Antero / Cronin with no 4WD

[sherby]

Hi, starting to prep trip #2 for this summer, still mostly in front range / tenmile / sawatch. Our car is a Subaru Outback (not a Wilderness yet, coming soon), we'll have our bigger packs to do advanced camps if needed.

Trying to figure out how to best combine Cronin and Antero (we're aiming for the centennials) with the 4wd road that goes up about 2k'+ from the 2wd "TH" (i.e. along the road), any good ideas? (Not sure if we should drag the camping gear all the way up...).

[HikerGuy]

If it were me, I would start from the Browns Creek TH (easy 2wd dirt road). Backpack up Little Browns Creek and camp around 11,800 (couple good sites in that area). Then combine Antero and Cronin from there.

[sherby]

If it were me, I would start from the Browns Creek TH (easy 2wd dirt road). Backpack up Little Browns Creek and camp around 11,800 (couple good sites in that area). Then combine Antero and Cronin from there.

Sounds way more interesting to backpack that way than from the north for sure, we'll look into it.

[Skimo95]

Yeah, car shuttle browns to 2wd alpine for sure. Standard browns creek to antero, I would just follow the ridge completely to Cronin afterward. You can descend Cronin's ridge and it's not a bad road walk afterward. Pretty simple really, in my opinion.

[sherby]

If we're camping at the end of this road, it's seem we have an option for Shavano and Tabeguache via UN 13712 on the next day.

[Ptglhs]

You can go up either browns Creek or little browns Creek. You could do both antero and Cronin in 2 daysbif you really pushed it on summit Day. Or break it up into 3 days and two nights of backpacking. I'd backpack up browns Creek, set up camp by browns Lake, and then summit one or both peaks the next day. Hike out the 3rd to keep it more relaxed or do one Peak, back to camp, then the next day do the other and hike all the way out. I've done antero from both sides and I much preferred the East over the unrelenting s**t show that is that god-awful abortion that lived of a road going up from the West.

[HikerGuy]

If we're camping at the end of this road, it's seem we have an option for Shavano and Tabeguache via UN 13712 on the next day.

If you want that option, then you would want to pack up Browns Creek to some nice sites by Browns Lake.

[Mtnman200]

If we're camping at the end of this road, it's seem we have an option for Shavano and Tabeguache via UN 13712 on the next day.

Shavano, Tabeguache, and UN 13712 can be done from Browns Lake, where there are nice campsites. I’ve done it, and those three peaks combine well. UN 13712 is best done after Shavano and Tabeguache, though you could do it first if you really wanted to.

[supranihilest]

Just hike the road and connect Antero's southwest ridge to Cronin's east ridge. The road goes quite a way towards Cronin below ridgetop. It's highly visible on satellite photos and easy to follow most of the way up Cronin, then backtrack and go down it. Since it's a road it's mindless walking all the way from the bottom, and the final bit on the ridge is easy talus. No need to overcomplicate these. Many of the Cents are much more difficult logistically, physically, and mentally than Antero and Cronin. If it's your goal to finish them you'll have to get creative and not fret about small things like this. In the grand scheme of the Centennial project a few thousand vert on a road is absolutely inconsequential.

[sherby]

Just hike the road and connect Antero's southwest ridge to Cronin's east ridge. The road goes quite a way towards Cronin below ridgetop. It's highly visible on satellite photos and easy to follow most of the way up Cronin, then backtrack and go down it. Since it's a road it's mindless walking all the way from the bottom, and the final bit on the ridge is easy talus. No need to overcomplicate these. Many of the Cents are much more difficult logistically, physically, and mentally than Antero and Cronin. If it's your goal to finish them you'll have to get creative and not fret about small things like this. In the grand scheme of the Centennial project a few thousand vert on a road is absolutely inconsequential.

I get where you got that impression. We have a pretty good idea what the centennials imply, I considered the road walk-up, it's a matter of getting the most of our trip (we have a limited time, max 19 days) but also to be somewhat off the beaten path, last year we very much liked doing some less crowded routes like Elbert from Echo Canyon trail, Huron from Lulu gulch, Quandary from west ridge, etc. Looking at the Browns creek option got us the idea to do Shavano & Tabeguache from the north with a extra 13k, but I guess it would be more optimal to stick to the standard trail

[peter303]

You have to walk a few extra miles from a 2WD trailhead. Not too hard.

[madmattd]

Looking at the Browns creek option got us the idea to do Shavano & Tabeguache from the north with a extra 13k, but I guess it would be more optimal to stick to the standard trail

You can hit Antero/White/Cronin from Brown's Creek pretty easily too. There's a road up from near Brown's Creek to the White/Cronin saddle. You could base camp by Brown's Lake for a few days and pick up those 6 peaks.