Fully Realizing the 3000ft Rule

[justiner]

4ugv8x.jpg (80.24 KiB) Viewed 2261 times

[nyker]

This is oh so fun every time, but is there a way to sticky this topic somewhere? The same questions get asked and answered repeatedly, and inevitably the same tired old discussion about the merit of fulfilling the rule ensues.

Let's run it again from the top. As a card-carrying member of the Stodgy Ultra-Purist 3000' Rule Finisher Society, here is my definitive guide to pedantry:

Bierstadt (14,060') & Evans (14,264')
Guanella Pass TH (11,669'): No
Echo Lake TH (10,650'): Yes
Summit Lake TH (12,850'): No

Judging by a topo map cross-referenced with Google Maps for parking on the way to Guanella Pass, it appears you need to park at the Naylor Lake Rd lot. I've dropped a pin for directions to the Guanella Pass TH.

Blanca (14,345'), Ellingwood (14,042') & Little Bear (14,037')
Lake Como (11,750'): No
Zapata Crk TH (9060'): Yes

There's a couple places to park en route to Lake Como, Bill mentions a couple spots around 10,000' for high clearance 4WD. That's it until the Lake. I've parked at 8000' everytime.

Culebra (14,047')
Upper 4WD TH (11,650'): No
'Four Way' 4WD Parking (11,240'): No
2WD Parking at the Ranch HQ: Yes, but you really don't want to do this unless you have to (winter) as it adds 4.4 mi each way. And that road is hot after noon. I walked down it to Ranch HQ in July.

I have 2WD so I got a ride to Four Way. Unless you make friends the night before, ask Manuel or I forget the other guy's name... Rodrigo? After they let everyone go, it's a race to see who's the most impatient off-road driver up the road. Four Way does not fulfill the 3000' Rule, but there is no parking along the road unless you park in the grass. You have to walk down the slope and wander around until you drop below 11,047'. Having done this myself, I suggest walking down a grass slope into the trees, rather than a couple miles down the road.

Democrat (14,148'), Cameron (14,238'), Lincoln (14,286') & Bross (14,172')
Kite Lake TH (12,000'): No
Mineral Park TH (11,400'): No
Montgomery Reservoir Parking (10,900'): Yes
Paris Mill Parking en route to Kite Lake TH (11,000'): Yes
Quartzville TH (11,650'): No

Parking at Paris Mill adds 2.7 mi each way.

Grays (14,270') & Torreys (14,267')
Grays Upper 4WD TH (11,280'): Questionable.
Grays 2WD I-70 Parking (9900'): Yes
Grizzly Gulch 4WD TH (10,320' - 11,000'): Yes
Loveland Pass Parking (11,990'): No

Grays Peak TH is close, but technically you'd need to wander down the road 10' vert to achieve this for Grays and that counts for a subsequent Torreys combo. Add another 3' vert required for Torreys first. There's a couple places to park along the 4WD road prior to the TH that more than fulfill this objective. 2WD and anyone arriving after 4 / 6 AM on summer weekends / weekdays parks at I-70 below 10,000' to add 3 mi each way.

Handies (14,048')
American Basin Upper 4WD TH (11,600'): No
American Basin Lower 4WD Parking (11,300'): No
Grouse Gulch TH (10,720'): Yes
Silver Crk / Grizzly Gulch TH (10,400'): Yes

My 2WD has no idea where an acceptable place to park along the road to Cinnamon Pass is. But 11,048' is about 2.4 mi each way from the upper TH.

San Luis (14,014')
Stewart Creek TH (10,500'): Yes
West Willow Creek TH (11,500'): No

Google Maps doesn't want to cooperate for directions. There's no early parking on the CR-530 before West Willow Creek TH unless you decide you're going to be that guy and park on the road. It's a wide road but still uncouth. Park at the TH and turn around to walk 2 mi down the road.

Sherman (14,036')
Fourmile Creek Upper 4WD TH at the Gate (12,000'): No
Leavick Site Parking (11,250'): No
Fourmile Winter Closure (11,100'): No
Iowa Gulch TH (12,000'): No

The listed 5.25 mi RT becomes 13.5 mi RT from parking near Fourmile Campground at 10,800', since there was no parking available closer to the required 11,036'. You're on your own for figuring out the Leadville side.

Sneffels (14,150')
Yankee Boy Basin Upper 4WD TH (12,460'): No
Yankee Boy Basin Lower Outhouse 4WD Parking (11,350'): No
Yankee Boy Basin Governor Basin Junction 2WD Parking (10,800'): Yes

Either park at the outhouse and walk down the road or park at the highest 2WD parking. I parked below the "C" cut for snow.

