Mt. Morrison
~3.8-4M RT, ~2000' gain, Class 2
~2.5 hour hike
Update 2014: South Ridge Trail up Mt. Morrison is open; direct access from Amphitheater (east face) is not allowed
With a nice day on Saturday, J wanted to get out for a modest hike, and we didn't want to drive to far out of Denver. Thought it might be a good day to check out Mt. Morrison -- and we were glad we did.
Mt. Morrison is a prominent foothill above the quaint town of Morrison, Colorado. Even more famously, Mt. Morrison stands above Red Rocks park, home of the famous Red Rocks amphiteatre. Other than the antenna towers near the top, it seemed like it would be an interesting climb, with a great vantage point above the city.
As usual, mtnrunner2 takes much better photos, such as this one from last year:
Otherwise, I didn't even know the logistics of hiking Mt. Morrison until recently. It doesn't appear on the official Red Rocks trail map, for example, and I hadn't seen it in popular guidebooks (despite being a very popular park). However, there was some discussion on 14ers.com that discussed the "South Ridge" trail (among others), which is described specifically on Summitpost.
It appears there are some "official unofficial" trails to the top, and only in the last few years, I've read, have some fences been removed to allow access to the summit. The various trails seem to have arisen as social trails, yet not prohibited, as the unofficial trailhead we started at had a sign next to it for hiking only (no bikes or horses). Several folks suggested that the South Ridge trail is the best developed trail, while the more popular and shorter trail from the amphitheater itself is more erosion-prone, which seemed both less fun, more crowded, and less ecologically sensitive.
So these trails appear to be popular, but not developed with modern sensibilities for heavy use, and operate in a nebulous state between official and unofficial. I'm torn, because I love cross-country hiking and scrambling in more remote mountains, whereas this area sees heavy use, but also want to see resources be used sustainably. On the other hand, it's littered with dead telephone poles, antenna, infrastructure for a funicular, and assorted concrete waste near the top. Now you know, and feel free to comment if you have more information or disagree.
South Ridge trail begins by parking at Entrance #4, the West entrance off of Bear Creek Rd. Immediately on your left is the obvious trail and sign, so park anywhere convenient and accessible near the entrance.
And then, there's nowhere to go but up! You begin the hike directly next to an overhead cable, and then over a knocked-down barbed wire fence. Higher up the hill, you actually go over the neglected cable itself:
At the top of the first ridge, you have great views of the valley below, to the West, as you start following the ridge and continuing upward to the North:
Continuing following the obvious ridgeline trail to the north, where the rocky summit itself comes into view:
And on the last push to the summit, the fun begins!
The actual bits of trail are steep enough at times that you might want to put down a hand or grab a rock occasionally (and be careful to avoid sending loose rocks down on a person below), and then you have some occasional larger rocks and boulders to scramble over. But, none of these "problems" are exposed, nor more then 5 yards or so in length, so it's pretty much good clean fun.
By now, Mt. Evans is clearly visible to the West, and a short bit of easy trail on top of rock leads to the summit.
*
We both liked this hike, and I liked it more than I thought I would. It's right near the magic 1000ft/1M ratio that marks much of the Class 2 mountains I've enjoyed hiking with J in the Sawatch Range especially, so I can see this as a good "14er training" hike for people obsessed with such things. It has some scrambly bits to be interesting while being relatively safe, and is great practice for steep running in either direction (as I annoyed J by goofing off with some repeats on the way down). And, we still only saw maybe a half dozen people or so on the trail. Meanwhile, being a Sunday, other folks were running the amphiteater stairs below -- over and over and over -- I don't discount that as a good workout, but was happier to have the views up top.
Man...Sunday was wicked-windy up here. Figured you would have been blown off the hillside. Not too bad?
ReplyDeleteAh, this was on Saturday, I should have noted, and it was beautiful. Saw some of the smoke towrads Evergreen -- hope you're OK that way?!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely windier on Sunday, stuck to running a local loop and glad it wasn't raining/snowing as predicted.
We had a fire just north of Elk Meadow on Friday. Burned something like 40 acres. Close call. Lots of houses within a couple hundred yards of the ignition point. Scary. We could see it from our backyard (about two miles across the wide-open Elk Meadow). No structures lost, but a true wake-up call. Looks like it started at the road...perhaps some genius tossed a lit cigarette from his/her car...?
ReplyDeleteWe had a fire just north of Elk Meadow on Friday. Burned something like 40 acres. Close call. Lots of houses within a couple hundred yards of the ignition point. Scary. We could see it from our backyard (about two miles across the wide-open Elk Meadow). No structures lost, but a true wake-up call. Looks like it started at the road...perhaps some genius tossed a lit cigarette from his/her car...?
ReplyDeleteMike - Great report. I can't believe I've never hiked or run that mountain, because it's by far the most prominent feature in my area. Sometimes you just don't appreciate what's sitting in your own back yard so to speak.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I'm also still getting a feel for what's OK in those gray areas involving social trails, public lands, unofficial trails etc. Given the sign and the usage, this one seems pretty well-accepted even if it's not optimally designed.
