Travel: This is the tedium factor. In a 4WD, high clearance vehicle with sturdy tires, from Durango drive 28 miles north on US 550 to mile marker 49. Turn left at Purgatory Resort and measure from there. Advance to the upper parking lot. At 0.3 mile turn right on Hermosa Park Road, FSR 578. There is a small brown sign marking this dirt road. The road makes three big switchbacks. Little spurs head off but the main road is obvious. At 3.2 miles go right, staying on Hermosa Park Road. At 3.6 miles turn right on Relay Creek Road, FSR 579. The main road branches left at 3.9 miles. At 4.8 miles go right on Cascade Divide Road, staying on FSR 579. The rocky, painfully slow road is riddled with tire-sucking divots and gigantic potholes. Cross Pando, EZ, and Graysill Creeks and the Graysill Trail. The switchbacks start at 13.8 miles. There is room for several vehicles at the end of the road at 15.4 miles. Allow 1:15 from Purgatory. The land speed record from Durango to the trailhead is 1:20.
Distance and Elevation Gain: 7.3 miles, 3,200 feet of vertical
Time: 5:30 to 7:00
Difficulty: Trail, off-trail; navigation challenging; no exposure on couloir route, considerable exposure on the southeast ridge (Class 4), and mild exposure on the south ridge (Class 3).
Maps: Ophir; Engineer Mountain, Colo. 7.5' USGS Quads
Latest Date Hiked: September 14, 2019
Quote: The summit embraces the entire space of the mountain. Marco Pallis
Grizzly Peak from San Miguel Peak.
Route: From the trailhead at elevation 11,200 feet, walk northerly to Grizzly Meadows. Choose between the standard couloir route noted with the blue line and the challenging southeast ridge route--for experienced mountaineers only. Upon leaving the summit, return via the couloir or the south ridge. Close the loop in Grizzly Meadows.
From the north end of the parking area walk on a well-defined spur for 0.1 mile to intersect the Colorado Trail (note this unsigned junction for the return) which shares this section with the Rico-Silverton Trail. Turn right (toward Denver!) and descend to a creek stained alabaster white from aluminum hydroxy-sulfate precipitate at 0.5 mile. At 0.7 mile, leave the Colorado Trail veering left (north) uphill on an unmarked social trail. This track makes a rising traverse and bends around the base of Point 12,695' while crossing a scree field. Grizzly Peak comes into view. From the left in the image below is the pinnacle on the south ridge, climbing couloir, summit, and southeast ridge.
The trail tracks above "Grizzly Meadows" at 2.1 miles but you may easily walk down to a myriad of ponds and a richly flowered and grassy turf. The wetlands are on a broad terrace with granitic glacial erratics strewn about. The land falls away dramatically on the east into the Cascade Creek canyon. White Creek Falls plummet down the opposing wall. The contrast between the peaceful lake and the hovering southwest ridge of dominant Rolling Mountain could not be more startling.
Couloir Route up Grizzly
The classic way up the mountain is also the easiest and fastest though it does have its hazards. Several game trails spin off the main path heading up the rock glacier. This image shows the standard route relative to the largest lake in Grizzly Meadows. (THW, photo)
The scree is short-lived and the trail disappears in tundra. The access couloir is the wide declivity in the center of the image below. Notice the smooth, moist slabs. On my last hike I experimented with dodging them to either side. The green ramp on the left works but it is considerably steeper than the boulder strewn slope to the right. That is where tundra euphoria is sure to infuse you with propellant.
Granitic boulders at the couloir's entrance are solid and stable. Toward the top the material is smaller and there are rather slick social braids in the dirt. (THW, photo)
I favor the northeast wall but the entire gully is accepting, if loose. Groups should take precautions against tumbling talus.
Southeast Ridge Route
If you are a Grizzly aficionado and intrepid scrambler this ridge may be for you. It takes one to three hours to climb 2,200 feet over 1.1 miles. It is considerably more hazardous and demanding than the couloir route. From Grizzly Meadows walk north. Stay to the right of a marshy area and cross the outlet. The southeast ridge is just coming into view image-left. (THW, photo)
Arrive a the base of the ridge at 2.5 miles, elevation 11,560 feet.
Mid-summer, the flowers are superb on the lower ridge.
Encounter the first Class 4 obstacle at 12,160 feet, 2.8 miles. I probed this carefully but was not able to find sufficient holds. The weathered granitic blocks are sturdy but features are infrequent and rounded. My son was able to make the climb left of center. As shown on the map, I bypassed to the right/north, returning to the ridge at first opportunity. You can avoid the Class 4 segment by extending your bypass to 12,800 feet.
This image depicts the next Class 4 obstacle.
There is a false summit at 13,680 feet and then a pleasant 0.2 mile topline walk to the peak at 3.6 miles. San Miguel Peak is two miles away to the north, image-right.
Looking back from the summit ridge, Engineer Mountain caps a wall of slabs on Grizzly's false summit.
The Kaleidoscope Summit
In Durango, Grizzly Peak has garnered a considerable mystique. As viewed from US 550 at mile marker 50 near Cascade, it is somewhat dark and daunting. It may be seen for a fleeting moment in the center of a sky wedge which makes it all the more alluring. Standing on top is altogether surreal. It is like being inside a spinning kaleidoscope. Twirl yourself to see ridges rippling off in all directions and mountains flying by, each a jazzy splash of color. Vermilion Peak, 13,894', is the tallest and brightest neighbor, rising to the northeast. San Miguel Peak, the hump-shouldered granite-scape, is slightly taller than Grizzly at 13,752'.
The most direct and proven way home is to return via the couloir.
South Ridge Descent
The fun factor on the south ridge is extreme, a worthy consideration for hikers experienced with Class 3 rock and mild exposure. Pass by the couloir and proceed south. Scramble to the base of the pinnacle, shown. A rock glacier flows west from Point 13,139'. (THW, photo)
Go around the free-standing minaret on the east and return to the ridge. (THW, photo)
Or climb over the top of it for fun.
Bypass subsequent towering slabs on the west side.
Prior to reaching the saddle, at about 13,040 feet, abandon the ridge, rapidly descending through the basin to the east. Work down through, or bypass, cliff bands keeping a bead on the lake in Grizzly Meadows, shown. Watch for golden eagles soaring and weasels scampering.
Stay to the right of two large boulders at 12,160 feet. You can't miss them; they are miniature versions of Engineer Mountain. Drop almost to the lake in Grizzly Meadows intersecting the access trail and closing the loop. From here it is less than an hour to the parking area, assuming you do not mistakenly continue on the Colorado Trail all the way to Durango.
2 comments:
Cascade Divide road from Purg is still driving about 1:10 in the 4runner. It hasn't gotten significantly worse but it certainly isn't getting any better. Surprisingly there were 5 other vehicles back there on Sept 26 (two appeared to perhaps be hunters). No one was in the grizzly meadows area or above.
Hi Dave, It's good to hear from you. Thanks for confirming the "Pando Road" is still functional. You crushed it! Debra
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