Additonal references:

CaveDog's 'Colorado Rule'

illusion7il's visual demonstration:

This little chart made me laugh

[JChitwood]

The chart is useful to many though. Personally this dude doesn’t abide by the 3k rule but I know many who deem it necessary. I’ve never done the math but I would guess summiting all the 14ers from any trailhead listed for the peak on this site, even if you visit multiple summits in a day, you’d end up averaging well over 3k vert. Good enough for me.

[Will_E]

If it ain’t part of a FKT then don’t worry about it. IMO

If I follow the rule, then I end up with a longer day, which means more distance and more time spent in the mountains... which is the only thing I live for. lol I bet you knew I'd say that.

^This!

[timewarp01]

Democrat (14,148'), Cameron (14,238'), Lincoln (14,286') & Bross (14,172')
Kite Lake TH (12,000'): No
Mineral Park TH (11,400'): No
Montgomery Reservoir Parking (10,900'): Yes
Paris Mill Parking en route to Kite Lake TH (11,000'): Yes
Quartzville TH (11,650'): No

Parking at Paris Mill adds 2.7 mi each way.

Surely a true 3k rule purist would retract Cameron from consideration. You can't nitpick elevation gain rules without also nitpicking prominence rules; that's just inconsistent. And if you insist on including it the least you could do is include South Bross too.

[Wentzl]

Hey, that makes me realize I am a [2 x 1(-ABC)]

Let's start a club!

[Carl_Healy]

As I said in another post...

I don't think any summit counts unless you start your route from sea level.

[Jorts]

This is oh so fun every time, but is there a way to sticky this topic somewhere? The same questions get asked and answered repeatedly, and inevitably the same tired old discussion about the merit of fulfilling the rule ensues.

Let's run it again from the top. As a card-carrying member of the Stodgy Ultra-Purist 3000' Rule Finisher Society, here is my definitive guide to pedantry:

This is brilliant. And agonizing. I really just wanted to know how adherents to the standard go about ensuring they hit the mark. I'm plotting the self-supported FKT this summer (if covid allows it). So using some of these THs is out of the question. But thank you.

[Jorts]

i heard jorts drove up mt evans

If it ain’t part of a FKT then don’t worry about it. IMO

It is.

The chart is useful to many though. Personally this dude doesn’t abide by the 3k rule but I know many who deem it necessary. I’ve never done the math but I would guess summiting all the 14ers from any trailhead listed for the peak on this site, even if you visit multiple summits in a day, you’d end up averaging well over 3k vert. Good enough for me.

It's arbitrary and idiotic, but still, it's one of the rules of engagement. If Peter N. Jones did it 1995 I'm sure as s**t doing it in 2021. https://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/ ... rado-14ers

[Eli Watson]

This is brilliant. And agonizing. I really just wanted to know how adherents to the standard go about ensuring they hit the mark. I'm plotting the self-supported FKT this summer (if covid allows it). So using some of these THs is out of the question. But thank you.

You bet, I didn't mean to come off as snarky. illusion7il had the best compilation of troublesome summits for the 3000' Rule so I just fleshed it out with hard numbers and what I did to fulfill it. 2WD made a lot of decisions easier for me personally. It's a toss-up between which ones were more tedious: the Mosquito Range with its 2.7 - 4+ mi one-way add-ons or W Willow Crk where you park the car, descend down the road, pass your car, summit, descend past the car again to get back below 3000', and then re-ascend to the car. Stewart Crk obviously would avoid this, but that CT segment to San Luis' S Ridge is fantastic.

Although if you're going for the self-supported FKT then you can laugh at the 3000' / Colorado Rule all the way to the top of Pikes, Guanella Pass, Kite Lake, Antero & Princeton upper THs, SCL Wilderness boundary, upper YBB, etc. (Justin said it's okay). My PMs are open if you want to talk day-tripping Chicago Basin (or maybe I'll just get around to writing up that TR this winter). If we continue this rather dry water year, early summer will be ripe for dunking on some peaks in cordial weather.

Surely a true 3k rule purist would retract Cameron from consideration. You can't nitpick elevation gain rules without also nitpicking prominence rules; that's just inconsistent. And if you insist on including it the least you could do is include South Bross too.

Everyone knows "S Bross", "S Elbert", and "W Evans" are the crown jewels of mountaineering in Colorado.

[NathanRL]

Nutras Creek on San Luis is really close. I walked down some cattle paths alongside the creek to make sure.

[pvnisher]

If you don't have the full 3k then I'll allow you to reclimb the last 1000 twice as penance and count it.

Also, if you don't make the summit you can just rehike the lower 1k three times and count it.