I look forward to checking it out.
Jim: Glad it's better out there, I saw the pictures on your Blog, and the haze and smoke was very prominent in that direction.
ReplyDeleteI don't "get" the concept of throwing cigarettes out the window -- ever -- the fine should be like $10k dollars (and enforced). But whatever it was, I hope they figure it out.
Jeff: Glad you liked it, and hope it's OK I put up one of your (many) (excellent) photos!
Mike - "hope it's OK I put up one of your (many) (excellent) photos!" - Thanks, and yes :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure why smoking entitles one to a free pass on littering. Not to mention fires.
CO needs a campaign blitz by Smokey the Bear (unlikely given park budgets).
Whats up with the rock climb at the top? I saw a review on another site and the person said she had to come down a service road that put her on the other side of the mountain and 5 miles away from her car. I will probably be alone and I am not big on climbing rocks to begin with, its the going back down part I think that has me more worried...
ReplyDeleteok this "trail" is quite dangerous I use the term loosely because it starts and goes up a dried rocky riverbed, the little red sign is overgrown in brush and quite easy to miss if your not looking to the left. I am not overweight and relatively healthy, but it was brutal I was running out of daylight and energy (and courage, that last 1/8 mile is scary) to make it up to the top. It was not so bad until I turned around and saw how high I was and how steep the way back down looked. I landed on my butt 3 times coming down that rocky dried up riverbed,. I am just glad I had on a very thick backpack, otherwise I may have hurt my butt or back. A Pole is practically required and I did not even make it up to the rocks at the top. I am still wary of those rocks and trying to come back down by myself, this trail is quite treacherous in some parts you can fall off the mountain quite easily. Jefferson county or whoever owns red rocks has a lot of work to do on this "trail". You cross over a barbed wire fence barely starting the treck! It could use some hand holds in several spots but I guess they are waiting for someone to get seriously hurt before they do anything, like many things in life. Wait until I post up some pics guys.
ReplyDeleteThat's why it's such a good trail. It's hard which you will know right away. If you want to continue up, do it at your own personal risk. It's not any job of anyone to maintain this trail except us mountain lovers. We are lucky to have it.
DeleteThat's why it's such a good trail. It's hard which you will know right away. If you want to continue up, do it at your own personal risk. It's not any job of anyone to maintain this trail except us mountain lovers. We are lucky to have it.
DeleteAnon: Glad you got up/down OK!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it does require a bit of familiarity with light scrambling (easy Class 3). A person could get hurt and might want a partner, but IMHO there's generally not a risk of serious injury.
You definitely want shoes with good traction, as it is steep coming down the dirt! Sliding on one's butt *is* always a viable option.
It is an unmaintained trail. Locals are glad that it exists because it is a neat area, very steep trail for training, and provides a nice alternative to the many other groomed, easy trails in the surrounding area.
Watch out, this place is ratttle snake infested! I have been up to this mountain a few times. The last time I was there I was barely 30 feet up the trail when a rattlesnake tried to strike me. I ran back down the trail and have not been back since, but I did make it once up to the top. You really do not want to try to go up alone. I saw a huge rattlesnake on this mountain near the flat part just at the top of the first hill, before you cross over the line for the old lift. That one I have a photo of, and it was brown. The one that struck at me was green and black and it looked like a stick. It was laying still across the trail under the shade in a sunny day. I was not even coming up quickly and I was using 2 walking sticks but still I think the snake was perhaps sleeping. It did not start to rattle its tail until after it struck at me. I am glad I took that last step backwards because if I would have stepped forward I think it would have bit me, and judging from its huge head and small body it was a young one and maybe would have given me a full dose of poison. I have a young child and its not worth risking my life but next time I go up there I think it will be during rattlesnake hunting season. Otherwise please watch out and be careful. There is not even any sign posted about snakes. wth! I called around but no one wants to take the responsibility to put up a sign, or they tell me their are signs posted over in Mt. Falcon park, but I dont thnk most of these people go over there first for info. if they are trying to get to the top of Mt. Morrison, because you can't reach it from Mt. Falcon Park. Someone or their dog is going to get seriously hurt by a rattlesnake on this trail If you go up there please please please use caution and do not do NOT go up and down with your earbuds in your ears, as I saw one lovely young lady doing one fine afternoon, until I told her there were rattlesnakes and that she could not hear them if she had her ear buds in. It is possible there maybe bigger predators on this mountain that rattlesnakes. Please be cautious here and I would not bring any youngsters onto this trail.
ReplyDeleteAll of the front foothills mountains are rattlesnake infested. It's a fear that must be overcome. Even by me.
DeleteAll of the front foothills mountains are rattlesnake infested. It's a fear that must be overcome. Even by me.
Delete