Some suggest climbing it to gain good views of surrounding mountains and the rest of the route up Chief's Head. At this point we basically turned left, back-tracked a little away from the cliff edge to follow the boulders up several more false summits. The descent back to Sandbeach Lake was easier since we had already navigated the faint trails through the woods near the lake. We took this route. Then things get very steep again. Other fun destinations along the way: (1). Its not accessed by any standard trail (and NPS doesn't discourage visits) and it feels truly rugged and wild. Happy Trails, Mark. The north face is a dramatic rock wall. What a day! Featuring a balcony, the apartment is in an area where guests can engage in activities such as skiing and cycling. 4 adults 3 teenagers. Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk: Chiefs Head - great mountain! Warbonnet Ridge, Class 5.8, ~18 miles, ~5200 feet, With Tim Hallinan ... (courtesy Jim Disney) Approach Beta: (Courtesy Jim Disney) From the Wild Basin Ranger Station take the Thunder Lake Trail to the Lion Lake Trail Junction. Officially called the North Ridge, many refer to it as a "ramp" leading up to the summit of Chief's Head. Chiefs Head Peak A fun morning tagging a couple of peaks in the Wild Basin I had yet to summit before and revisiting a trail I hadn't been on for several years. The Lion Lakes are a chain of high alpine pools in the cirque between 13,310’ Mount Alice and 13,579’ Chiefs Head Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Took in views of the route that can be taken to the saddle between Chief's Head and Mt. So we did it as part of a backpack trip that also included Isolation and Ogalalla peaks from Bluebird Lake. We arrived at the Lake just before sunrise (5:15) which was the plan. Other fun destinations along the way: Near Estes Park Aerial Tramway. Afternoon thunderstorms in the summer can be blocked from view by surrounding mountains, and you are completely exposed to the elements. The views of Long's Peak, Meeker and Pagoda are awesome from this spot. At the top of Mt Orton, its "peak" appears as just a large pile of boulders. This short, scenic hike is ideal for those who want to get their kids out on the trails or … The 4 guys brought up the rear even though this hike was all their idea. Alice, Wild Basin A Long Weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park Dillon June 24, 2012 December 13, 2016 1 Comment on A Long Weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park The trail twists steeply beside the falls and hops a line of flat boulders across the outlet to Black Lake (4.8 miles : 10,630'). Pagoda Peak and Longs Peak are hidden (between Chiefs Head Peak and Mt. I would not describe it as bushwhacking but following the faint trail northwest from the Lake is initially a little challenging. This route was more physically challenging but the views were nice and the scrambling easy. To reach the trailhead, drive along State Highway 7 to the Wild Basin entrance to the park, located between Allenspark and Meeker Park. Images Needles are seen on the ground in Oppenheimer park in Vancouver's downtown eastside on March 17, 2020. From there, it would be no more trails for a while. We got back to Orton around 2:00pm and went the other way around this time. Just before 6:00 am we started up a faint trail headed toward Mt Orton. Quite a few dead falls to hop over but after about 100-200 yards, the trail to the Northwest becomes more obvious and starts to ascend VERY steeply. Summit of Chiefs Head Peak (13,579′), the 3rd highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park – June 22, 2012 (approx. We decided to conserve our energy and just walk around the rock pile. Chiefs Head Peak via Sandbeach Lake and Mount Orton ; Route: SE Slopes via Mount Orton Round trip distance: ~15 miles Round trip elevation gain: ~5300 feet Car to car time: a touch more than 10 hours Party: Me and Andy Nice TR and thanks for sharing. The trail will be faint in spots and multiplied in other areas as it winds its way up through more and more boulders and minor cliff bands. Turned off our flashlights a few times just to take in all the stars through breaks in the trees overhead. The fire in Estes Park as seen from Chiefs Head. I know others crank out hikes like this much quicker but we felt just accomplishing our goal of reaching the summit was a big deal for us. Chiefs Head Peak 21B Condo is located in Estes Park. We quickly realized where we went wrong and got back on course. From left to right: Tanima Peak, Pilot Mt., Mt Alice, Chiefs Head Peak and Mt. It is the third most visited national park in the United States and its nearest entrance is only about 75 miles from Denver International Airport. Alberta Falls. The final trudge seemed like probably class 2+ in my inexperienced opinion. We were feeling whipped. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow): Using your forum id/password. This turned into a bit of a boulder-hopping scramble with views down in to Hunter's Creek and Keplinger Lake. About this time I was thinking about how I didn't have much energy left and we had taken much more time than we had originally planned. 