Yale vs. LaPlata

[Little Morning Star]

I'm looking at doing either Yale or LaPlata on August 20 (weather permitting of course). Question for the masses that have done both: Which one was your favorite and why? What didn't you like about either/both? Which one would you for sure do again?

For context: This will be my 9th in the last 6 years (I am originally from that area so I am very familiar and acclimate well and go home to visit family often) and have also done the Incline 3 times with a decent amount of ease. I am 54 and in good shape/stamina despite carrying around a lot of titanium and artificial parts. LOL I will have my daughter (28-will be her 2nd) and 2 nephews with me (29-will be his 2nd and 22-will be his 3rd) who are also in good shape. I would consider myself a moderately-paced hiker on 14'ers (honestly, I just take way too much time stopping for the gorgeous views) but am a fast-paced hiker on all other trails. I am specifically looking for a paved / 2WD trailhead for this one and nothing more than a Class II.

Are there any other recommendations? (I've already done Elbert, Grays, Torreys, Longs, Handies, Bierstadt, Quandary and am doing Blue Sky on August 19)

Thank you in advance! =)

[mtree]

I've done both multiple times. But I've been to the summit of La Plata more often. Why? I like the scenery better! Both hikes are good so its a preference thing.

I prefer La Plata because the beginning is more interesting (South Fork Lake Creek is pretty cool! Probably running low right now.) Once through the switchbacks the scenery is stunning. Yale's ridge is pretty cool, too. And you can do a little scrambling if you so choose. You can't go wrong with either.

[ruggedland]

They are pretty similar. La Plata has slightly better summit view but also more loose scree slope to deal with, while Yale has a nice trail all the way to the summit ridge, where one can enjoy some easy class 2 scramble. Yale would be my rec if you haven't done either

[climbingcue]

Both are great hikes, I would say Yale. Enjoy whatever you end up doing. Can not go wrong with either one.

[PJ88]

I'll echo what other people have said so far: they're pretty similar and both fun hikes. I think La Plata has a little bit better views, but there's opportunity for some light scrambling at the top of Yale if you want to give that a go and the parking lot is quite a bit bigger if that makes any difference to you.

[JerJerBinks]

Yale is amazing! You can even turn it into a loop if you ascend the east ridge and come down the sw slopes. Just ask around at Denny Creek and I'll bet you can get a ride for one back to the car. The ridge route is class 2, but doesn't get the same kind of traffic as a standard 14er route. Might make it seem more challenging.
I love La Plata, but I think you guys should to Yale.

[Wentzl]

stash a bike at the SW slopes trailhead, drive back down to the E Ridge trailhead and climb that. Finish the loop and ride your bike back to your car.

One of my favorite hikes. la plata is nice, but has nothing over this day

[ECF55]

Profiles.jpg

Neither was my favorite and both were outstanding days in the mountains!

Honestly, the hikes have a lot in common, including (a) super-steep Class 1-2 trails, (b) standard approaches that start on high quality paved roads with good sized parking lots, and (c) great views throughout. Both of the standard routes have obvious, high quality trails on most of the approach. La Plata's trail gets a little looser and less obvious as you get closer to the top, but when you find yourself doing difficult Class 2 bouldering, it's a good reminder that you lost the trail.

My vote is for La Plata. I liked the views at the top of La Plata more than Yale, mainly because the scenery looked more dramatic and the summit was closer to other peaks. I also thought La Plata Gulch was a prettier mountain valley than Denny Gulch on the ascent, but that's a personal opinion.

You can't go wrong with Yale, however. Big, pretty basins surround Yale, and there are something like 30x 14ers visible from its summit on a clear day. More importantly, the Yale summit scramble is an absolute joy, where you can stick to the trail, or deviate and boulder-hop your way to the summit. The summit push is the highlight of the day.

LaPlata_IMG_0652.JPG

Yale_IMG_0022.JPG

[MtnHub]

stash a bike at the SW slopes trailhead, drive back down to the E Ridge trailhead and climb that. Finish the loop and ride your bike back to your car.

One of my favorite hikes. la plata is nice, but has nothing over this day

I agree with the loop. I've done this a few times. Good idea if you have a bike, but both times I did it I didn't have any trouble catching a ride back to the E parking lot.

That said, La Plata is also a great hike! Can't really go wrong either way.

[Ryan P]

IMHO, Yale has a much clearer trail. They are both brutally steep. But depending on your route-finding skills, I feel La Plata may have potential route-finding issues around the "buttress" described in the route - I lost the trail in this area twice, both on the way up and the way down, and it added significant time to my hike. There are also lots of eroded trail sections up there that further complicate things. Then again, with a party of four, you may have a much easier time dealing with those things. That was my take anyway; Yale was at least a pretty straightforward summit.

[two lunches]

La Plata Southwest Ridge, no contest.

[Hungry Jack]

I just returned from a great week in Salida with my son (15YO). I gave him his first high country experience (14ers, gravel ride up Marshall Pass, hot springs, alpine lake hikes), and I am thrilled to say I think he's hooked (it means we get to go back next summer).

Anyhoo, we did both (my first 14ers in about 15 years, and coming off a knee replacement last fall). Yale was via its SW face. LaPlata via NW ridge.

I found the hikes to be fairly similar in terms of difficulty. Both are fairly steep, covering ~4,200-4,400 ft in a bit over 4.5 miles. I think the tread / route on LaPlata is better, at least until LaPlata's final 1,000 ft, which involves picking your way through boulder fields as you ascend the summit ridge. It's not technical or exposed--just tedious as there are several trail threads through the rock fields. Mostly you try to stick to the ridge proper, veering right for a traverse just above 13k, and again at 13,800

In terms of scenery, La Plata is considerably better, IMO.