Thanks for the history!

As for your probablys: I crossed it in September, when it was no harder than the Vallecito, but it would be scary in the early season. And the trains weren't running thanks to Covid, so if I had to walk the tracks, I at least wouldn't be in anyone's way.
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by d_baker »

DaveLanders wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:16 am CMC built the Tenmile trail in 1941. You probably have to cross the Animas to access the bottom of the trail, which will be difficult or impossible until late in the summer. And you probably have to walk along the train tracks from Elk Park, which the railroad doesn't like.
That's interesting. Do you have any additional info on that? Like, why did they build it and was there ever a bridge at the crossing down there?
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dwoodward13
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by dwoodward13 »

d_baker wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:15 am
DaveLanders wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:16 am CMC built the Tenmile trail in 1941. You probably have to cross the Animas to access the bottom of the trail, which will be difficult or impossible until late in the summer. And you probably have to walk along the train tracks from Elk Park, which the railroad doesn't like.
That's interesting. Do you have any additional info on that? Like, why did they build it and was there ever a bridge at the crossing down there?
There's some background on page 21 of the below Trail & Timberline. Amazing that a group trying to climb in the area just requested the USFS to build them a trail and bridge! :lol: My how times have changed.

They used a cable platform to cross the Animas and then built the trail themselves.

https://issuu.com/christiangreen/docs/tt_1027_low_res
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by astranko »

I know the answer!

I used part of that route on a trip this last summer. Expect nothing akin to a route at all, just a series of passes that do, in fact, go. No cairns, etc.

I sent an email to the person on OSM who added the route asking it to be removed. It has no aspects of a "trail" or route and is encouraging people to go in there under false pretenses. The group I was in met another group who was expecting to follow the "Kodiak High Route" and was upset to hear that there wasn't a trail. I assume they were fine, but I don't think they completed their trip.

When I brought this up to the person who posted it, they said:

"Thanks for letting me know. My wife and I and our dog (Kodiak) traversed this route several years ago. I was unaware people were even finding it." and "I actually work for Gaia GPS as the cartographer which is why I ask..glad to hear people are discovering things there, but I very much understand the argument against this route and agree with it. When I initially created it I don’t think Gaia was quite as popular as it had become."

The route ultimately was not removed. Maybe worth considering doing myself, but I don't like to meddle in OSM.

But there you go. Kodiak the dog. Some guy who likes maps who works for Gaia and loves posting routes.
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by Danger_D »

astranko wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:01 pm But there you go. Kodiak the dog. Some guy who likes maps who works for Gaia and loves posting routes.
Nice detective work! Initially I was hoping for some old-school mountaineering history, but this answer makes a lot of sense. It also explains the weird name of Kodiak.

From all of the feedback here is seems like it is definitely possible, but maybe not a recommended route. Thankfully I have a few months of playing around in CalTopo to come up with my perfect (and inevitably slightly miserable) route lol
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

This two page thread has revealed multiple super interesting stories that I never expected to hear. I can't believe that there was acutally an answer to this question! We've been hearing about this "route" for years now and it's super interesting to hear this conclusion as to where it came from. This thread is awesome and the reason I come on this site.
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by Jakomait »

astranko wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:01 pm I know the answer!

But there you go. Kodiak the dog. Some guy who likes maps who works for Gaia and loves posting routes.
Awesome detail!
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Re: Kodiak High Route History?

Post by Boggy B »

It provides a succinct way to describe what's likely the most efficient route between Peak Eight and Jagged Pass. Since that's all above treeline, the routefinding is pretty basic. Even without a trail, in my view it's a better way to access the Jagged vicinity from the north (via Hunchback -> Lake Silex) than dropping all the way down to 10k in Vallecito when it's 80 degrees out and then slogging back up Sunlight Creek.
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