127 Hours. This part of the hike was very strenuous for us but beautiful. The easiest description is to walk around the lake counterclockwise to the north side and then look for a trail heading northwest and uphill. The views of Meeker, Long's and Pagoda to the north and east just keep getting better from this point on. Not registered. Strenuous. Chiefs Head Peak is located on the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Stawamus Chief is one of the region's classic hikes that takes you up the steep trail to one of its three peaks, offering incredible views of the area surrounding Squamish, including Howe Sound and north to Garibaldi Provincial Park. Temps in the high 40's with a clear sky and full moon made it comfortable and interesting even in the dark. This description fits well. We probably would have turned back at this point but the skies were still clear so we figured we had a golden opportunity to take as long as we needed to reach our goal. Thanks for the picture of Blue Lake-haven't been up there yet. Chiefs Head Peak Ascent 13,579 feet / 4139 meters Elevation Sitting on the summit of Mt Alice in August of 2012, I looked over at Chiefs Head Peak and decided that it … From the pass, begin your ascent to the summit by following a somewhat faint trail that first contours west and then begins to gain elevation. tlerunner. Just follow the open grassy slopes up to the big boulder piles that make up the summit of Mount Orton. Chiefs Head Peak via Sandbeach Lake and Mount Orton. Descended opposite way towards Mt Alice. The combination of grade and altitude really slowed our group down. Chiefs Head Peak via Sandbeach Lake: Chiefs Head Peak, 13579 feet: 7.9 miles one way, 5239 foot gain.. Second class. I will describe the hike as completing both Peaks 2 and 3, a… At this point, navigation is not really an issue. The trail to the peak of Mount Cheam is not as difficult as gaining access to the trailhead as the Forest Service Road requires a rugged 4-wheel drive vehicle. Parking and wired Internet are free, and this condo also features a gym. It was hard enough in the daylight. Due to the extreme popularity of the Bear Lake Road area you may want to consider using the free park shuttle to access the trailhead during peak tourist season. The three girls lead the way. Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Colorado. The hike from the Trailhead to the lake was great. Chiefs Head Peak via Sandbeach Lake: Chiefs Head Peak, 13579 feet: 7.9 miles one way, 5239 foot gain.. Second class. Front Range, Hikes & Scrambles, Rocky Mountain NP, Thirteeners, Twelvers Chiefs Head Peak, Mt. Hand holds not necessary but I was completely sapped at this point and used as much help as I could get with my hands. Hiking is now over wide open ground with a mixture of grass and rocks - very easy and fairly level travel right up to the ramp. Nice to see new perspectives on Wild Basin--it's great this time of year with the lack of people! We also took a long break. Begin at Bear Lake Trailhead, and take the Bear Lake Trail through a forested area full of aspens past Bear Lake. We awoke around 1:30, scarfed oatmeal, got our gear together and hit the trail around 3:00am. One of the most spectacular views in the Fraser Valley, Mount Cheam offers a 360-degree panoramic view from Chilliwack and the communities along the Fraser River, Jones Lake, the surrounding peaks, and Mount Baker to the south. Chiefs Head Peak; View More Photos Summit: 13,579 feet : 40.24972°N,-105.64165°W Rank in CO: 203 of 637 13er Rank in CO: 150 of 584 13er Rank in Range: ... Chiefs Head - Sandbeach Lake Trail. It provides great views of Glacier Gorge and the highest mountains in the Park. Tons of wildflowers and the sun rising up at our backs. Trail Description: The hike to Black Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park begins from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, located on Bear Lake Road almost 8 miles from the turn-off at Highway 36. And the pics from a less visited area were, Chiefs Head Peak via Sandbeach Lake and Mount Orton. We initially got a little off course and hit a dead end boggy area. Certainly a fun and worthy destination to check out this winter or next summer. Probably due to our lack of experience. Once up to the false summit, we saw just how steeply the cliffs drop on the other side into Glacier Gorge. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Getting There To challenge yourself a little more, you can hike up to Peak 2, and carry on to Peak 3 before heading back down. View deals for Chiefs Head Peak 21B - 2 Br Condo. The girls summited around 10:45, the guys all straggled in one by one until about 11:00. We are all in fairly decent hiking shape and we have spent lots of time hiking in the Appalachian Mountain ranges back East. looks like a fine day. Longs Peak as seen from the summit of Chiefs Head. Dan said Chiefs Head is also the highest gain hike in the park when done by its standard route. The RT mileage would come in at over 17 miles from the Wild Basin TH - a hefty day for most mortals. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. To climb Chiefs Head from the south, one starts from the Sandbeach Lake Trailhead (8312 ft). Longs Peak: The Narrows, Chiefs Head and Spearhead from Longs Peak, Pagoda from Longs Peak, Pagoda, Chiefs Head, and Keyboard of the Winds, Mt. 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