Madden Peak, 11,972', and Parrott Peak, 11,857', Western Approach

Essence: This hike offers early-season access to the western La Platas when snow lingers on the peaks. It is also superior in autumn when the aspen are golden. The two-summit climb in the southwest corner of the range requires minimal effort and time. Walk up the west ridge of Madden Peak with infinite, wide-open space behind as you ascend into the full glory of the mountains. Only the drive is time consuming and potentially troublesome.
Travel: This approach requires a 4WD vehicle with high clearance. The access road is off of US Hwy 160, roughly 22 miles west of Durango and six miles east of Mancos. At the top of "Mancos Hill," mile marker 61.8, turn north onto signed Madden Peak Road and measure from here. The gravel road narrows and turns to dirt as it becomes FSR 316 at one mile where a track goes off to the right. Stay straight and gain elevation quickly. Tall scrub oak in scattered ponderosa gives way to a thick aspen forest. The primitive dirt road has a lot of deep ruts and would be impassible when wet. In other stretches, the surface is rocky. At 6.9 miles, FSR 353 branches left (closed). Continue straight, passing over a cattle guard. The track descends with a view of the west flank of La Platas. At 8.0 miles, pass a trailhead on the right with a faded sign. This trail is not helpful for this hike. At 8.2 miles, the road splits at a Y. Take the right branch for a short distance to a large parking area and circular turn-around in a lovely pastoral spot with aspen and bluebells. 

Distance and Elevation Gain: 5.0 miles; 2,100 feet of climbing; add 0.3 mile for the Parrott south ridge option.
Time: 3:00 to 5:00
Difficulty: Trail, off-trail; navigation moderate; no exposure
Maps: Thompson Park; La Plata; Hesperus, Colorado 7.5' Quads, or, Trails Illustrated No. 144, Durango, Cortez
Latest Date Hiked: May 30, 2022

Poem:  
Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the disheveled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame. W.B. Yeats

From Madden Peak, Lone Cone and Little Cone are on the far horizon. Hesperus Mountain is at the center of this La Plata cluster. 

Route: The stem and loop utilizes abandoned roads for much of the distance. The loop may be done in either direction. This description ascends the west-southwest ridge of Madden and then bears south to Parrott. Return to the 11,540-foot saddle and descend due west to link with an old jeep road. Walk west down the road to close the loop. The blue-line route continues down Parrott's south ridge and then pivots northwest to rejoin the standard route near Starvation Creek. 

Walk east from the parking area, elevation 10,220 feet, on a good trail for about 100 feet to an abandoned road and turn left. Make a mental note of this location for your return trip. The lovely dirt track, free of rock, holds to the softly rounded west ridge of Madden. The path climbs steeply through an aspen forest with a few coniferous companions. In the spring, glacier lilies, spring beauties, and buttercups, abundant at the edges of snow patches, yield to columbine. Ignore the roads that branch off to the right and go downhill. This image was captured in late September on our return. 

(Thomas Holt Ward, photo)

At 0.6 mile, 10,740 feet, an equally prominent dirt track branches right at a shallow angle going uphill, image-below.  This initiates the loop. If you want to climb Parrott first, take the right-hand two-track until it is below the Parrott-Madden saddle. To climb Madden Peak first as we did, continue straight, steeply up, staying on the ridge. (THW, photo)

The road soon leads onto a wide-open grassy hillside, transitioning to a single-track. Big views open to the west. Look back on the small town of Mancos, Mesa Verde, and Sleeping Ute Mountain.  Enter a fir-spruce forest at one mile where snow stubbornly hangs on into June.

At 11,460 feet, emerge from the trees. It is an exhilarating moment when both peaks come into view. This image shows the social trail leading onto the ridgetop as it heads toward Madden Peak. The multiple short adits along the ridge are associated with the Kiabab Mine worked in 1936. A group of unpatented claims cover the ridge between Starvation Creek and the East Mancos River but no ore was produced.

The view corridor opens to the north and colorful Helmet Peak. (THW, photo)

A large cairn on the ridge marks the beginning of the off-trail portion of the hike. The route holds to the ridgeline from here to Madden and on to Parrott. For the most part, it is easy walking through the talus though there are some large, unstable blocks. (THW, photo)

In June, we walked on top of a cornice with characteristic sun cups. (THW, photo)

Alpine flowers nestled in tundra cover the dome of the mountain. Early bloomers include mountain parsley, alpine clover, alp lily, alpine willow, minuartia, old man of the mountain, moss campion, and sky pilot, pictured. (THW, photo)

Crest Madden Peak at 2.0 miles after just 1,760 feet of climbing. This is the easiest and fastest route to the summit.

The Madden benchmark was placed in 1934. (THW, photo)

 

There is a commanding view of the La Platas from Madden Peak. This image shows just a small wedge but it includes Gibbs Peak, Hesperus Mountain, Burwell Peak, Spiller Peak, the Knife, and West Babcock. (THW, photo)

Descend the south ridge of Madden Peak heading directly toward Parrott while walking on thin plates of clinking igneous stone. (THW, photo)

In half a mile reach Saddle 11,540'. From here, it is a 317-foot rise over 0.3 mile to the summit of Parrott Peak. While on the saddle, locate a social trail that climbs just to the right/west of some minor cliffs before making for the ridgetop. (THW, photo)

Parrott is more than it appears. There are two rollers on this little mountain. Crest the southernmost prominence on the West Block of the La Platas at 2.8 miles. There is something so sweet about this little peak in its all-important position. A long stretch of the Highway 160 road cut is to the south and then the Colorado Plateau in the great beyond. In the north the San Juan Mountains are the thinnest line. The image below shows the return track doing a rising traverse to Madden's west ridge. 

For the standard, black-line route, return to Saddle 11,540' at 3.1 miles. Descend due west through a friendly, uncluttered forest. In half a mile, you should encounter Starvation Creek at elevation 11,100 feet. Surely something dreadful occurred here in distant history to merit this name. But now marsh marigold, the happiest flower of them all, gathers around the creek. As snow recedes, glacier lilies thrive in this location. (THW, photo)

Hold your altitude and you will encounter the old road just beyond the creek. Turn right. We saw no footprints on this road but it was covered in elk tracks. Look back for a perspective on the loop and the two peaks. (THW, photo)

At 4.2 miles, come to a T intersection and turn left. This is just before the aspen treeline. Close the loop at 4.4 miles and turn left to return to the trailhead. 

South Ridge Blue-Line Route

Ridge purists may descend on Parrott's south ridge to the weather/radio station.

Pivot and walk northwest in a descending traverse across a tedious talus field to rejoin the standard route.