Story:
What St Vrain Mountain (12,162') fails to offer the hiker in technical climbing, more than rewards you in views of the Continental Divide, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, The Indian Peaks, and the plains. St Vrain is an oft overlooked experience by tourist.
The St Vrain trail is situated in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and the summit is on the RMNP boundary line. The summer trailhead (TH) is located about 1-1/2 miles south of Allenspark, and is easily reachable by 2WD vehicles. The winter TH is about 1/2 mile below the summer TH.
The trail begins with the smell of pine needles, in the moist upper montane zone. The trail ascends through lodgepole pines, and aspen stands. As you climb higher in the drainage, you'll enter the sub-alpine zone. You'll observe krummholz and wind-shadows, a lasting reminder of the fierce alpine winds that sweep the summits. The climb begins to ease as you begin to approach the alpine saddle between Meadow Mtn and St Vrain Mtn. Continue along the saddle for about 1/2 mile, then begin your climb of the east face of St Vrain. I chose to climb southerly of the shoulder to avoid snowfields on ascent, and descended on the shoulder, plunge-stepping across the snowfield.
If you choose to do this hike in the winter you'll have a completely different experience, as well as a different route. I climbed the neighboring Meadow Mtn in early Spring, and was a memorable experience.
The view from the 12k summit is amazing. From the summit, you can count 8 named peaks in RMNP that rise above 13,000'. You'll see the upper reaches of the Wild Basin below, to the north. The Long Peak Massif will dominate the skyline to the north. To the south, you'll see the Indian Peaks, including Mt. Audubon, and Paiute Peak. Looking to the east, you'll see the Twin Sisters, and the Middle St Vrain drainage that you climbed to reach the summit. And to the west, you'll be struck by the ragged skyline of the Continental Divide, including Copeland Mtn. If you look carefully to the north, you will even see the sand beaches of Sandbeach Lake.
I chose to do some extra credit, and climb Point 11748 just to see what it was all about. It's not a climb, but you will get a better view of the Middle St Vrain drainage you just climbed. And you'll discover Allenspark in the distance.
The final push to the summit of St Vrain is a scamble over talus and occassional boulders....there is no established trail. So you'll be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, compensating for the lack of technical climbing.
Try St Vrain Mtn, and tag Meadow Mtn as well. You'll enjoy the trip.
What St Vrain Mountain (12,162') fails to offer the hiker in technical climbing, more than rewards you in views of the Continental Divide, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, The Indian Peaks, and the plains. St Vrain is an oft overlooked experience by tourist.
The St Vrain trail is situated in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and the summit is on the RMNP boundary line. The summer trailhead (TH) is located about 1-1/2 miles south of Allenspark, and is easily reachable by 2WD vehicles. The winter TH is about 1/2 mile below the summer TH.
The trail begins with the smell of pine needles, in the moist upper montane zone. The trail ascends through lodgepole pines, and aspen stands. As you climb higher in the drainage, you'll enter the sub-alpine zone. You'll observe krummholz and wind-shadows, a lasting reminder of the fierce alpine winds that sweep the summits. The climb begins to ease as you begin to approach the alpine saddle between Meadow Mtn and St Vrain Mtn. Continue along the saddle for about 1/2 mile, then begin your climb of the east face of St Vrain. I chose to climb southerly of the shoulder to avoid snowfields on ascent, and descended on the shoulder, plunge-stepping across the snowfield.
If you choose to do this hike in the winter you'll have a completely different experience, as well as a different route. I climbed the neighboring Meadow Mtn in early Spring, and was a memorable experience.
The view from the 12k summit is amazing. From the summit, you can count 8 named peaks in RMNP that rise above 13,000'. You'll see the upper reaches of the Wild Basin below, to the north. The Long Peak Massif will dominate the skyline to the north. To the south, you'll see the Indian Peaks, including Mt. Audubon, and Paiute Peak. Looking to the east, you'll see the Twin Sisters, and the Middle St Vrain drainage that you climbed to reach the summit. And to the west, you'll be struck by the ragged skyline of the Continental Divide, including Copeland Mtn. If you look carefully to the north, you will even see the sand beaches of Sandbeach Lake.
I chose to do some extra credit, and climb Point 11748 just to see what it was all about. It's not a climb, but you will get a better view of the Middle St Vrain drainage you just climbed. And you'll discover Allenspark in the distance.
The final push to the summit of St Vrain is a scamble over talus and occassional boulders....there is no established trail. So you'll be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, compensating for the lack of technical climbing.
Try St Vrain Mtn, and tag Meadow Mtn as well. You'll enjoy the trip.
Tips:
Be prepared for mountain weather. You won't be able to see what weather is coming in from the west, until you reach the exposed saddle above treeline.
I can't overstate that this is an awesome hike overlooked by many tourist. Great escape in the summer!
Be prepared for mountain weather. You won't be able to see what weather is coming in from the west, until you reach the exposed saddle above treeline.
I can't overstate that this is an awesome hike overlooked by many tourist. Great escape in the summer!
Tags:
St. Vrain, meadow, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, RMNP, Audubon
St. Vrain, meadow, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, RMNP, Audubon
Comments (2)
Jim,
Another great trip! You should consider turning your trips into Guides! Drop me a line if you have questions. Best, Joost
by joost on Jun 30, 2010
Another great trip! You should consider turning your trips into Guides! Drop me a line if you have questions. Best, Joost
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