Mt. Zirkel North Ridge

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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astranko
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Joined: 7/27/2020
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Re: Mt. Zirkel North Ridge

Post by astranko »

Scott P wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:06 pm Actually let me see if screenshoting the photo works.

Screenshot_20210929-210505_Gallery.jpg

It worked.
Thanks so much for the info! That means it goes, as long as I'm careful.


The plan right now is to start up near Big Creek Lakes and walk through most the area to the highway. It's only like a three or four day trip, but that one section is the only spicy bit of the whole trip. Wanted to make sure it went before committing to anything stupid.
TimoMan
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Re: Mt. Zirkel North Ridge

Post by TimoMan »

Scott P wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:06 pm Actually let me see if screenshoting the photo works.

Screenshot_20210929-210505_Gallery.jpg

It worked.
Jackpot! You have the grail, I've had trouble finding the Kramarsic book because I can usually only afford day hikes so I launch from the front range at like 1 am and end up at slavonia before dawn (gotta do what you gotta do). When I'm done, i make the drive back so i usually skip bookstore shopping in steamboat where I assume someone sells it and bust home. The book isn't on amazon (er, well it is but its perma unavailable) and no local stores in my neck of the woods carry it as far as I know. As a result, been kind of shotgun exploring the various ridges around this area and hunting for scrambles.

Here's what I've done (trip reports to follow once I stop working so dang much)
-scrambled through the Spike (Class 4),
-B. Agnes West Ridge (Class 3-4),
-scrambled up a small rock formation that looks like a howling wolf or howling pika (Class 3+)
-north from B. Agnes along the first half of the ridge, ending at the Incisor (Class 4, optional 5 bit closer to B. Agnes but avoidable w/ a loose Class 2-3 traverse).

Here's what I'm hoping to find out:
-"The castle," the endcap on the ridge running north from Big Agnes. I think its point 11,811 or something similar
-any beta on Pt. 11,580 and its connecting ridge to pt. 11,777?
-There's also a ridge between Big Agnes and Zirkel that looks super interesting as well, lower but very craggy and the rock looks super fun/solid.

For reference, the hardest thing I've solo scrambled is probably the Bells Traverse (finished the 14ers back in 2018), so anything involving a few moves of lower Class 5 is within my ability. Any info helps, if it's in the book that's great, if not, that's ok too.
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12ersRule
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Re: Mt. Zirkel North Ridge

Post by 12ersRule »

TimoMan wrote: Mon Sep 19, 2022 12:32 pm
Here's what I've done (trip reports to follow once I stop working so dang much)
-scrambled through the Spike (Class 4),
-B. Agnes West Ridge (Class 3-4),
-scrambled up a small rock formation that looks like a howling wolf or howling pika (Class 3+)
-north from B. Agnes along the first half of the ridge, ending at the Incisor (Class 4, optional 5 bit closer to B. Agnes but avoidable w/ a loose Class 2-3 traverse).
Fun stuff, Big Agnes is probably at the top of my wishlist of anything in Colorado. Looking forward to seeing that report.
TimoMan
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Re: Mt. Zirkel North Ridge

Post by TimoMan »

Nice! I'll get cracking on it this week, it'll cover the Micah Basin approaches, there are at least two good trail reports already on the approach from Gilpin Trail. I'm sure you've already seen them, but if you haven't, voila.

I'll message again when I've got the report done.

-https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=11006

-https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=18297
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